[Reellife] European Film Fest starts Friday at the Cinematheque!

[dave olsen]

It's one of my favourite times of the year: the 21st Annual European Film 
Festival <http://www.thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival> at the Cinematheque 
<http://www.thecinematheque.ca> in Downtown Vancouver.

It starts Friday, November 23 and runs until December 4, so don't delay.  Each 
film plays only once so there's no second chances.

<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/mademoiselle-paradis>Opening this 
year's festival, to honour the EU's current presidency, is the Austrian film 
Mademoiselle Paradis (Licht) 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/mademoiselle-paradis>.  It's mostly 
German with some French and is set back in 1777 when wigs were tall and the 
bourgeoisie had servants for everything.

The star of this feature based on historical fact, is Maria Theresia von 
Paradis, a blind harpsicordist who dazzles the nobles (and us) with her 
incredible playing.

Enter Dr. Mesmer and you'll learn where the term Mesmerize comes 
from...Mademoiselle Paradis begins to see again (or does she?) but fails to find 
that elusive happiness that evades most of the civilized.

The film does very well is showing the brutal class divisions and subtly shows 
the sexism/sexual abuse that the elite still get away with.

If you love period pieces and wonderful wardrobes, you'll love this film.  Wacky 
wigs are also front and centre.  Not exactly uplifting, but the music is as 
amazing as the acting and the story.

Mademoiselle Paradis (Licht) 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/mademoiselle-paradis> opens the 
festival on Friday, November 23 at 6:30pm.

Tonio <http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/tonio> kept me glued to the 
screen from start to finish.  And it wasn't because it's a tale of a cyclist in 
Holland.

It's based on a well-known Dutch writer's tragic loss of his adult son and the 
parents are more than convincing.  The pain of anyone on a bike being killed by 
a car is immense; the film does well to show how much more that pain is 
magnified when it's your only child.

This movie oozes suspense and takes full advantage of its medium. It's far from 
a Hollywood ending (nobody comes back to life) but it will leave you satisfied 
that even someone who lives in his brain can finally allow himself to feel and 
move on somehow.

Tonio <http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/tonio> plays Sunday, November 25 
at 4:30pm

<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/mother-knows-best>Speaking of movies 
that go well beyond the traditional use of its medium, Mother Knows Best 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/mother-knows-best> will leave you 
laughing, too.  Although Portuguese, it reminded me of the matriarchy of Italy, 
where no one questions your mother.  Simply set, and espousing traditional 
values galore, it even crosses into other dimensions...or so it seems.

The last laugh may be that we'll never know, since the remote fell into the 
hands of a devoted sports fan just when we were about to get a lesson on 
parallel universes...

Mother Knows Best <http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/mother-knows-best> 
plays Monday, November 26, 2018 at 6:30pm

<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/wonderland> If you're usually alone 
for Christmases, this one is definitely for you! Wonderland 
<http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/wonderland> is the humorous tale of 
two types: the ideologues that do the right thing and those that are lost and 
looking for meaning in their life.

I loved the portrayal of the sociologists that moved out of the city to own and 
run an organic farm: they have no idea what they're doing (including parenting a 
delightful 5 year old) but are quick to lecture their lonely guests that come to 
spend Christmas with them.

The guests are floundering in their own lives, left alone for their most 
important holiday of the year, but discover in each other the spark that's been 
missing for quite some time.

The Finns certainly love their humour dry and alcohol aplenty, but this film is 
a refreshing look at love from a female perspective...and will leave you 
wondering where Wonderland really lies.

Wonderland <http://thecinematheque.ca/eufilmfestival/wonderland> plays Monday, 
November 26, 2018 at 8:20pm

I'll post more reviews as the festival goes on at ReelLife.wordpress.com 
<http://reellife.wordpress.com/> so check back often and enjoy the trip across 
the pond!
-- 

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/>

Hit by a car at 60 km/h (40mph), a pedestrian has an 85 per cent chance of being 
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_//

If you are expecting a baby soon...
...read Ina May Gaskin's insightful book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, packed 
full of birth stories and her experience of helping deliver over 2,000 babies!
...consider Natural Infant Hygiene (aka Elimination Communication) and reduce 
the expense of diapers (and much more)...check out http://www.diaperless.org and 
http://www.natural-wisdom.com

Did you know that in Scandinavia...
--> there are laws protecting children from all forms of spanking and bullying, 
even from parents
--> these laws do not imprison or punish parents but instead raise awareness 
(http://www.empathicparenting.org)
--> the elderly are able to remain at home thanks to programs that provide free 
meals, free transportation, and free care/

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