By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Vancity Theatre beginning Sept 17, 2021 (please click link for showtimes)
1181 Seymour St
Vancouver, BC
Knowing who Bruce LaBruce is as a maverick storyteller can prepare those new to his world on what to expect. This avant-garde filmmaker is known for his very explicit sexually charged style and his movies are often about gays rather than the blending of pop culture genres. Not everyone will want to watch his take on zombies and vampires. His latest, Saint-Narcisse, is his spin on a well known Grecian myth with a dash of horror and delight added on top.
This film is an amusing expansion on the story of Narcissus. Dominic (Félix-Antoine Duval) is obsessed with his looks. He had enough sexual encounters with both genders, but after meeting a female Cyclops of sorts, he can’t help but feel something dreadful is coming. He doesn’t know who the phantom face he sees is. He’s haunted by it. Eventually, he’ll visit the sleepy town of Saint-Narcisse de-Beaurivage in Quebec to get answers.
Victoria Fringe Festival
Wuxia movies are a dime a dozen. To stand out requires a proper vision. Somehow Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (SCLotR) lack the sense of feeling like an Asian film. It’s produced by Chinese-Americans, who are probably two generations removed from their heritage. Instead of earning their wings on some feudal period piece for television in Shanghai (or Hong Kong), they only have the approval of Disney to produce this piece.
By Ed Sum
From TIFF to OIAF to ImagineNATIVE w TheNFB’s The Hidden Island of Ethics
16 Sep(The Vintage Tempest)
Official Selection at
Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 9-18)
Ottawa International Animation Festival (Sept 22-Oct 3)
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (Oct 19-24)
Please check links for showtimes
Anyone who has followed the media reports about the discovery of a mass grave on the grounds of a residential school in Kamloops, BC, may find Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics disturbing. Children from local tribes were plucked away from their families because someone thought it was best to teach them a different way of life. These places were operated by the Catholic Church, and it didn’t change hands until much later. The Canadian Government never knew what went on, and was left holding the bag.
This stop motion animated work by Terril Calder is evocative, powerful and moving. The story she constructed is an eerie look at what may have happened back then. Thankfully, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel in this tale.
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Tags: Analysis, History, Ottawa International Animation Festival, Religion, Social Commentary, Stop-Motion, Terril Calder, TheNFB, TIFF