VIFF ‘07: Canadian Images: Breakfast with Scot

I finished my breaky before I got to the theatre, but I could do Breakfast with Scot anytime!

This is a very funny film that reflects our society’s slow maturity around homosexuality. Scot is a young boy who is more gay than the two men who take him in until his legal guardian gets around to picking him up. One of the two believes his career depends on keeping the closet door firmly closed while Scot continually tries to open it wide! Meanwhile, Scot is slipping under their skin and the film really illustrates that unconditional love is the fundamental basis of any parent-child relationship.

The film flows very well until near the end when it still works, but awkwardly. Aside from that flaw, the actors give Michael Downing’s novel life and are wonderful in almost every role. The closing credits are creative as well, so stick around for those, too!

Remaining Screenings:
Thursday, Oct 4th @ 6:20pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 4
Thursday, Oct 11th @ 2:30pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 3

VIFF ‘07: Canadian Images: Elijah

If you are an Aboriginal person or a so-called Canadian, see this film!

History is often presented in a boring way: this film is fun, smart, funny and dramatic, even though we know the ending.

I love aboriginal humour and this film is full of it. It also exposes the racism rampant in Canadian society but never preaches.

The focus is on Elijah Harper, a hero to Aboriginal peoples everywhere and it seems, most people living in what is called Canada. The man is painfully humble and shy but determined to make a difference. He stood up to incredible pressure and not only defeated the Meech Lake Accord, he inspired the folks at Oka later that year and he helped reduce the seemingly unstoppable Mulroney-led conservative federal government to 2 seats in the subsequent election.

Phil Fontaine is a huge figure in this film as well and he is portrayed to be both a strong leader and a caring human being. Elijah’s wife, Elizabeth, is shown to be what most political men’s wives are: workhorses and the foundation upon which the men depend.

The film comes from an Aboriginal point-of-view but is imminently fair to the white folks that deserve it; that last statement clearly comes from a white man because the truth is simply the truth in the Aboriginal world.

Do yourself a huge favour: see this film and have a great laugh, maybe even a cry (I did the 2nd time) and understand a critical part of Canada’s history in the process.

Screenings:
Friday, Oct 5th @ 7:15pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 2
Monday, Oct 8th @ 1:30pm: Pacific Cinematheque

VIFF ‘07: Cinema of our Time: Beaufort

This so-called anti-war film helped me understand the difference between a peace film and an anti-war film and why any work one does needs to be carefully labeled. Using the word war is appropriate here because it is almost all about fighting, death, aggression and killing. It is bleak and not the world I want in my mind at all.

The remarkable thing this film achieves is that fear is shown and even embraced by the soldiers depicted. More than one man cries on camera. And this is the “invincible” Israeli army.

The soldiers themselves, through their humour, let us know how incredibly stupid the work they are doing is (we are guarding the mountain so it doesn’t run away).

But the gift, for me, was the parenting insight this film gave. When an explosives expert is ordered to go against his own best judgment and gets blown up, his father is interviewed on t.v. and takes all the blame for his death. His reason is simple: he failed to instill the sense in his son that his son was the most precious thing on the planet. I know of no other mission as a parent more important than this.

No Remaining Screenings

VIFF ‘07: Nonfiction Features: The War on Democracy

Did you know that…

…”housewives” are paid for their work in Venezuela?

…the first indigenous president was recently elected in Bolivia?

…the School of Americas trained the brutal generals and dictators of the recent past in South America?

…Chile’s Presidential Palace was bombed on September 11th, 1973 (and its democratically elected government was overthrown with direct US government support)?

If you don’t know all of the above, this movie will enlighten as it entertains. If you do know all of the above, the movie will reinforce and probably expand your knowledge: it is uncompromising and well-focussed. The interviews with the CIA’s agents are both hilarious and outrageous and worth the film on their own. It’s also refreshing to see Hugo Chavez up close and personal.

This kind of film making is bold and brash (kind of like advertising/political campaigning/corporate lobbying) but I couldn’t find any holes, exaggerations, or fallacies…can you?

Remaining Screenings:
Saturday, Oct 6th, @ 1:00pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre7