Tag: Victoria Film Festival

[VFF ’16] When Elephants Were Young, Their Role in Asian Societies, A Review

One night in modern Bangkok will not make any member of the native Thai tribes heralding their mammoth pet around the streets humble after watching When Elephants Were Young. 

When Elephants Were Young. Available to view on Vudu (Updated Sept 2022)

One night in modern Bangkok will not make any member of the native Thai tribes heralding their mammoth pet around the streets humble after watching When Elephants Were Young. This documentary made by local filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark, and narrated by William Shatner is excellent at showing how these creatures should be treated with respect instead of used. People revere this gentle beast, but sadly, they view the old traditions without truly understanding the native culture that once accepted keeping them “as pets.” Bob Dylan’s song, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” is one way to sum up the how the film moves and this film nicely reveals where attitudes are headed.

World Elephant Day (August 12, 2016) is championing preventing the Asian elephant from going extinct. Large steps are being made by the government to see the animal get saved. Ever since they got domesticated for warfare during Ancient Greek times, if not used in jungle warfare in India, their relationship with man has been an uneasy one. Are they working animals, creatures to be paraded around in zoos, or what? This film looks at their roles in human society today, focusing specifically in the relationship Wok, a mahout (elephant guardian), has with Nong Mai, an elephant he’s taken care of for at least a decade. He’s part of the Kui tribe and they have to adapt to modern times.

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2016 Victoria Film Festival Day One Gala Summary & My Internship in Canada Review

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The 2016 Victoria Film Festival (VFF) started off with a great bang with the screening of My Internship in Canada, a very funny political satire by Phillippe Falardeau (Congorama). This movie explores how democracy should really work instead of who can sway prevailing opinion.

In one microcosm of rural Quebec about MP Steve Guibord (Patrick Huard) trying to solve a local problem between miners and an Algonquin tribe over land use (it could have easily escalated to a fight) to the macrocosm of Canadian politics he is involved with — he holds the swinging vote to whether Canada (led by a Stephan Harper type of character) goes to war — just where he stands is beautifully examined by an idealistic Haitian, Souverain (Irdens Exantus). This young man arrives at Guibord’s office seeking work in the political arena. Souverain needs to earn his chops, and his observations to his family back home certainly tickles the funny bone. The chemistry these two leads share makes for great contrasts. And just how this movie handles the Cornelian dilemma in this film’s plot is cute. Exantus is a talent to keep track of and I think he carries the same kind of charm Eddie Murphy channeled in the 80’s. There’s a genius lurking in this talent just waiting to bust out.

CTV Arts Reporter Adam Sawatsky introduced this film and Exantus, who was present for this screening. Kathy Kay, festival chief, welcomed film enthusiasts who came down for this movie and party. In a blustery evening packed with many events around town (including a broader movie festival at Cineplex theatres and a Jim Brynes concert up in Sidney), competition is getting tough. The VFF is a fixture for cinema buffs to enjoy and I was here instead of anywhere else!

The night continued strong with a Gala party at a rented space off Government street. Filmmakers, performers and attendees of the festival mingled. Present at this event is Canada AM / CTV film critic Richard Crouse. He will be hosting VFF’s In Conversation series this weekend starting at 11am for early risers. This year, he’ll be interviewing Semi Chellas (Mad Men) and Larry Weinstein (Mozartballs, Beethoven’s Hair). Both will be talking about their careers and their present work. Weinstein will be introducing a work in progress, The Devil’s Horn, this year!  For a preview, I recommend checking out the interview I conducted for Vivascene here.

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[VFF ’16] A Highlight from the Indigenous Program – Stories from the Sierra Madre – A Preview

Time may be limited, and hopefully their ongoing efforts, with thanks to this film, will get the Sierra Madre’s established as a national park instead of land to be exploited.

Victoria Film FestivalStories from the Sierra Madre Promotional Still 2016
Sun, Feb 7, 6pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas St,
Victoria, BC

Stories from the Sierra Madre is a cultural film that looks at how important the San Pedro River is to two local villages. This product is just one of five films made by Indigenous filmmakers. This special program within the Victoria Film Festival is back for a second year!

