In the words of IndieWire, “OVID continues to be a strong choice for curious streaming viewers who trust smart curation to lead them off the beaten path, and the platform’s November slate is all killer, no filler. Leonard Cohen obsessives — and there’s no good excuse not to count yourself among their ranks — can’t miss Caroline Leaf’s Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen, an unpolished 1965 doc that follows the late musician as he returns to his hometown of Montreal to “renew his neurotic affiliations.”
This week they’re also premiering two documentaries on pianist Glenn Gould: in Glenn Gould – Off the Record Gould enjoys a respite at his lakeside cottage revealing an aspect of himself previously known only to the collie pacing beside him through the woods, the fishermen resting their oars to hear his piano, and fellow musicians like Franz Kraemer, with whom Gould talks of composition. And Glenn Gould – On the Record follows Glenn Gould to New York City. There, we see the renowned Canadian concert pianist kidding the cab driver, bantering with sound engineers at Columbia Records, and then, alone with the piano, fastidiously recording Bach’s Italian Concerto.
They also have three historical films: Churchill Island—the first National Film Board of Canada film to win an Oscar—includes narration by Lorne Greene of Bonanza fame, the film presents the strategy of the Battle of Britain showing how the various forces made up the nation’s defenses. City of Gold collages still photographs to compare the Dawson City of the gold rush, when the gold from its river beds flowed freely through the stores, taverns and dance halls, with the more tranquil Dawson City of the present. King of the Hill follows one of the greatest Canadian baseball players of all time, Ferguson Jenkins, through the 1972-1973 season.
You won’t want to miss Royal Journey the documentary account of the five-week visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States in the fall of 1951. And, Kate and Anna McGarrigle profiling Quebec-born singing sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle who enjoyed international acclaim—although outside of the mainstream—for their inimitable style, their talent as songwriters, and especially their unassuming, informal personalities.
If you haven’t checked out their film collection Explorations, perhaps this weekend is your opportunity to watchdocumentary dispatches from the far corners of the earth including acclaimed works from Werner Herzog and Robert Kramer.
