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No Ordinary Man (film)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = No Ordinary Man
| image =
| caption =
| director = Aisling Chin-Yee
Chase Joynt
| producer = Sarah Spring
| writer = Aisling Chin-Yee
Amos Mac
| screenplay =
| story =
| based_on =
| starring =
| narrator =
| music = Rich Aucoin
Billy Tipton
| cinematography = Lna Mill-Reuillard
| editing = Aisling Chin-Yee
| studio = Parabola Films
| distributor = Oscilloscope, Radiant Films International, Les Films du 3 mars
| runtime = 80 minutes
| released =
| country = Canada
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $15,508
}}
'No Ordinary Man' is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt, and written by Aisling Chin-Yee and Amos Mac.Pat Mullen, [http://povmagazine.com/blog/view/inconvenient-indian-new-corporation-no-ordinary-man-rep-canadian-docs-in-ti "Inconvenient Indian, New Corporation, No Ordinary Man Rep Canadian Docs in TIFF Line-up"]. 'Point of View', July 30, 2020. It is a portrait of Billy Tipton, the jazz musician who was revealed after his death to have been transgender.Pat Mullen, [http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/canada-at-cannes-documentary-in-the-time-of-covid "Canada at Cannes: Documentary in the Time of COVID"]. 'Point of View', June 25, 2020.
The film's production was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. However, as principal photography was already completed, it mainly affected tasks such as editing and post-production work that could be done remotely.
The film premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.Victoria Ahearn, [https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/tiff/2020/07/30/tiff-announces-all-50-titles-for-pandemic-tailored-2020-event.html "TIFF announces all 50 titles for pandemic-tailored 2020 event"]. 'Toronto Star', July 30, 2020. It was subsequently screened at the 2020 Inside Out Film and Video Festival, where it won the award for Best Canadian Film.[https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2020/10/05/inside-out-lgbt-film-fest-reveals-prize-winners-early.html "Inside Out LGBT film fest reveals prize winners early"]. 'Toronto Star', October 5, 2020.
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to 'No Ordinary Man'.
Critical response
For 'Now' and 'The Georgia Straight', Kevin Ritchie praised the film, writing that its "overlapping realizations create a complex portrait while making 'No Ordinary Man' as much about the present as it is about the past. [It] ultimately builds to a moving and surprising climax in which the empathetic trans views of Tipton are finally able to eclipse the parochial tabloid tale."Kevin Ritchie, [https://www.straight.com/movies/viff-review-no-ordinary-man-about-jazz-musician-and-trans-icon-billy-tipton-packs-an "VIFF review: 'No Ordinary Man', about jazz musician and trans icon Billy Tipton, packs an emotional wallop"]. 'The Georgia Straight', September 19, 2020.
The film was named to TIFF's year-end Canada's Top Ten list for feature films.Victoria Ahearn, [https://www.squamishchief.com/toronto-international-film-festival-releases-top-ten-lists-for-2020-1.24252475 "Toronto International Film Festival releases Top Ten lists for 2020"]. 'Squamish Chief', December 9, 2020. It was subsequently named as a Prix Iris nominee for the Public Prize at the 23rd Quebec Cinema Awards.[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1791413/quebec-cinema-decide-finalement-dinclure-les-documentaires-pour-le-prix-du-public "Qubec Cinma dcide finalement dinclure les documentaires pour le prix du public"]. Ici Radio-Canada, May 7, 2021.
In 'The New Yorker', Richard Brody writes: "In 'No Ordinary Man', the directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt go fascinatingly, probingly further, to question the very prospect of making a biographical film about their subject, the trans jazz musician Billy Tipton. 'No Ordinary Man', in that sense, is a genre unto itself, a meta-biographical film about a musician who earned his place in history posthumously, for reasons that he carefully avoided revealing throughout his life."[https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/no-ordinary-man-reviewed-portrait-of-an-artist-enduring-transphobia-after-his-death 'No Ordinary Man', Reviewed: Portrait of an Artist Enduring Transphobia After His Death] 'The New Yorker, July 16, 2021.
Accolades
References
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