Egads

Now that's a good word.
It's been over a month since I last posted. I guess nothing's happening in the past month dramatic enough to post. That, and I've been sorta busy.
I'm thinking of starting a list of things to do. I'm very list oriented. I think I will have to wait until after May 2009 to do most of them, but maybe I'll start a list anyway.
My travel list has hit a plateau, but I do get to travel a bit this year. This weekend, I'm going to Kalamazoo. And I just thought it was a funny word.
I need to start my Christmas shopping.
I haven't eaten cheesecake in awhile.
Boy, what a string of random thoughts.

It was a good run

I got a nosebleed this morning. I don't think I've gotten a nosebleed since I was in the early part of high school or something. I used to get a lot of them and even got some acupuncture to treat them. I thought I was cured. Until today. Boo.

A discovery

Used bookstores are fun. I was looking specifically for two books in hardcover form. I was ready to buy them at whatever price from Indigo, but since they didn't have it, the sales person there recommended me to go to used bookstores instead. I don't really by a bunch of books so I didn't find the price she quoted for me to be overpriced, but she seemed to give off the vibe that I would be crazy to buy it at regular price.
Anyway, I went to a couple places to find the books and the prices are much cheaper for copies of books which are basically in mint condition.
I found one of the books that I wanted, but I'm still looking for the other one. I'm sure I'll find it at some point.
I also made an impulse buy and bought a book for $2.99. I know, I'm wild.
I'm hoping that maybe I can find a specific edition of a children's book that I love. Fingers crossed.
I feel like I'm now privy to a whole new world.
Sorry Chapters and Indigo. I think you've lost a customer.

Nuit Blanche

I had a great time at Nuit Blanche last night. Sure, I feel exhausted right now, but it was definitely worth it.
It made me very happy to see so many people out and about in the city. There was lots to see and do, but you never really know how the city's going to respond to stuff like this. I thought the weather was perfect as well. A little chilly, but once you started walking, it was okay. I could have used some mittens though.

Anyway, I can't really think straight right now, but some of the highlights of the night (in no particular order) include:

1. Stereoscope, 2008. The web write-up says that it was interactive, but I didn't know about that at the time. It was cool to see classic games like Pong, Snake and Tetris played out on the windows of City Hall. I usually like stuff with lights, so I'm not surprised that I liked this one. Also, it reminded me of when we projected our games of Tetris on the wall of our high school Yearbook office. That was fun.

2. Conversation #2, 2008. This was also cool. It looked like part of the
installation had fallen down, but since it's art - well,
you can't be completely sure. I liked the usage of different colour - there were a lot of Hardy Boys books in the blue section.



3. Waterfall, 2008. From far away, it really looked like a waterfall. Again, I like things that use pretty lighting, so I liked this one too.




4. House of Leaves, 2008. It looked cool from far away. The line was too long, so we looked from afar and then went on our merry way.


5. Stock Extravaganza, 2008. It's a garbage can. With music coming from it. With lights and a smoke machine inside. It's cool.

6. Cinematheque Ontario (Toronto International Film Festival Group) - The Art of Silent Comedy. I'd never seen a silent movie before. Well - clips here and there, but not a complete storyline. They are quite sweet. I liked the fact that there was a live pianist accompanying the piece. I wonder if he has seen the movie before. If I was playing, I would have interpreted some of the scenes differently, but I still enjoyed it. I really admire people who can play without a score. I would love to be an accompanist at a dance studio - that's a talent for sure.

*****************

Some blah moments (also in no particular order):

1. Into the Blue, 2008. I would assume that during the event it was more interesting as the lights would have been positioned properly, but when I walked by the installation during the day, it was just a blue plastic thing hanging in the air.

2. Fifteen Seconds, 2002. This installation was in Dundas Square and probably would have been more impressive if they turned out all of the lights there. Alas, the billboards and stuff made the area so bright that the spotlight didn't really have as great of an effect as it could have had.

3. Zombies in Condoland, 2008. The fact that a whole bunch of people were standing around not knowing if anything would actually happen was a little annoying. Finally, we figured out what was happening and it was kind of blah. I was expecting a lot more zombies, but maybe they only let a couple participate at a time because there was a long line up of people waiting to be zombie-fied. There were a couple participants who played their part extremely well. One was moonwalking for a bit, which was slightly entertaining.

