[Reellife] Canada's Top Ten Film Festival and a Free Film

[dave olsen]

The Cinematheque <http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival> in 
downtown Vancouver is hosting another film festival, this time featuring 
Canada's Top Ten of 2016.

It all starts Friday, January 13 at 6:30pm with refreshments, a reception and 
special guests.

As I've been going through the films, it struck me that this is as much of an 
international film fest than anything else: Persian, Inuit, Chinese, Quebecois....

The first film blew my socks off: /Window Horses/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/window-horses> is an 
animated feature by Ann Marie Fleming and the storyline is superb.  It went 
straight to my heart since it's about a girl who thought she was abandoned by 
her father.

It's such a crazy story, it must be true!

But even more impressive is how it weaves in many different cultures, 
confronting racism, sexism and classism without even hinting at any isms.

And the stick person star is wonderfully adorable.

The only problem I found with it is that it ends too soon!

Coincidentally or not, the next two films line up perfectly with each other.

/Angry Inuk/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/angry-inuk> is an 
impressive doc about some Inuit fighting for their economic lives against...the 
anti-seal hunt eco-warriors! Many illuminating facts are highlighted (i.e., baby 
seals generate millions every year for environmental groups) throughout the 
decades long story.

And if you think you're social media savvy, check out these Inuit activists!

Fighting the EU and the animal rights lobby is no small task as you will see.  
Fighting the way they do is not only inspirational, it's heartening.  You may 
just get an appetite for seal meat by the end of it!

/Angry Inuk/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/angry-inuk> educated me 
enough to have a much better understanding of the background storyline for 
/Maliglutit (Searchers)/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/maliglutit>.

/Maliglutit/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/maliglutit> is all in 
Inuit so I wondered about the translations: the English seemed harsher than 
needed but then the story is horrific.  Two women, mother and daughter, are 
taken by a group of men while the father and one son are away hunting caribou.  
The grandfather is murdered but  stays alive long enough to pass on his 
spiritual heritage...

The cinematography is amazing, utilizing the incredible landscape of the far 
north in winter as a setting for a thrilling retribution attempt.

Filmed almost as a doc, it is scarily real but doesn't use any Hollywood 
tricks.  The wide shots keep the violence at a distance and is much less shocking.

The last line spoken and subtitled shocked me most, and has been inspiring me since.

/Old Stone/ <http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/old-stone> 
is filmed in Shanghai and is an ironic film.  A taxi driver, like most in the 
city, is working hard to scrape by.  A rich fare causes an accident and the 
compassionate taxi driver goes above and beyond to save the accident victim's 
life.  Which starts the end of his own!

Mildly humorous to start, the film becomes a classic film noir by the end.

Moralistically, it embodies all that civilization offers. Unfortunately, this 
will not inspire you up the spiritual ladder, but may confirm your darkest 
nightmares.

/Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/those-who-make-revolution-halfway-only-dig-their-own-graves> 
is over 3 hours long, so sit back and relax; the first 5 minutes you can even 
close your eyes.

I'm not sure if the film is really trying to be everything to everyone, but it 
certainly offers art, documentary (Justin Trudeau included), and dramatics.

For me, it paints a typical picture of revolutionaries: elitist, separatist, 
intellectuals that are angry but disconnected from all other feelings.

The antics and actions of the group of 4 are interesting, but perhaps this film 
was chosen for this film fest because it ultimately undermines any activist 
notions that may be present in the audience.  Not a bad thing when you consider 
that a full revolution simply brings us back to the starting point.

Funny how creating a fundamentally different reality is rarely portrayed.  But 
then, that couldn't be part of Canada's Top Ten, now could it?

It's a busy weekend ahead:
Friday January 13
6:30pm - Reception + Refreshments + Guests in Attendance
7:30pm - Introduction and screening of /Window Horses/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/window-horses>

Saturday, January 14
4:30pm: /Angry Inuk/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/angry-inuk>
6:30pm: /Maliglutit (Searchers)/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/maliglutit>
8:20pm: /Old Stone/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/old-stone>

Sunday, January 15
7:00pm: /Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/canadas-top-ten-film-festival/those-who-make-revolution-halfway-only-dig-their-own-graves>


And earlier Sunday, at 1pm, is the Free Screening (also at the Cinematheque) of 
/The Dog Who Stopped the War //(La guerre des tuques)/ 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/cinema-sunday/made-in-canada-the-dog-who-stopped-the-war>

Enjoy!

Warmly,
dave/
//
Parenting with an Open Heart: a seminar series for all Parents, Caregivers, and 
Parents-to-be: for info and session dates, please visit/ 
/http://humanpowered.wordpress.com <http://humanpowered.wordpress.com/>

Movie and Theatre lovers who know a saner world is possible may enjoying reading 
and sharing their thoughts on Reel Life, Real Ideas: Movies and more... 
<http://reellife.wordpress.com/>

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killed; at 50 km/h (30mph) s/he has a 45 per cent chance of being killed, while 
at 30 km/h (20mph) the risk falls to 5 per cent. Source: British Parliamentary 
Advisory Council on Transport Safety (1996) //_Taking Action on Speeding_//

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