And Then They Came for Us, featuring George Takei, kicks off online KDocsFF running March 12 to 21

Metro Vancouver social-justice documentary film festival travels from the Philippines to Chechnya

A Thousand Cuts looks at the increasing tension between the media and the Philippines government. — *A Thousand Cuts l*ooks at the increasing tension between the media and the Philippines government.

And Then They Came for Us talks to people who were incarcerated during America’s Japanese internment. — *And Then They Came for Us* talks to people who were incarcerated during America’s Japanese internment.

BELOVED JAPANESE-AMERICAN Star Trek alumnus, activist, and social-media star George Takei will appear in a special Q&A as part of KDocsFF 2021: Resistance. Freedom. Justice., as Metro Vancouver’s social-justice film festival heads online from March 12 to 21.

The opening night streams a special presentation of Abby Ginsberg’s And Then They Came for Us, starting at 7 pm. The documentary focusing on the 120,000 Japanese Americans interned during the Second World War features Takei and many others who were incarcerated. The actor appears in a live one-hour Q&A and discussion after the film.

In all, the fest has unveiled 15 documentary films, with an array of keynote speakers and panel discussions to dig into the pressing issues raised in the films.

Other highlights include A Thousand Cuts, which digs into the erosion of press freedom and the spread of social-media disinformation during the reign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Big business is the focus of two other offerings: Capital in the Twenty-first Century, which is based on the international bestseller by economist Thomas Piketty and its journey through the past and present of wealth and power; and Canadian-made The New Corporation, the sequel that exposes the way mega-companies are threatening democratic freedoms.

Elsewhere, Welcome to Chechnya focuses on the anti-gay purges of that region, The Great Green Wall takes a musical journey to the ambitious project to plant trees across Africa, and iHuman zeroes in on the threat from fast-advancing AI technology.

KDocsFF 2021 is geo-blocked to British Columbia, with tickets sold by the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF).

Because the festival’s partner is VIFF, VIFF’s email subscribers can purchase a Full Festival Pass for $35, while VIFF+ Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Connect members can purchase a Full Festival Pass for $30

You can check out the entire lineup here.

KDocsFF was founded by KPU instructor Janice Morris, kicking off its first full fest in 2015 with programming focused on engagement, critical thinking, and dialogue.

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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