I ended up going to bed at 5.30am and had to wake up again at 9.30am and be quite alert for the rest of the day. Now that I'm back home again I think my brain is giving up. I couldn't keep my eyes open on the streetcar ride on the way home. At least this time I didn't miss my stop (hey, I've only done it one before).
So yeah, a good night out. Can't wait for next year!

- picture courtesy of www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca

What's metro?

Since when did Dominion stores in the city become Metro? And why?
Seems like Metro is from Quebec. Interesting.

Liberty Village

I'm still discovering different parts of the city and I've come to one conclusion. I don't like Liberty Village.
The first time I went, although the streetcar ride made me think that it was a neat little area, I got disoriented when walking to my destination. I like to think that I don't get disoriented very easily. The brunch redeemed the experience though.
This time, I went to seek out an installation for Nuit Blanche that I knew had been set up a little earlier (I didn't think that I would have a chance to get out there during the actual event). Again, I got lost. Well - I don't think I got lost, I just couldn't find the thing. I walked the whole length of the street and all over the general vicinity and couldn't find anything that was similar. It's too bad because I was sort of excited to see it. I'm hoping that maybe they just didn't turn the waterfall on at that specific time that I was there, but I'm not so sure.
The area has so much potential to be cool. It's a little bit outside of the core, but seems to have a community feel - but something about it. I just don't like it.
So Liberty Village is at two strikes. I wonder if I should let the brunch cancel one of them out. Whatever. Two strikes.

Toronto International Film Festival 2008 recap

So, I've finally gotten around to posting about all of the films that I saw during the festival.

In viewing order:
1. Adela
2. Three Monkeys
3. C'est pas moi, je le jure!
4. Every Little Step
5. The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World
6. The Wrestler
7. The Heart of Jenin
8. Paris, Not France
9. The Country Teacher
10. Valentino: The Last Emperor
11. Skin
12. Patrik 1,5

It was an incredible festival. The timing worked out so perfectly with my schedule that I had the chance to see a lot of movies. I'm happy that I bought a 10-pack and even though the process seemed really daunting, it really wasn't too bad. It forced me to read about more movies than I otherwise would (last year, I pretty much based my selections on other people's reviews) and found out that there were so many movies that I wanted to see. I still need to get my act together and go back to the theatres to see the movies that have gotten wide releases.
It was a nice way to start the year (my years still go from September to June) and I can't wait to do it again next year.
I don't regret seeing any of the movies that I did, but can't help thinking that I missed out on some great movies because none of mine won awards. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.
I cared less about seeing stars compared to last year (even though the Paris moment was kinda interesting). I did walk by the InStyle party at the Windsor Arms Hotel and spotted some people making their entrance. I know that the festival wasn't quite as frantic this year as it has been in the past. The vibe in Yorkville was lacking. Insiders tell me that the overlap with the Venice and New York festivals took away from TIFF and potentially New York Fashion Week could have played a part as well.
Just like last year, everyone I interacted with who worked/volunteered with the festival were lovely. The movie goers created a great atmosphere as well (sauf the obligatory idiotic question at each screening). I still love the chance to sit in on Q&As - to gain more insight into the films or just hear/see the emotion from whoever is representing the film. Any kind of personal connection is wonderful.
So there you have it - TIFF08 was a big success in my books!

Patrik 1,5

The final film that I watched at the TIFF08 was the Swedish film Patrik 1,5.
It was a wonderful, lighthearted movie. Think the Swedish equivalent to Breakfast with Scot.
It's interesting how the demographic of audience members changes depending on the movie. No, this isn't some crazy breakthrough or anything - it's just kind neat to see.
This movie was fluff. Nothing too significant about it, but a very fun movie to watch. Funny moments for sure. Heart-warming as well.
Maybe I should put more effort into this post it's my last one from the festival (finally), but I have no desire to do so. Sorry. So here's the write-up from the TIFF website:

*****************
Ex-urbanites Sven and Goran are a married gay couple who relocate to a small town, a village really, to realize their dream of adopting a child. But neither they nor their plan are met with open arms. Some of the villagers are downright hostile, others just do their best to ignore them. But the happy couple are more than willing to soldier on, given the impending arrival. The truly nasty surprise is that the adoption agency, despite a lengthy approval process, cannot find a suitable international baby. Just when everything seems lost, news comes of a local candidate: Patrik, age 1.5. But when Patrik shows up, he is in fact fifteen, criminally delinquent and homophobic.

