2023 Movie
Dir. Hubert Davis · Canada · English
A painful but necessary exposé that doesn't dig deep but gets the conversation started
What Black Ice lacks in comprehensive research about the structures that maintain institutionalized racism inside major hockey leagues, it partly makes up for with one painful testimonial after another. This is a documentary that aims for the personal and the emotional over the intellectual—still an effective strategy as the film makes its point through repetition, to show just how commonplace racism is within hockey culture. And though it begins to feel somewhat plain in its execution (and without as much momentum leading into its concluding statements), Black Ice makes for a fiery, impassioned wake-up call especially to Canada’s own seemingly “progressive” racial politics.
This incisive, urgent documentary examines the history of anti-Black racism in hockey, from the segregated leagues of the 19th century to today’s NHL, where Black athletes continue to struggle against bigotry.
"An icebreaking expose on the influence and oppression of Black athletes in Canada’s most treasured sport, hockey."
— Peyton Robinson
Black Canadian hockey players recount their experiences of racism in a sport—and a country—known for turning a blind eye.
Though the documentary doesn't necessarily build towards its final moments so much as it scatters itself towards the end, the note that Black Ice chooses to end on is still one of optimism and hope for the future. Here the focus is placed on much, much younger students of hockey who have already come to expect racist treatment in this arena. It could very well be the subject of its own documentary; it'd certainly be interesting to see present-day efforts in making the sport more inclusive. But while the film doesn't really give us enough of this on its own, it still knows to leave us on a high.
Turns out that the people who get angriest at Canada are, in fact, Canadians.
Berlin
1 nom
Emil Hofileña is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. He also writes as a theater critic, with work published in Rogue and Out of Print, among others. He’s probably crying over a movie or an episode as we speak.
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