Life after VIFF
17 October 2009
With so much great celluloid on display over the past two weeks, it may be hard to imagine a day without a film in it. But fear not, there are many post-VIFF offerings to satisfy that newly realized addiction…
This weekend, you can see many VIFF repeats at the Vancity Theatre for $10. One of my favourite films in this year’s fest, This Way of Life, plays Saturday night. You can buy tickets here or read my review here.
Also this weekend, the Stone Soup Film Festival: Exploring the Politics of Food runs all weekend in the Britannia High School Auditorium. A weekend pass is $15 or you can pay by donation for each film. A shortened version of HomeGrown will be screened as well as Indigenous Plant Diva and many others. You can see the whole lineup and view many of the films’ trailers here.
Sunday, there is an all ages screening of Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit at the Pacific Cinematheque.
Next week, there are two free screenings of Brazilian films at the Frederick Wood Theatre (6361 University Boulevard) at UBC:
Wednesday, Oct 21 at 7:30pm – UM PASSAPORTE HÚNGARO / THE HUNGARIAN PASSPORT (2001 – 72 min.)
“This film, in Portuguese, French, and Hungarian with English subtitles, chronicles Brazilian director Sandra Kogut’s frustrating and often hysterical attempts to jump through the bureaucratic hoops necessary for her to obtain a Hungarian passport. On the way, she explores a painful family history of forced emigration and a hidden legacy of anti-Semitism as she confronts some essential questions: What is nationality? What is a passport for? What should we do with our heritage? How do we construct our history and our own identity?”
Friday, Oct 23 at 7:30pm – O OUTRO LADO DA RUA / THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET (2004 – 98 min.)
“Suspicious minds and autumnal romance cross paths in this Brazilian film from director Marcos Bernstein. Regina who works for the neighborhood watch in Copacabana believes she has witnessed a murder in a building across the street. She ends up getting involved with the suspect in a dangerous chain of events that will force her to take stock in her life in a way she could never have imagined.”
And finally, don’t forget there’s another film festival on the horizon: the Amnesty International Film Festival from November 12 to 15. They have a great lineup and I hope to review many of their films in advance to help you find your favourites. Stay tuned for more!
Charlie Haden: Rambling Boy
17 October 2009
Man, this guy is great. And the film does well to highlight his musical genius and vision. Unfortunately, we only get a glimpse at his politics but anyone who puts together a band called the Liberation Music Orchestra and goes to jail for justice…well, as Anne Feeney sings, they’re a friend of mine.
I wish I had the musical background to comment on Charlie Haden’s contribution to the jazz scene and music world in general, but that’s one of the strengths of this film. It also gives us solid stretches of his playing with various other jazz masters, while taking us on a journey through his musical life.
The highlight for me was when Charlie was in Portugal and dedicated a song to the Black Liberation Struggles in Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, and Angola and the huge crowd erupted for minutes of pandemonium, completely drowning out their music. It then showed how scary life can be for fathers in this world when he was jailed the next day. His privilege rescued him, however, but the world had changed again thanks to Charlie Haden.
Slippery Road
12 October 2009
Many kudos to the curator of this fabulous line-up of Canadian shorts. Despite the many great Canadian features I’ve seen (especially at this festival), this program may also convince you that not only do people living in this part of the world make some of the best short films anywhere, it is a very worthy thing to do.
Highlights in this program:
Shi-Shi-Etko: “Can you imagine a community, without children. Can you imagine children without parents?” These words close a film that shows the lead-up to the forced removal of one child from her family by the state. Beautifully shot and another important step toward understanding the unimaginable pain that our genocidal policies inflict.
Big Head: in 10 minutes I laughed and screamed while I was totally convinced…children’s humiliation drives them to extremes and schools only exacerbate this devastating problem.
Carmen: I can’t believe a 6 minute film could reduce me to a sobbing mess. It’s about unconditional love; it deeply touched my heart and proves that there is the odd soul who can keep unconditionally loving beyond their childhood.
Dog = God: a fun and lively ode to woman’s best friend. The music is a perfect compliment to the rest of the program.
Instant: finally, a film that shows the deadly repercussions of driving motorized vehicles. But this is hilarious and smart as hell. The writeup in the guide minimizes the depths that this one dives…it’s brilliant!
Unlocked: I can’t say enough about this 14 minute gem. Bicycles, family dysfunction passed down, and hilarious. My guess is that Alice Miller would approve wholeheartedly and it’s simply worth the price of admission alone as it shows one person’s reactions to constantly finding other bikes locked to his.
Crude
11 October 2009
Crude could refer to many things you’ll see in the film: oil, civilization, corporate relations, our empathy for indigenous peoples and children.
This well crafted film documents the story of how Texaco/Chevron have contaminated a pristine area of the Amazon and how the peoples that have always lived there are dying in droves due to cancer and related diseases.
The film makes the case clearly and also documents how one of the residents decided to become a lawyer to launch a class action lawsuit on behalf of his people. He’s now reaching middle age and there’s no end in sight to the case, which of course works to Texaco/Chevron’s sole advantage.
This film and case is known for Sting’s involvement and the scenes with Live Earth 07.07.07 are fun and inspiring. As one of the lawyers says, it’s a miracle that this case got into court at all. But miraculous or not, thousands of people are dying and losing their way of life while Chevron stalls and we watch. That’s Crude.