Sweet-tempered and relentlessly charming, Ella Lemhagen's Patrik, Age 1.5 is a subtly executed piece that treads a fine line between drama and comedy. Lemhagen wisely toys with our assumptions and ingrained responses, prodding us to find humour in unexpected situations and humanity everywhere, even in the most unlikely people.

Patrik's arrival causes a fissure between the couple. Though somewhat reluctantly, Goran agrees to take Patrik in until the agency finds an infant for them and an acceptable home for the teen. Sven, on the other hand, is not so accommodating. A former street punk himself, he's terrified of what Patrik might do, and finds memories of his past behaviour discomforting, to say the least. As time moves on, he is forced to confront his own misgivings about their dream. He has a child from a previous, straight marriage, with whom he has never been able to communicate, and has always had doubts about suburban living and marriage in particular.

A smart, sensitive exploration of the rifts in contemporary gay life, Patrik, Age 1.5 is also, in essence, about how our expectations imprison us and separate us from one another. Driven by textured, intelligent performances from the three male leads, it is one of the most amusing and humane films you'll see this year.

Steve Gravestock
*****************

It really is a cute movie. I thought the cast did a wonderful job with their parts. The characters were very sweet. I laughed out loud multiple times.
The final scene and continuing into the credits was nice.
Obviously, I liked this movie. There wasn't a Q&A or anything, but watching such an uplifting movie at the end of the festival made for nice closure.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Skin

Phew. Almost done. Boy, TIFF-goers are hard core. Honestly. Saturday morning for a movie. Yeeesh.
Anyway, here's the write-up about the movie from the TIFF website:

*******************
In 1955, Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo) was born to two white Afrikaner parents in rural South Africa. But thanks to a genetic throwback, her skin was dark and her hair tightly curled. The government's rigid apartheid system was faced with a serious dilemma. Should Sandra be classified as white or black? For Sandra and her family, the complications ran far deeper.

Anthony Fabian's Skin follows Sandra as she grows up in a society where colour decides everything. She is granted admission to an all-white school, but suffers daily torment from her classmates. Her father Abraham (Sam Neill) is no more liberal than any other rural Afrikaner of his time; he can barely accept his daughter's dark features, let alone the neighbours' constant gossip. Even after tests establish that Abraham is in fact Sandra's biological father, the plain fact of her difference complicates life. Only her mother (Alice Krige) offers real emotional support, but it comes at a great price to both mother and daughter.

Skin's premise can feel like science fiction, so bizarre are the rules that buffet Sandra from identity to identity. She fails apartheid's infamous “pencil test,” during which a pencil is passed through her hair to see if it sticks. But her parents refuse to have her reclassified as black, fighting for what they see as Sandra's birthright – the right to live as a white woman.

Krige and Neill turn in terrific performances in this compelling, beautifully composed drama. Neill has always excelled at playing quiet, coiled rage, and here he conveys all the complex emotions of a man torn between his traditional values and the need to stand up for his daughter. And Krige is a marvel, her character's commitment to her daughter playing out in a precise, detailed performance.

As Sandra grows up and falls in love with a black man, Okonedo reveals the full spectrum of her character: the childhood hurt, the uncertain identities and, in time, her pride as an African woman.

