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Tuesday 2 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Out Of The Ashes A remarkable film about cricket and life. A team formed on rubble fields in a war torn, impoverished country, takes on the international cricket giants with some amazing success. Here's a film with great heart, full of colourful characters and insights of ordinary Afghan people and internal politics. This is a refreshingly human portrayal - seen through a lens not focused on the war, but of a team striving to compete proudly on the world stage. Pg The film won "Best Newcomer Documentary" Vancouver filmmaker Leslie Knott (co-producer) at the British Film Institute Society's prestigious Grierson awards. Monday 9 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list First Grader Maruge, an elderly Mau Mau veteran who decides to take up Kenya's offer of an education, struggles to take his place in class with six years old. Full of vitality and humour, this film explores the remarkable relationships he builds with his classmates, some eighty years his junior. Through Maruge's journey, we are taken back to the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier. Pg13 some scenes of violence Monday 16 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive Major Depression Bipolar Asperger's Movie & Oh Me 2 "I was really blown away by OC87. It is an innovative film that takes you inside another person's experience of not only the challenges of mental illness, but also hope. This whimsical yet moving documentary is one of the most creative and compelling movies about mental health that I have ever seen." Delaney Ruston, MD Director-Producer, "Unlisted: the Story of Schizophrenia". I couldn't have said it better. This is a great, inspiring, first-person story by a very empathetic, likeable guy. Pg Plus: Oh Me 2, a film by and about a Canadian bipolar animation artist Jonathan Amitay and his psychologist son, Oren. It's an amazingly dense, introspective, artful account of a life on the edge, full of insights into the bipolar experience. Monday 23 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs Here's an incredibly creative, vibrant animated film. What if a young inventor on a tiny island out in the Atlantic invented a food machine that rains food from the sky? A cub reporter/weather girl and a not so enthusiastic, old school dad, and every food joke imaginable is exploited, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" is a feast for the eyes and a treat the entire family can savor. Pg Saturday 28 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list That's Just Crazy Talk Like Victoria Maxwell's previous solo shows (Crazy for Life, Funny... You Don't Look Crazy and Head Over Heels), That's Just Crazy Talk looks at both the light and dark side of living with bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis. It describes one woman's journey of coming to terms with mental illness within herself and in her family. An intimate, yet universal story exploring the judgment we face not only from others, but from ourselves and the mysteries of family secrets. This funny and achingly truthful play both entertains and educates, exploding stigmas and portraying the love and resilience it takes to stay together as a family in the midst of illness and the beauty that can result when we face our demons. - Presented in collaboration with CREST BD Sunday 29 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list That's Just Crazy Talk We've added a special Sunday 7:00 pm screening of the DVD version of Victoria Maxwell's THAT'S JUST CRAZY TALK play, as the Saturday evening is "sold out". This is an early look at a professional, multi-camera shoot of a previous performance of the play, part of CREST's project to disseminate information about Bipolar Disorder. It'll be followed by a discussion opportunity. Monday 30 Jan 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Grief, Loss and Dementia Caregivers share their journeys This new educational film is an honest, poignant conversation with the spouses and children of people with dementia. Their emotional journey is full of bumps and unpredictable turns, as well as surprising beauty, even humour. Their insights are an education for anyone who is involved with someone with dementia, whether as a family member or a health care professional. Post-screening Q & A includes guests from the Alzheimer Society of BC, and researchers (UVic & VIHA) whose work is leading to more effective support for family caregivers. Monday 6 Feb 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Win/Win This stylish drama follows the fortunes of a shy investment-bank underling (the delightfully clown-haired Oscar Van Rompay) whose anonymous post-it notes containing invariably accurate market predictions eventually lead to a high roller position, penthouse apartment and self-doubt... The lightening fast make-and-break world of day trading stock markets is a challenging place. Monday 13 Feb 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Midnight In Paris "Allen brings his fantasy to life with such affection and joy that he transports us into his dream come true as a shared fantasy. We, too, are embraced in the bosom of this society, welcomed into the company of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel, et al. as an equal. All we have to bring is a little wit, and the amiable Wilson does just that." This, his most popular film so far, is "Woody Allen's valentine to the City of Light". Pg13 Monday 20 Feb 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Hurt Locker One of the great war films ever! You might have been shy about seeing this film, I was, but you'll find it a most rewarding experience. It takes you into the world of Iraq explosive devises disposal unit, the scenario that our forces experienced in early stages of the war, inside the fraternity of warriors who do this kind of work. Incredibly suspenseful and completely unpredictable. You'll be riveted! It's a fictional tale inspired by real events by journalist Mark Boal who was embedded in a US special bombs unit in Iraq. Justifiably winner of 6 Academy Awards. R war violence and language. We'll be talking about Post Traumatic Disorder or Operational Stress Injury that many of our troops are returning with and the organization that helps. Our guest will be Tom Lipinkski, a psychologist experience as psychologist for 32 years, who specializes in PTSD and anxiety disorders. Tom leads a support group at CMHA for people who deal with anxiety and is in private practice in Victoria as well. Monday 27 Feb 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Way Martin Sheen plays Tom, an irascible American doctor who comes to France to deal with the tragic loss of his son. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage "The Way of St. James" to honor his son's desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn't plan on is the profound impact this trip will have on him. Through unexpected and oftentimes amusing experiences along "The Way," Tom discovers the difference between "the life we live and the life we choose." Pg13 Monday 5 Mar 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Strictly Ballroom For this auspicious occasion, a Burgess Twins' (and MM volunteers') birthday celebration, we picked the most fun, upbeat, quirky, romantic film we could think of. This mock-doc/romantic comedy jewel is by Australian Bas Lurmann (Romeo & Juliet 1996 & Molin Rouge 2001) and revolves about the dangerous move to perform steps that were not within Down Under ballroom judging rules (Aussi rules dance?!) Who knew how outrageously competitive and downright vicious - and erotic - dancing can be? Pg Saturday 10 Mar 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Daughter of Chaos Helani Davison's "Daughter of Chaos" is a creative autobiographical performance on the topics of mental illness and addiction. Now a certified Addictions Counsellor, Davison uses prose and poetry to look back on her six eventful decades. This dramatic reading describes profound struggles of her personal journey, beginning with a childhood traumatized by a mother who suffered from a painful mental illness, Paranoid Schizophrenia. "My story is not all that I am, but it is all that I have," Davison confirms. A compelling story of 'riches to rags and the struggle to come back' offers compassionate understanding, tapping the greatest of all power sources - hope. This is another in Movie Monday's occasional series "Saturday Live!" that spotlights writer/performers with lived experience of mental illness and recovery. Monday 12 Mar 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Daddy & Papa: A Story About Gay Fathers In America & Conceiving Family What if your most controversial act turned out to be the most traditional thing in the world? A heartwarming documentary the struggles and triumphs of gay men adopting and raising children. The director Johnny Simons: "I wanted to document this phenomenon: what it means for out gay men to form their own families - for the dads, for the kids, for their extended families and schools and communities and the thousands of mainstream people who are being changed by their exposure to a new kind of family." His own is one of the families followed. Pg Also: with Conceiving Family the Nelson, BC version of this topic Pg Monday 19 Mar 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Heaven's Heart Here's a very grown up drama about fidelity. A happily married couple discovers just what kind of lasting implications a simple conversation can have after bringing up a taboo subject over dinner with friends and discovering a division they never knew existed. A discovery from the Vancouver Film Fest in 2009 that finally, and exclusively, finds it's way to MM's big screen. Pg13 