Daniel Garber talks with Rama Rau and Laura Hokstad about Coven at #HotDocs23
Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.
Do witches have green skin, pointy hats and eat babies? Or were they outspoken innocent women burned at the stake for their beliefs? Do they only exist in fairy tales and history books? Well, according to a new film, witches are alive and well and living in Toronto.
Coven is a fascinating and eye-opening documentary that follows the everyday lives of three creative witches — a singer-songwriter, a multi-disciplinary artist, and an art director — both in Toronto and as they 
explore their spiritual roots in Scotland, Romania, the US and the Caribbean, both now and deep in history. It’s written and directed by the noted documentarian Rama Rau, famous for her work both on TV and on the big screen. I last spoke to her on this show in 2015 about The League of Exotique Dancers. Coven’s subjects include Laura Hokstad a queer, Toronto-based Art Director and Tarot Card Reader, who is also the host of the YouTube series on Rue Morgue TV called Terror Tarot.
I spoke with Rama Rau and Laura Hokstad in Toronto via Zoom.
Coven is having its world premiere at the Hot Docs 30th Anniversary Documentary Film Festival on Friday, April 28 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Daniel Garber talks to burlesque stars Judith Stein and Camille 2000 and director Rama Rau about The League of Exotique Dancers
Hi, this is Daniel Garber at the Movies for culturalmining.com and CIUT 89.5 FM.
Photos by Jeff Harris.
In the days before pole dancing and pornhub, ecdysiasts plied their trade in show palaces across North America. These women performed their acts on stage with live music, costumes, and comedians. It was known as burlesque and 
produced stars of its own, known for their songs, dances and looks. Burlesque reached its heyday in the 1950s and 60s before taking its last bows.
Now the original dancers are performing together again at a special Las Vegas show honoring inductees into the Burlesque Hall of Fame. A veritable League of Exotic Dancers.
The League of Exotique Dancers is also the name of a new documentary that had its world premier at Hot Docs. It’s directed by award-winning Toronto-based filmmaker Rama Rau and features the original burlesque stars. I spoke with Rama Rau and burlesque artists Canadian Grand Beaver Judith Stein and Camille 2000.
They told me about the glamour and costumes of burlesque, Judith and Camille’s early days, burlesque vs neo-burlesque, burlesque and Bollywood, why strip bars pushed burlesque out of the picture… and more!
The League of Exotique Dancers opens today at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto.
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