Cameron Bailey
*******************

It's crazy because it's based on a real story.
Anyway, the movie was fantastic. I think it's perfect for a big screen release. At the time of the screening they hadn't been picked up yet, but even with the subject matter it's seems quite appropriate for a theatre. There's one scene which I found difficult to watch, but not to the extent that it would restrict it from the big time. Even with the touchy subject matter, I think it's fine. There are other films that have been released that have topics just as touchy, if not more so.
Anthony Fabian (the director) was there for a Q&A and said that the premiere was actually held at Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls. To be a fly on the wall of that event - amazing.
Race is a touchy issue, so I may seem like I'm not getting into the nitty gritty of the movie, but I just don't want to go there.
Cinematically, the movie wasn't a big breakthrough. To me, the movie shone in the storyline, subject matter and the performances by the cast. There was a short snippet telling the lead up to the events and a final blurb telling of follow-up information so the movie felt complete. The director said that facts were changed for the film to give it a chance to focus on some of the themes that he thought were more pertinent.
Yep, I liked this movie and hope that many more will have a chance to see it in the future.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Seems I like documentaries, huh? So, I went to see Valentino: The Last Emperor at the TIFF08. Apparently Valentino himself (along with Giancarlo Giammetti) were at the premiere and got an amazing reception. Standing ovation to the max.
The film itself was not only a celebration of the man's designs and moments leading up to his final runway show and final gala, but a character piece. A look into the life of Valentino and his relationship with Giammetti.
I thought it was tastefully done and really captured the essence of Valentino. From the pugs to the what I think of stereotypically "Italian" moments...it was humourous and heart-warming. I love the temperament and the interactions between the different people in his life.
I'm sad to think that haute-couturemay be dying out. That these young designers are losing the art-form. Come to think of it, I believe that it's the seamstresses that are the essence of couture and not necessarily the designs themselves.
His creations are beautiful. I'm pretty sure that I will never own my own Valentino, but I will be more than happy to admire them from afar.
Director Matt Tyrnauer was in attendance to introduce the film and carry out a post-film Q&A. Most of the questions centred around Valentino himself and what it was like to follow him. Based on the directors responses, I think the film captured Valentino perfectly. It's really him. Even the director's anecdote about the number of times that Valentino "quit" the film highlighted the designer's character. You gotta love it. And how insecure Valentino was about the film coming out but after getting such rave reviews, commenting about how much he loved going to festivals. There's a childish-ness about him that's quite endearing.
What a fun movie.
And I still want to go to a fashion show.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Lang Lang

Lang Lang was in Toronto last week for a residency. Those who don't really follow the classical music scene may know him as the guy who played the piano in the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
I had hoped to go to the discussion at the ROM lead by Peter Oundjian, but I had to be elsewhere on a Sunday afternoon (sigh). I heard that it went well, but attendees were disappointed that he didn't perform. (This is the first argument for Lang Lang maybe being a little bit on his high horse - hopefully I'm just reading the signs wrong.)
The concerts with the TSO also conflicted with other commitments that I had (super sigh), but luckily I was free for his solo concert this past friday night.
First, a little bit about the venue. I haven't been inside the Roy Thomson Hall in awhile and forgotten how beautiful is was. When getting the tickets I was concerned about sitting in the last row of the main floor, but no reason to - the hall isn't that deep. The acoustics in the last couple rows are compromised due to the mezzanine overhang, but it's not terrible. During the intermission I went to the balcony, and it's quite high, but I have no idea how the acoustics are up there.
Back to the concert. Lang Lang definitely has a flair when he's playing. I'm not the biggest fan of pianists who "conduct" with their free hand, but I can't really criticize how other musicians feel the music.
I was hesitant to attend the concert in the first place because the programme didn't draw me in, but obviously went anyway.

********************************
Programme

Franz Schubert - Piano Sonata No. 20 in A, D.959
Allegro
Andantino
Scherzo: Allegro vivace
Rondo: Allegretto

Intermission

Bela Bartok - Piano Sonata BB88, Sz. 80
Allegro moderato
Sostenuto e pesante
Allegro molto

Claude Debussy - Selections from Preludes: Book 2, Book 1
Book 2:
Bruyeres
Feux d'artifice
La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune
Book 1:
Les collines d'Anacapri
La fille aux cheveux de lin
La cathedrale engloutie
Minstrels

Frederic Chopin - Polonaise Op. 53 in A-flat Major, "Heroic"

********************************
Schubert does nothing for me and Bartok is just noise. Interestingly syncopated noise but still noise.
Then it got better. Debussy Preludes. Swoon. I'm interested to know why in the programme, the selection was listed in a certain way - the three he chose to play from Book 2 and then the four from Book 1 - when he didn't play them in that order at all. I still melt when I hear La fille aux cheveux de lin and got a little tickled hearing his interpretation for Bruyeres. I just made me miss playing. Sure my interpretation wasn't quite as stellar, but there were moments. It's interesting that not only do I love Impressionist artwork, but music as well.
He ended the programme with a Chopin Polonaise. The classic Op. 51 in A-flat Major. Nice. It was like he was a little kid playing a fun little game on the keyboard. Sigh - way too easy. That left hand repeated motive (c'mon pianists, you know the one) is death and he did it effortlessly. Sigh.
So it was a good performance. He's good. Very very good.
Got a couple standing ovations (minimal after the Schubert, most after the Bartok, and resounding at the end). I know he's deserving of them, but I feel like standing ovations are getting to be the norm these days, or just a ploy to get the performer to play an encore. Which leads me to prima donna (oh wait, primo uomo?!?) moment number two. It took him 4 or 5 curtain calls to finally play something more. Jeez. Anyway, I guess it was worth it to stay. More Chopin (love love love). An Etude. It was the Op.10 No.3. Swoon.
More standing ovation and curtain calls to follow, those seated on stage started leaving every time he retreated and then he'd pop back out again. Wondering if he expected more applause or not? I personally would have liked another encore (who wouldn't), but I definitely wasn't expecting one after how long it took for the audience to get the first one out of him.
But it was a lovely evening of music...especially the latter part.

That's odd

Someone in class today had a cup from Tim Hortons which looked much too small to be normal.
I find it odd that they have expresso.

The Country Teacher

My brain is getting tired of writing up about these movies. Not because they weren't good, but because I'm tired in general.
So, from the TIFF08 website:

*******************
Bohdan Sláma's exquisite film follows the tender ties that form between a young, gay teacher, a lonely widow and her teenaged son in a small Czech town riddled with homophobia.

When a young natural sciences teacher (Pavel Liška) turns down a prestigious school in Prague to work in the backwaters of a remote Czech village, it seems like an odd choice, but he's looking for the space and quiet that he thinks only the country can afford. Once settled, he meets Marie (Zuzana Bydžovská), a local widow whose husband left her to work their farm and raise an adolescent son (Ladislav Šedivý). They form a firm friendship – one she'd like to take further. What Marie does not realize is that the teacher has actually left Prague to escape both a former lover and the confusion he feels about his own sexuality. It is a reality he is forced to confront, however, when his ex-boyfriend arrives in town, upsetting the tenuous love triangle that has formed between Marie, the teacher and her insolent son.

The Country Teacher is about people who long for love but are too afraid to seek it out or give in to it. It is a simple premise, and the uniqueness of Sláma's treatment – the rural Czech setting, the bucolic mood and the unnerving proposition that his character is a self-hating homosexual – breathe real intrigue and compassion into the story. Sláma does not shy away from uncomfortable facts, and his characters are not the rowdy fellows usually found in Czech cinema. He fills his frames instead with melancholy folk who drown their boredom in bottomless bottles. Liška is one of the Czech Republic's finest working actors and Bydžovská is a renowned theatre performer. Crafted through Sláma's keenly naturalistic eye, The Country Teacher is a poignant and thoughtful work of cinema.

Dimitri Eipides
*******************

This movie was quite well done. The characters were well cast and had good chemistry with each other, the cinematography was nice as well. I guess you can't help it when you're in a beautiful setting.
The director was supposedly supposed to be in attendance. We were told that he was running late and stuck in traffic so we couldn't introduce the film. They didn't want to delay the screening any longer, so they just let the movie run and he would be able to chat with us after the screening. After the film finished, we were told that he "sends his regrets" and never made it to the theatre. I really hope that's the case and that he didn't just afterwards because he was insulted by the man sitting in the front row who was snoring. I mean, I saw four movies that day and was exhausted, but made sure that I didn't fall asleep. I didn't want to be rude afterall. Or if you're that tired, or think that the movie's that bad, leave the theatre for goodness sakes!
This movie seemed to resolve a little bit too quickly. The build up of the tension and conflict was great and each of the issues were examined quite well, but it was almost like they needed to finish up the film so voila, here's the ending.
It was a nice movie though. I would recommend it.
(Sorry for the lacklustre review - I'm tired.)

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Paris, Not France

I admit it, I find Paris Hilton fascinating. The blonde act doesn't faze me one bit. I think she's a smart entrepreneur. I'm sure that her parents raised her well and with good values - most likely not as focused as Donald Trump would have been on his children, but still with good values.
This documentary depicted Paris with this lens. Sure, it showed her extravagant lifestyle but I saw the main message to be that this is one well-put together lady.
When the TIFF08 schedule was first released, this film was to have three screenings. Soon thereafter ticket selections for ticket-package holders occur ed, TIFF released a memo that there would only be one screening of the film "Due to unforeseen circumstances". Whatever that means. Someone who sat behind me at the screening said that they'd heard that Paris had already seen the film and didn't like how she was portrayed and wanted to get the movie taken out of the festival altogether. Who knows if that's true or not.
Paris did show up to the screening anyway. She came in with her entourage including security, Benji Madden, her manager and probably other people that I didn't recognize. Benji wore sunglasses the whole time and had a blank face and Paris smiled, but didn't do anything too exciting. I was disappointed with her outfit and choice of bag (which doesn't even stand out in my mind as to what it looked like - that says a lot).
Before she came in, the auditorium was buzzing. People were getting settled into their seats and chatting with their neighbours. As soon as the doors opened and they entered the room, everyone fell silent. The room remained silent except for a couple muted whispers of the "is that her?" variety. Various types of photography devices appeared out of nowhere, which didn't really surprise me, but I found it amusing. I was disappointed in the people who stood with their back to the stage (as someone was introducing the movie) when everyone else has already sat down to take more pictures of her. I guess everyone has their own way of being fascinated with this lady.
Nothing really interesting to say about the movie. Nothing groundbreaking, just showed the real Paris. Thank goodness, because I don't think I could have handled her fake voice for an hour.
Director Adria Petty was in attendance for the intro and post-film Q&A. Paris (and company) left the room after the credits (although she did seek out Adria to give her a hug) which I would hope was for logistical purposes as opposed to be because she wasn't interested in the Q&A (although, come to think of it, it's nice that the focus of the Q&A was the production and not the subject). The Q&A was pre-scripted - there was no audience participation. Logistics or imposed?!?
FYI, for those who care (probably only me), Adria was wearing Louboutins (black patent pumps) and carrying a Prada clutch (black with that attached wrist thing on the back). She also owns a Goyard, which I've seen more and more around town. Sigh.
Feel free to watch this documentary if you get a chance, but if not, you're not really missing out on anything that you didn't already know.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Shows how much I know

It seems that none of the movies that I watched won an award at the TIFF08.
Most of the movies weren't even ones that I wanted to see. Except for The Prize of the International Critics winner, Disgrace. I'm thinking it'll come out in movie theatres? I also wanted to see the People's Choice Award winner, Slumdog Millionaire.
Makes me wonder how many great movies I must have missed out on, even though I saw quite a few and many of them were incredible.
Ah well.

The Heart of Jenin

Maybe I like watching documentaries better than feature films. Perhaps it's that "real-life" aspect that gets to me. The fact that I might be able to try to relate it to something in my life, and if not my life, then the world around me.
I'd never heard of this story before and I admit that I don't know very much about the conflict in this part of the world, but luckily that didn't hinder my ability to appreciate the film. It sort of left me wanting to know more about what's going on and the progress of the situation (if you can say that there's any progress), but growing up in Canada and being the way I am, sometimes I find it hard to understand why things haven't changed.
Here's a little write-up about the film from the TIFF08 website. It sells the film completely short and doesn't highlight the best parts of the film, but regardless:

**********************
After such a long conflict between Israel and Palestine, it takes an extraordinary story to jolt us out of accepting the status quo. The Heart of Jenin tells such a story. In November 2005, Ahmed Khatib, a twelve-year-old Palestinian boy, was playing with a plastic gun in the Jenin refugee camp on the West Bank when an Israeli soldier, mistaking the toy for a weapon, shot and killed him. Despite his grief, the boy's father Ismael consented to donate his son's organs to several Israeli children. Thanks to this act of humanity, four of those children, each from a different part of Israeli society, are alive today.

