Hot Docs Preview: Lehman Brothers, Pinochet military goons and other unpunished criminals
Among the millions of people who suffered from the 2008 financial meltdown, a few even worked for the companies who perpetrated the crisis. Jennifer Deschamps' documentary focuses on whistleblowers at the giant Lehman Brothers investment firm, whose bankruptcy played a major role in the global crisis. The subjects include a former vice president who was fired for challenging dubious practices, a lawyer who met the same fate and several women working for a Sacramento subsidiary who were subjected to sexual and racial harassment because of their concerns. Despite a tabloid-TV style, the documentary makes a convincing case that what happened was deliberately criminal. Fri. May 3, 6:15 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox. - LL
A Chilean woman seeks redress after being tortured by the Pinochet regime in Hayee and the Flying Fish
This doc is about Haydee Oberreuter Umazabal, a Chilean woman who launched a lawsuit against the naval officers who tortured her following the 1973 Pinochet coup. Their sadism caused her to lose her four-month pregnancy and suffer lifelong physical and psychological damage. Oberreuter’s multi-year crusade for justice - aided by various relatives, friends and a legal team - is moving, though director Pachi Bustos’ poetic and tender approach (the camera lingers on still photographs) and absence of chronological markers can be confusing. Tuesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox; Wed,, May 2, 12:30 p.m., Scotiabank; Sat. May 4, 5:30 p.m. Scotiabank. - LL
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