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[VFF ’16] Going Behind the Counter with The Sandwich Nazi, An Interview with Lewis Bennett

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The Sandwich Nazi
Saturday, Feb 6th 6pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas St,
Victoria, BC

Although a car is needed to get to Surrey, BC to visit La Charcuterie Delicatessen, a deli and Scandinavian grocery store in an industrial neighbourhood known as Port Kells, thankfully to get taste of what goes on there can be seen around the world. The Sandwich Nazi is an aptly titled documentary that looks at the scandalous life Salam Kahil, the owner and operator of this establishment. At Two Hungry Blokes, we’re eying the size of those sandwiches that’s made than the owner’s ballsy attitude. Until we can get there, Ed had the opportunity to communicate with Lewis Bennett, who decided to turn the life of this deli operator into a hilarious film!

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2016 Victoria Film Festival Guide Launch & Genre Picks

In this list, we offer our choice picks of the 2016 Victoria Film Festival to go see.

Victoria Film Festival 2016The Victoria Film Festival‘s online guide goes live today at midnight, and the launch party had the who’s who of cinema aficionados from this city in attendance to get the first sneak peek. The printed version will see distribution in the coming days at this operation’s offices and at kiosks around town.

Announced is this year’s opening gala film, My Internship in Canada. This political satire features Irdens Exantus as a Haitian intern navigating his way through Canadian politics and sports in his attempt to understand this country. The film stars Patrick Huard as Steve Guibord, an independent Member of Parliament who has the powers in his hands to decide if Canada will go to war with the Middle East. Just which way this film will go will depend on the point of view writer/director Philippe Falardeau is focussing on. When this film has been earmarked by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as one of Canada’s Top 10 Best Canadian Films of 2015, it’s a safe bet this movie is very reverent today because of the issues it touches upon.

In addition to documentaries which provides social insight and enough foodie inspired movies for me to savour (like Sergio Herman: F*cking Perfect and The Sandwich Nazi), the picks of this year’s films playing at the Victoria Film Festival of 2016 range from animated fun, historically significant, musically mysterious to the terrifying!

McDull: Me & My Mum Movie PosterMcDull: Me & My Mum
(麥兜˙我和我媽媽)
Feb 7 * 1:00pm * Odeon 2

Cantonese with English subtitles

Whenever the police encounter a difficult case, they will call on him to help to solve it; The FBI, Scotland Yard, all hire him as a consultant. He is Detective Mak, Bobby Mak, the private detective who is known to be the most famous detective since Sherlock Holmes.

Bobby Mak used to be the kid who is called McDull. McDull is a slow kid, but his mum is shrewd. She transforms a 300-square foot apartment into a 2 bedroom, with dining and living room, sauna, gym and library. From a 100-square feet shop, she manages a real estate agency, tuck shop, plumping service, beauty salon and second hand mobile phone shop, plus a private detective agency. (no joke, private detective!) She can use rice, salted fish, and cabbage to cook Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, French, or even a buffet. She can use a wire hanger to fix the toilet, remote-control toy plane, ceiling lamp and umbrella …. — Twitchfilm.com

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsC1DSwn6Bo%5D

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It’s a Steak (R)evolution, A Movie Review

After watching Steak (R)evolution, I’m never buying my beef from a grocery store ever again. Sorry Thrifty Foods but I’m going to a butcher instead!

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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After watching Steak (R)evolution, I’m never buying my beef from a grocery store ever again. Sorry Thrifty Foods but I’m going to a butcher instead! I’ve often gone to them for bacon and burger patties, but for steak, I never thought about the differences in what gets sent to market or to what I like to call a meat broker. Yes, prime sides of prized bovine do go to auction, and the education does not end there about humanity’s relationship with the cow.

This movie not only provides a look in what makes for a perfect cut of beef but also shows how regional bovine can impart a special taste upon the product that gets eaten by humans. I’m not talking about Kobe Beef, to which I’ve sampled once in my life (I do want more, but the prices were the primary deterrent). At the same time, just how I want to cuddle my favourite cow (one species, the highland cattle with their winter coats are too adorable to consider slaughtering) might lead me to giving up the meat altogether. Some subspecies are just that darned cute (alpaca like if I had to draw comparisons) and they should not be considered for slaughter. To realize that they are bred to feed connoisseurs is difficult to fathom, but yet, to understand the intricacies of how these beasts are raised to being brazed on the grill or pan needs people to have more than an iron clad understanding of why we, as humans, have gone from a hunter-gatherer species to an agriculture-based society.

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