The Heart of Jenin explores the legacy of Ismael's decision during the two years following his son's death. We meet three of the young recipients of Ahmed's organs: Samah, a Druze girl in northern Israel, near the border of Lebanon; Mohammad, a Bedouin boy in the Negev desert; and Menuha, an Orthodox Jewish girl in Jerusalem. At the centre of the story is the compelling figure of Ismael Khatib. Having lived his whole life under occupation, he joined the resistance during the first Intifada and spent time in an Israeli prison. He later gave up fighting to focus on his family, but has lost two businesses to the conflict. The existing Israeli checkpoints make it difficult to visit his cousin, who lives only ten minutes away.

Directors Leon Geller and Marcus Vetter bring diverse backgrounds to the project. Geller lives in Israel, while Vetter is based in Germany, and has an unusual background that he explored in the autobiographical documentary My Father the Turk. With great sensitivity, they explore the complexities and the sorrow that persist on each side of the wall dividing Israel and the West Bank. In spite of all these troubles and the death of his son, Ismael maintains a willingness to seek peace through his own means. His journey is a triumph of the heart.

Thom Powers
**********************

The two directors, Leon Geller and Marcus Vetter were in attendance and held a Q&A session about the film and stressed the fact that the movie was not about the conflict in the area and not even the effect of one man's decision, but the journey of that man to meet the different children. The directors also said that it was the uncle of Ahmed Khatib who was the force behind many of these connections. That the father just wanted to meet the recipients themselves and didn't really care much about meeting the families. The uncle pushed to meet to whole families and actually, the father did not want to meet the Jewish family at all (this was the one moment of the film which surprised me as up until this point, there was no inclination that the father viewed different cultures/religions differently).
The tension at this meeting was incredible.
Two of the recipients wanted to remain anonymous right from the beginning of the event, so they obviously did not want to be a part of the movie. The directors of the film were lucky enough to have been following this story right from the beginning although they did borrow some footage from local news channels. They mentioned that they were just watching events unfold and had no part in making the connections. For logistical purposes, they needed to have two film crews...one on each side. Sigh.
The movie is beautiful. You can really feel the emotion coming from the characters (part of the reason why I was so surprised when the directors said the father wasn't interested in the one meeting). The tenderness between characters. There were many shots which prove that the eyes are windows into the soul. In spite of these moments, it's surprising to hear some of the sentiments expressed by the characters as to us, it just seems so backwards.
All I know is that I cannot judge, for I do not really know.
This documentary is beautiful story in the middle of an incomprehensible reality (at least, to me).

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

The Wrestler

Another successful Rush attempt, I went to see the much hyped up movie, The Wrestler.
When selecting which films I wanted to see and reading the blurbs about each of the movies on the TIFF08 website,I'd actually passed this one by. I forget exactly what the reason was, but it didn't catch me like some of the other movies did.
Once the festival got started, a buzz about the movie went around and word got out that it had just won the Golden Lion Award from the Venice Film Festival. I thought - hmmmm, there must be something to this movie, and since I'm all about embracing the experience, I decided to see what the big fuss was about.
The movie stars Mickey Rourke as a wrestler (think WWE) near the end of his career. The roller coaster ride he goes through as a former star, coming to grips with his last moments in the ring and his identity beyond. He has limited relationships with people outside of the world of wrestling and they are all strained in some way (especially the one with his daughter). The reason this movie is so good is because of Rourke.
Director Darren Aronofsky showed up (fashionably late, I might add) to introduce his film, but unfortunately didn't stay for a Q&A. I enjoyed his artsy movie, Pi and still need to see Requiem for a Dream. Nothing about this movie struck me as cinematically amazing...as I said before it was all Rourke.
The issues that are examined in this movie are real and very touching. When you love something so much, maybe not even love, but if something defines you, you feel lost without it.
Certain elements of the movie seemed to be skimmed over and I would have liked to see a little bit more development in other areas, but I can imagine how hard it was for Aronofsky to cut down his footage to 105minutes already, so I suppose I forgive him for that. As a whole though, I really enjoyed the arc of the movie and issues that were raised. Dare I say, the movie seemed too short?
It was a very good movie. Extremely graphic at times, but wonderful nonetheless. I would assume that it'll hit the big screen at some point?
The ending is stellar.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Uuuuuuuuugh

Egads, I'm tired. I just got home from my marathon day at the TIFF.
FOUR movies.
My eyes feel like they're going to explode.

