Mermaids

Ever since the success of Disney's The Little Mermaid, starring red-headed Ariel, North America has been in love with mermaids. In Ali Weinstein's film Mermaids, we meet a handful of 21st-century women who identify as living, contemporary versions of the legendary aquatic creatures. Each of them has her own deeply personal reason for "mermaiding." For Harlem resident Cookie, it's something she shares with her husband, Ralph, who lovingly sews her tails by hand. Transgender Julz has always wanted to be "one of the girls" and mermaiding allows her to forget her tough Bible-Belt upbringing and be an insider for once. With carefully choreographed underwater scenes and thought-provoking characters, Mermaids is a wonderful testament to the healing power of the imagination. (Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival)