Hot Docs

Beauty Day

Canadian Spectrum

Screenings

Fri, Apr 29 7:45 PM Isabel Bader Theatre	Not Available
Sat, May 7 5:15 PM Isabel Bader Theatre	Not Available

90 minutes | Canada | English | Canadian Premiere | Rating: 14A

What motivates someone to snort eggs through their nostrils, ski off a rooftop or attempt to remove a swimming pool cover through the most reckless method imaginable? Welcome to the mind of Ralph Zavadil, better known by his fans as Cap’n Video. Years before Jackass and the YouTube era of instant fame, Zavadil’s 1990s cable access TV show brought him notoriety—but the self-produced program was abruptly cancelled after an unfortunate Easter stunt involving chocolate, an obese rabbit and cute puppies. Over a decade has passed since that doomed skit, and Cap’n Video is eager to don his specialized lightning helmet one more time. Blending vintage video footage of Zavadil’s stunts with his present attempts to stage an anniversary special, Jay Cheel delivers a Herzog-inspired adventure of a pioneer living life on the edge, filled with humour, heart and its share of bodily fluids. - Alex Rogalski

Beauty Day with Fahrenheit 7-Eleven also screens as part of Rooftop Docs, Hot Docs’ open-air screening program.