Hot Docs 2025 - Garanti 100% Kréol Review

Just when you thought you’ve seen everything a festival could throw at you programming-wise, Vivian Belik pops onto the scheduling block with a double feature that’s just as blissful as it is intriguing: Laurent Pantaléon’s Garanti 100% Krëol preceded by Martin Edralin’s La Mayordomia. The two films compliment each other beautifully, with both reaching deep into the depths of faith and human connection with spiritual/religious forces in their own individual and provocative ways. 

Krëol features irresistibly grainy, black-and-white cinematography, with these visuals sporadically containing image slideshows of Garanti’s and various people. For my money so far, it easily takes the top spot in regards to bold and experimental storytelling tactics, as these moments end up making the world they are surrounded with even more interesting than it already appears.

Laurent, with an open heart and mind, engages in these worlds and subject matters with an open and art, which is one of the main reasons the film ends up being so effective in its pursuit of scenarios and beliefs that Western civilization would commonly consider taboo or “too out there”. 

As lovely as the aesthetics and on-screen personalities are within the brisk 65-minute runtime, it’s worth mentioning how skillfully mixed and executed the sound design (as well as the sound/foley in general) is. The opening sequence is a rip-roaring train that shoots itself towards the audience at full speed, flashing you with relevant imagery alongside piercing screams and chimes. From that moment on, Laurent’s film demands your attention and refuses to let it go until the credit crawl. Given the quality of the piece, I had no problem abiding.

Hot Docs 2025 runs until May 4th. This film has one final screening on Friday, May 2nd, 8:15pm at TIFF Lightbox. Tickets can be purchased at hotdocs.ca.