Title: Antoine
Director: Laura Bari

Not a 'straight' documentary by any sense, the story of five-year-old Antoine Hoang is an immediate plunge into a world that's only very similar to our own.

Antoine (pictured, top left) was born blind and the first thing he does when he wakes up in the morning is open all the curtains in his Montreal apartment. Then he gets ready for school, where he is in kindergarten alongside other, sighted children.

In the morning, he's in charge of taking attendance, which is written in Braille.
When it's time for the class to paint, he tells the teacher his favourite colours are green and orange. During gym class, Antoine holds the hand of another student while they tear around the court.

One of his favourite things to do is drive the car, a fantasy the filmmaker indulges. We see the whole world through Antoine's eyes, which means we see him take the keys, buckle himself into the driver's seat, and turn the ignition. Highways and fields roll by the windows as if Antoine is truly behind the wheel.

He and two friends love to play detective, an act that seems unsupervised thanks to the camerawork that hovers close to Antoine's height. The trio is searching for the mysterious Madame Rouski, using clues that someone - perhaps the disappeared lady herself - has placed for them. Director Laura Bari plays along, allowing her camera - but not the children - to find the woman at several intervals.

Antoine also spends a lot of time alone, crunching his fingers on a Braille typewriter and chatting on a cell phone with friends from school. At his birthday party, a pillow fight in total darkness is called the blind game, an act that ends in howls of laughter.

Title: Those Who Remain
Director: Juan Carlos Rulfo, Carlos Hagerman

There are countless harrowing tales of the men who leave Mexico for a better life in the United States. Those Who Remain is the heartbreaking corollary that tells the story of several families who were left behind. Some were left for years at a time; some hope to join their husbands and fathers; and one family never can.

One man went away so that his three daughters could go to high school. He was gone for seven years, a loss that is still palpable even though he has since come home. Upon his return, he started a successful farm. The plan thrilled his middle daughter, Yemeni, who was most obviously affected by his disappearance. But if the sisters want to go to college, he'll have to return to California.

Their story is not unusual.  It seems all the buildings in the featured towns are abandoned, or partially built, or collapsing on themselves. There are great big empty houses left behind, and communities full of women and children only.

One family openly argues in front of the crew. The husband points to the camera and says, "he's not at home." His wife, pregnant with their third child, counters, "it's not for years at a time."

The dangerous and illegal border crossings take their toll on all the featured families.

Hot Docs 2009 runs from April 30 - May 10. For more information or to purchase tickets visit http://www.hotdocs.ca/.