The National Film Board of Canada always has a delightful range of films that’s set to debut at one film festival or another. And in Victoria, BC, this homegrown event will feature eight produced (or co-produced) TheNFB pieces featuring the work of talents who know what living in this country means. High on the list is Incandescence, a documentary by Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper whose last work, Metamorphosis, was a potential game-changer. I interviewed them about why this work matters not only on a grander scale but also in what humanity can do to save the environment.
Flash forward to now, those themes they’ve explored back then get revisited again in their latest. This time, the topic concerns wildfires and how they affect forested communities. What viewers should takeaway afterwards is how tragedy can bring some people together, but also bring about change.
Whether these accept the problems that can arise while living in the boonies, some folks are up to it and others not. This work delicately examines the pros and cons, and also considers the life cycle that occurs following the death of a forest and the renewal process afterwards. It’s a work that’ll get people talking. The footage used ranges from seeing how some fires can get out of control to showing how people feel about the attempts to save homes. It’s quite vivid, and I’d be scared too if I were a volunteer firefighter!
Although this work is primarily concerned with looking at the White Rock Lake Fire of 2021 and the McDougall Creek Fire of 2023, what’s shown here may well apply elsewhere in order to help those affected what the “cycle of life” means.
When this agency is all about recognizing topics that concern Canadians people from afar also pay attention. It’s not just about environmental issues, but also life decisions and how the future can look. In addition to this excellent documentary to lead the charge, other works include:
The Stand by Christopher Auchter (94 min 33 s)
On a misty morning in the fall of 1985, a small group of Haida people blockaded a muddy dirt road on Lyell Island, demanding the government work with Indigenous people to find a way to protect the land and the future. Drawn from more than a hundred hours of archival footage and audio, The Stand recreates the critical moment when the Haida Nation’s resolute act of vision and conscience changed the world
7 Beats Per Minute by Yuqi Kang (100 min)
In the world of competitive freediving, Jessea Lu (Lu Wenjie) is a legendary figure. During a world-record attempt in 2018, Lu blacked out and was lifeless for four minutes. 7 Beats Per Minute captures the descent of a lifetime, when Jessea returns to the site of her near-death experience to face the traumas of her past and find a way back to connection
Inkwo for When the Starving Return (18 min 27 s)
(for a review, please visit this link)
Two lifetimes from now the world hangs in the balance. Dove, a young warrior, receives and begins to understand the gifts and burdens of their Inkwo (medicine) in a call to action to fight and protect against the forces of greed and consumption. A stop-motion animated adaptation of award-winning Tlicho Dene storyteller Richard Van Camp’s short story “Wheetago War,” which was inspired by Art Napoleon’s interview with his late grandmother Suzette Napoleon.
Other Documentaries and Animations Playing
Ghosts of the Sea by Virginia Tangvald (97 min)
While searching for clues about the death of her brother, who was lost at sea, Virginia Tangvald embarks on a fascinating stranger-than-fiction investigation into her family’s dark secrets. Calling into question the idyllic life of her father, legendary sailor Peter Tangvald, her quest dismantles the myth of absolute freedom and offers the hope that a toxic cycle has been broken
Living Together by Halima Elkhatabi (75 min)
The debut feature-length documentary by a filmmaker with a compassionate eye, Living Together maps a contemporary mosaic of cultures and ideas, with explorations of community, individualism and the housing crisis in constant interplay
Hairy Legs by Andrea Dorfman (17 min)
At the age of 13, deciding not to shave her legs led Andrea Dorfman to question and ultimately defy society’s expectations. With charm, warmth and humour, Dorfman’s film Hairy Legs captures the universality of girls exploring gender, curiosity and freedom as they evolve from spending exuberant, carefree days on their bicycles to facing and challenging stereotypes
LOCA by Véronique Paquette (5 min 19 s)
A female silhouette, sketched with fine white lines, disintegrates. A few bars ring out from “Loca”—a classic tune from the golden age of Argentinean tango. The spellbinding music sweeps the woman into a dance. As she whirls, a duo forms, their bodies intertwined in black and white. Their complete abandonment to the music is expressed in abundant waves of ink, creating a mesmerizing visual spectacle.
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