Swedish with subtitles Monday 26 Mar 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Water For Elephants A great, colourful, old fashioned yarn, they way they used to make them. With the exciting background of an old-style Big Top circus, an amazing elephant, and a terrific villain (Christoph Waltz), our protagonists (Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson) play out their star-crossed love story. The wonderful Hal Holbrook plays the framing older character looking back at his life, Titanic style. What's not to like? Pg13 Monday 2 Apr 2012 alphabetical list chronological list A Mother's Courage - Talking back to autism A mother of a child with autism travels from her home in Iceland to the United States and Europe, meeting with top autism experts and advocates. She also connects with several other families touched by autism, whose struggles echo her own: the endless doctor visits and experiments with different treatments, the complication of doing everyday tasks, and the inability to communicate - perhaps the most painful and frustrating aspect of autism. But as she comes across innovative new therapies with the potential to break down the walls of autism, Margret finds hope that her son may be able to express himself on a level she never thought possible. audio of the Q&A Monday 9 Apr 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Starbuck A fun French Canadian story about a prolific sperm bank donor whose progeny come home to roost. He's not terrifically good at other things but his 'speciality' is now a huge complication (142 of his off-spring have looked him up) in his not so ambitious (loser) lifestyle. What's a middle aged boy to do? Pg13 Saturday 16 Apr 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Mothers and Daughters Saturday Live! event. This is the first of a trilogy of Vancouver-based filmmaker Carl Bessai's pet projects, filmed on tiny budgets, collaborating with favourite actors and techs, exploring family relationships. In Mothers and Daughters, "Bessai's sparkling ensemble cast breathes life into six unique and beguiling characters. Never descending to the maudlin, the actors pay tribute to the intricacies of these relationships while simultaneously celebrating the art of performance itself. The result is a trenchant exploration of several different facets of the mother-daughter connection – the way buttons are pushed, the way bonds are rebuilt – with clarity and quite a lot of courage." R Sunday 22 Apr 2012, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm alphabetical list chronological list Filmmaker workshop – a co-presentation with Cinevic Filmmaker, teacher, and author of The Tyranny Of Story: Audience Expectations and the Short Screenplay, Ric Beairsto, will present a three-hour workshop that will address the art of storytelling in its broadest, most accessible sense, then range through to the much more exacting craft of short story writing for the screen. Example short films will be screened and discussed. Ric Beairsto is a Vancouver-based award-winning screenwriter, director and producer who has been active in the Canadian film and television industry since 1980. He has written more than a dozen feature-length screenplays, and his TV writing credits begin with The Beachcombers for CBC and extend to Mixed Blessings, a series currently broadcast by APTN, where Ric was the Creator and Head Writer. Sunday 22 Apr 2012, 7:30 pm alphabetical list chronological list Picture Start Picture Start tells the remarkable-and unlikely-story of the emergence and rise of the original generation of the so called 'Vancouver School' of photo-conceptual artists, artists who are in fact the biggest art stars to ever come out of Canada, even though they remain little known to many Canadians. The documentary focuses on three of these artists - Jeff Wall, Rodney Graham and Ian Wallace - who chose photography as their medium, offering insight into how and why their ascent occurred in a city until recently known more for its surrounding forests than its fine arts. Pg Monday 23 Apr 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Stand-Up Samurais "Howling blizzards, drunken hecklers, bad food, seedy hotel rooms. Stand-up comedians working the small town gigs of western Canada can expect it all." Stand-Up Samurais is an hour-long documentary about the gruelling working life of stand-up comedians on a mid-winter tour through the small town venues of western Canada. Featured comics are Richard Lett, Tim Koslo, Nelson Giles, and Big Daddy Tazz; the venues played include the only bar in Gold River, BC, and the men-only Deer Head Night in Virden, Manitoba. It ain' tall funny... What's the connection between mental health and comedy? Pg13 Monday 30 Apr 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Happy An event that's a fit for the Partners for Mental Health Day of Action Does money make you Happy? Kids and family? Your work? Do