We saw our first Hot Docs selection last night: The Railroad All Stars. It was about a group of prostitutes from the worst slums of Guatemala who form a football team and enter a tournament in the hopes of drawing attention to their plight (they’re beaten or killed by their clients, harassed by police, etc.), and the hoopla that followed. We saw the whole range of backgrounds that brought the women there, and marvelled at the conditions they live and work in. I was flabbergasted by the attitudes some of these women had…an old woman who’d lost a house to a rainstorm — and an eye to an old boyfriend’s drunken rage — thanking god for all her blessings because her boyfriend had built her a wood and aluminium shack in the slum, or the woman who said “I’m not ashamed of what I do because I don’t hurt anybody; in fact, doing what I do, I probably keep young girls from being raped.” This didn’t strike me as temporary self-delusion on the part of someone in denial about her situation; this woman knew where her life had taken her, and seemed at peace with it.

And yet, somehow, the whole movie was funny. So there you go. Kudos to the director.

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Because of the timing last night, I could only watch the first half of the hockey game; I watched just long enough to see Montreal tie the game at 2, but when I got home I watched the remainder on the PVR and saw them lose 3-2. While the officiating was still wonky (Justin Williams high-sticked Andrei Markov in the face with no call; Rivet also got hit in the face with a high-stick sans penalty; on the flip side, though, the Hurricanes had a goal called back when the ref at the blueline overruled the ref behind the net…it was the right call — Brind’Amour kicked the puck out from under Huet — but it was just weird that no penalty was called if the goal was waved off) but at least the Hurricans deserved their win this time. They just beat the Canadiens, pure and simple. The Habs just couldn’t recover from the loss of Saku Koivu, it seems, with their top line completely ineffective, and their second line just as useless. I’m hopeful Gainey will make some line changes — like, say, putting Plekanec on the top line with Higgins and Ryder — but in general I really fear for their chances in this series now. It’s a best of three, with two of the games in Carolina. Montreal’s lost their captain and best centre, and the Hurricans have all the momentum. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but Montreal’s going to have to find some kind of reserve their didn’t know they had to take this series.

.:.

By some unholy twist of fate, I’ve had “You’re The Voice” by John Farnham stuck in my head for the past 24 hours. It was playing in Green Mango yesterday when I picked up my lunch, and I haven’t been able to shake it (except for the hour or so when my brain had “I Wanna Drive The Zamboni” on repeat).

.:.

[tags]hot docs, canadiens, hurricanes, NHL, koivu, zamboni[/tags]