VIFF ‘07: Canadian Images: White Vans

This 13 minute short packs a hefty punch…right in the eye of the next bike thief!

Local filmmaker Aren Hansen helps us feel the pain and loss that is much more than a bike stolen: a wide range of people who have suffered the loss of their loved one share how it affected them as well as their vengeful fantasies.

Ending up as a advertisement to return an abandoned blue bike to its rightful owner (it was left behind by a thief who stole the filmmaker’s bike), we see lots of great shots of East Van as well as slam poetry and a wonderful stakeout that puts important perspective on the bigger issues.

Shown with 8 other Canadian shorts.

Screenings:
Wednesday, Oct 10, @ 9:15pm: Pacific Cinematheque
Thursday, Oct 11, @ 4:00pm: Pacific Cinematheque

VIFF ‘07: Dragons & Tigers: The Matsugane Potshot Affair

This Japanese film starts out as beautifully as any film I’ve seen: a cyclist rides off in the winter in peace and quiet. We also see a hit and run where the car driver lives to regret his mistake. It even shows us a “good” cop that eventually bursts at the seams, proving that no one should carry guns. But overall, this comedy has a humour that I simply didn’t get, like virtually every other film curated over the years by Tony Rayns. In fact, one of the best parts of this year’s fest is finally getting to see some Chinese films that he didn’t select…

Screenings:
Friday, Sep 28th @ 9:15pm: Pacific Cinematheque
Sunday, Sep 30th @ 11:00am: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 4
Wednesday, Oct 3rd, @ noon: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 1

VIFF ‘07: Climate for Change: Über Wasser/About Water

This almost meditative Austrian doc shows the extremes that climate change has already inflicted on us. Beautifully shot and incredibly insightful.

Starting in Bangladesh, this film shows rich, arable land drowning and literally being washed away, while one of the densest populations on earth display their creativity and fortitude (and expend an enormous amount of human energy) in literally moving their homes when the water continues to rise. One camping experience with a rising tide was bad enough; I can’t begin to imagine the stress of living like that everyday with millions of others!

The next stop is Kazakhstan where we see giant Russian freighters in the middle of a desert! The Aral Sea gave thousands of people a beautiful home, abundant food and lots of work. However, irrigating the surrounding desert simply dried up 75% of the water and shrank the sea’s area by half; now, just like it is predicted with global climate change, a vicious cycle continues to evaporate the Aral Sea faster than it can sustain itself. The former Soviet propaganda films which explain how this all happened could have been produced by the same companies that made those American “news” reels shown in our theatres in the 50s.

Lastly, we visit Kibera, home of half of Nairobi’s population in an unplanned and horribly serviced “slum.” Here, water is the key to easy money for a chosen few, as well over a million people line up and walk for hours to buy barrel after barrel of water for all their everyday needs from only 15 official water taps. The film shows the extreme hardship of constantly transporting water through an ever changing street scape and ends with a stat that exemplifies the reality of the economic poor around the world: we pay more while the rich have much, much more.

Screenings:
Thursday, Sept 27 @ 12:15pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 6
Thursday, Oct 4, @ 12:15pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 6
Thursday, Oct 11, @ 6:40pm: Empire Granville 7 Theatre 3