image  Yes, Paris Hilton was in the house this past week at TIFF. After a complicated journey to the festival, Adria Petty’s documentary PARIS, NOT FRANCE had just a single showing on Tuesday. I’ve never seen so many cameras on the red carpet of the Ryerson Theater. Introducing the film, I noted that when documentary makers train their camera on the super famous, they typically have to contend with a phalanx of lawyers, managers and press agents running interference. Petty navigates this terrain skillfully and brings the playful sense of style that is a hallmark of her music videos. Some reviewers have used the film to vent their feelings about Paris (guess what: they feel superior!) rather than grapple with why this young woman holds such appeal. But Paris tends to have the last laugh in these matters (as John McCain discovered). Her legions of fans aren’t likely to care what the press pack thinks. The film has strong advisers with the producer Cary Woods and the William Morris agent Cassian Elwes. I would not second guess their instinct for the marketplace.

Indiewire has two pieces of thorough TIFF doc coverage including an interview with Petty and a critical round-up by Eric Kohn.

Meanwhile, over at TIFF Doc Blog there are new posts about AMERICAN SWING, LES PLAGES D’AGNES, KILLING KASZTNER, and others.