The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World

From one documentary to another, the next movie that I watched during this festival was The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World.
This film, shot by Weijun Chen in China, but sent to Jean Tsien in New York to be edited and Lawrence Elman to be produced - what I found interesting was that Weijun Chen played no part in the development of the movie after he sent his footage away. Tsien and Elman had the chance to visit the restaurant in Hunan, but Chen never left China. Apparently a similar situation occurred with his film from last year's festival, Please Vote for Me maybe more obviously because of the subject matter of the film.
This movie will not be my favorite of the festival, but I did enjoy having the chance to learn more about my heritage, culture and the traditions and value system that the Chinese have. I would have liked a stronger arc in the film to make it a whole unit as I just felt like I was learning more about the restaurant and while there were miniature themes that arose and insights into the lives, emotions and thoughts of some of the characters, the write-up on the TIFF08 left me with higher expectations.
During the Q&A with Tsien and Elman, a couple questions were raised about the inhumane and crude treatment of the animals being prepared for food. I was so happy to hear Tsien's response (even as a vegetarian) and have to admit that I was surprised to hear these types of question being asked in the first place. I will proudly say that each culture has a different way at looking at the world and am shocked to learn that there are such North American centric thoughts and close-mindedness especially in our lovely multicultural Toronto. I too was shocked to see some of the events that took place on the screen, but I will not judge them for that. There was a question/attack?!? that related to the bird-flu...I won't even go there.
The film was already played as a mini-series on the BBC and the Sundance Channel. I'm assuming that it won't make the big screen here in Canada, but perhaps a television appearance will take place.
This film brought to the North American audience an insights into Chinese culture. I could tell from the body language and sounds that some of the audience members around me that they were shocked and surprised by moments in the film (and I'm not just talking about how the food was prepared), but I think it's films like this that help people learn more about things that they may never get a chance to experience in hopes that they can broaden their minds and diminish ignorance about things that they don't truly understand. For that, I am grateful.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca

Every Little Step

Maybe I'm getting soft. The combination of the magnificent music, singing, dancing, story and personal connection to this film, well, tears were shed.
Every Little Step is a documentary about the revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway. The film is perfect. The background story is touching and emotional, real people go for their dreams and there is a message behind it. The documentary parallels the musical itself.
The write-up on the TIFF08 website does not do the film justice in any way, shape or form.
There was only one person (who stood out to me during the film and the show) left from the documentary who got selected for a spot in the show that I saw back in March but there were a couple who didn't get selected in the film that ended up in the show. There may have been one more, I forget. A couple were replaced by understudies and others, I suppose had moved on for whatever reason.
I was surprised to see Tyce Diorio auditioning for the part of Mike. His technical skills are amazing, but that ego...Humpf. He has a completely different persona than I'd imagine him to have a la So You Think You Can Dance.
Baayork Lee (the original Connie) was a treat to watch. Apparently she was at the premiere, along with Donna McKechnie (original Cassie). Boo. Would have loved to see them. I'm not complaining. Directors James Stern and Adam Del Deo were on hand for a Q&A. No major insights into the film - this isn't a movie for deeper meaning. I am surprised that a wide release is in the works. Doesn't seem like a movie for the general North American movie-goer. I know it's being released in Japan for sure. I'd chatted with one of the people involved with that decision a couple times days prior to watching the film and she made me so excited to see the film.
I loved every moment of it. I suppose it was a documentary that didn't do anything surprising. I followed an audition process to a musical revival, but the way that the directors were able to thread in original footage from the original show, its development and significance of it all with the present day people, emotions and insights. Wow.

Oh yes, still enjoy the applause that occurs when volunteers are thanked in the pre-film montage and this screening was the first time I heard a hearty "aaaaaargh" during the piracy warning.

- picture courtesy of www.tiff08.ca