Petals, Under One Sky, Ikwe
6 October 2009
Beautiful. That one word kept coming to my mind throughout this wonderful 3 film screening…hopefully you can glean why below…
Petals – Journey into Self-Discovery holds true whatever your sex/gender/orientation (or so it seems to this het man). It starts very gently and eases the viewer into the material before really picking up the pace and diving deeper. The material, you ask? Vulvas. Or more accurately, the artistic beauty of the vulva and the fact that our culture doesn’t consider them beautiful.
I have to admit I was hesitant about seeing this one. I really didn’t know what to expect from a film about a man taking pictures of women’s genitalia. But I’m glad I saw it (and the others below) because it truly is an empowering film for all involved: models, artists, viewers.
One of the areas I grew in my understanding from this film is that I am far from alone in feeling uncomfortable about this topic. But as Betty Dodson hilariously points out in the film, a half an hour of images (or in this case, 48 minutes) can be transforming. Petals shines in moving vulvas from the domain of pornography and into the realm of beauty, normality, and positivity, even – or especially – for men.
This film for women really needs to be seen by all.
Click here for more info and tickets.
Under One Sky documents a tiny portion of an all women’s martial arts training camp on the Sunshine Coast. The variety of martial arts shown is impressive, as are the teachers with the wisdom and skill they share onscreen.
The skillful use of the Wyrd Sister’s Warrior really added power to the presentation; a bonus surprise for me was that my daughter’s “best friend” was one of the presenters! The filmmaker’s acknowledgment of their use of unceded Coast Salish Territory in the credits completed a beautiful package.
Click here for more info and tickets.
Ikwe is a very short film that impressed me by its dramatic simplicity and the respectful use of 3 languages. The dance is transfixing and very well captured on film. A lovely start to to a beautiful programme.
Way of Nature
6 October 2009
This is a meditation on farm life in Sweden; calming, consistent and mostly peaceful. It’s not a silent film but aside from background farm noise, only a radio speaks and this addition really accentuates the peacefulness of the setting brilliantly.
Shot over a year to allow the viewer to witness the coming of all 4 seasons, the drama really unfolds early with the birth of twin calves. It reminded me of how domesticated animals are so far away from their wild ancestors, completely unable to take care of themselves in the most crucial moments of their life.
The photography is stunning, the humans are interesting (I couldn’t believe how much they avoided physical labour in the course of doing firewood, a classically labour-intensive process), but the plants and animals are the stars of this show.
Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands
6 October 2009
It seems fitting to review this film right after H2Oil, as they both focus on the Alberta Tar Sands.
This High Definition film is almost completely without voice over and it flashes few factoids; what it does do is document the enormity of what the tar sands are.
No mention of the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree is shown or spoken (the people of Fort Chipewyan are thanked in the credits), but this is a Greenpeace Canada film.
Their strength lies in letting us know that Canada is the US’s #1 supplier of oil (yes, ahead of Saudi Arabia) and it’s only because of the tar sands.
The tar sands are also the largest source of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, emitting as much as all of the passenger vehicles in Canada every day.
Don’t worry, the enormous beauty of the surrounding land is juxtaposed nicely, so it isn’t all industrial doom and gloom imagery. The film’s format is very impressive and will leave a lasting impression; not as long as the tar sands, but lasting nevertheless.
To find more actions you can take, visit their website here.
H2Oil
5 October 2009
H2Oil primarily documents the ecological devastation being caused by the Alberta Tar Sands; it does well to also expose the ongoing genocide of the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree who have been settled in Fort Chipewyan for the past few generations and the economic forces that are driving the tar sands development.
The endless contradictions of all levels of government and industry are well placed with shots of reality and voices of reason. Harper is an easy target, of course, but Obama, Suncor, NAFTA, Health Canada, and the Ministries of Environment also can’t hide from the debacle of the tar sands.
If you think you can ignore the effects of the tar sands, well, you’re wrong, even if you aren’t an indigenous person living downriver from them. Their impact, even before the 5-fold expansion being planned for right now, is almost beyond comprehension. H2Oil will help you begin to digest it; as the film’s name suggests, the basis of all life is at stake.
Just be careful, it may spur you into action (here’s a link to the film’s Action webpage)!
Shameless
5 October 2009
Shameless refers to the main character who follows his sexual whims despite his marriage and child.
It is funny in many places as the new wave of Czech films have become known to be. It pokes fun at technology and it turns many social presumptions upside down. The grandparents steal the show.
But for me, as a single parent, it just didn’t cut it as it portrayed two children of broken marriages. None of the pain was shown and the children were really just props. Perhaps the last scene was meant to symbolically save the film as well as the lead, but it was too late for me.
To its great credit, no one is Hollywood beautiful and human imperfection is attempted to be cherished rather than scorned. But it just couldn’t dig deep enough for my satisfaction. Maybe it will for yours…
The Great Contemporary Art Bubble
5 October 2009
This seems to be Ben Lewis’ attempt to leap from newspaper columnist into the world of Michael Moore.
The information is startling and the images are impressive. Ben Lewis documents the Great Contemporary Art Bubble that recently burst with panache and flair, but he also keeps putting himself in front of the camera.
The main points that I gleaned from this film is that the contemporary art market has no regulations and the consequences are dire. As usual in our civilization, the rich play and get richer, while the rest of us subsidize their fun. The film does well in showing how this works, and for that, it well worth the viewing. Yet another enclave of the rich and famous is exposed. Bravo, Ben Lewis!
But next time (if there is one), please try to be a bit more humble about it? Sure, compared to the pathetic people portrayed you do, but your work is great – just let it speak for itself!