you live in a world that values and promotes happiness and well-being? Are we in the midst of a happiness revolution? Roko Belic, director of the Academy Award nominated "Genghis Blues" now brings us HAPPY, a film that sets out to answer these questions and more. Taking us from the bayous of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the villages of Okinawa, Happy explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion. Monday 7 May 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Journey to Kapasseni: A Refugee's Gift & Return to Kapasseni In the late 1990s, two Mozambican refugees - who were recent Canadian citizens - returned to Africa to visit their home village of Kapasseni. They allied themselves with the Victoria Canada's Gettin' Higher Choir to improve conditions in the area. A heart lifting film, shot by Victorian Ben Fox, resulted - Journey to Kapasseni: A Refugee's Gift. The choir to this day continues to raise money for Kapasseni and other projects. In the summer of 2011, Ben and choir leader Shivon Robinsong returned to Mozambique to witness over a decade's worth changes to Kapasseni, as well as the influence of Kuwangisana on the larger region. Thanks again to Ben's images and Bill Weaver's production, this visit has become another film, Return to Kapasseni. We'll hear some songs from some of the choir, show both films, and see Ben's images in our gallery/lobby. Pg Monday 14 May 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Wish Me Away Hosted by PFLAG for Anti Homophobia Day Wish Me Away tracks three years in the life of a very high profile country music star as she struggles to come out publicly as being gay. She has dug herself in so deep playing the heterosexual dream girl, with songs like "Your Woman Misses Her Man" and "Single White Female" She just might be your dream come true / A single white female / Is looking for a man like you, that she has to face up to a huge amount of public backlash at her betrayal of that myth. As well she's a committed Christian. Her spiritual advisor sagely warns her, as she contemplates a very public coming out, that "there's nobody quite as mean as people being mean for Jesus." I saw it at VIFF and it captured my full attention for the full 2hr running time. Very high quality production and engrossing story. Pg13 Monday 21 May 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Louis 19th, King Of The Airwaves Louis has always had a dream, to be on television. But when he enters a contest and wins, the first prize involves a cameraman following him everywhere for three months. The only problem is that Louis has a boring life, so the TV executives decide to put some excitement in it. Monday 28 May 2012 alphabetical list chronological list One Big Hapa Family & Tailor Made One Big Hapa Family After a realization at a family reunion, half Japanese-Canadian filmmaker, Jeff Chiba Stearns, embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find out why everyone in his Japanese-Canadian family married inter-racially after his grandparents' generation. This feature live action and animated documentary explores why almost 100% of all Japanese-Canadians are marrying inter-racially, the highest out of any other ethnicity in Canada, and how their mixed children perceive their unique multiracial identities. Pg plus: Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors This Vancouver-made film follows 80-something brothers Bill & Jack Wong for one year as they face the reality that they are getting too old to run the little tailor shop their father opened in 1913. And letting go isn't easy. With tailoring a dying trade, finding someone to take over the family business has proven difficult, but Bill refuses to give up. He tries a couple of young hopefuls, but can they keep this almost century-old tradition alive? Director Len Lee says "The story of Modernize Tailors has always meant something to me, but I was really touched by Bill and his personal journey in the film." Producer and co-director Marsha Newbery adds "This isn't just a story about a tailor shop. Bill's story is a reminder to us all to live life to the fullest and do what you love doing every day." Pg more The Globe and Mail declared it: "One of the sweetest, most tender docs in years, Tailor Made is more than just a record of the closing of a long-time Vancouver landmark business. It's a beautifully fashioned story of passion, tradition, family and letting go." Monday 4 Jun 2012 alphabetical list chronological list My Week With Marilyn An ambitious young man hires on as a go-fer on the set of The Prince And The Showgirl (1957). He soon becomes Marilyn’s confidant during her turbulent struggle to star alongside the overpowering Laurence Oliver. Michelle Williams is Marilyn and Kenneth Brannagh the perfect Oliver in a wonderfully adapted memoir, shot on the same locations as the original story. A truly touching tribute to a troubled star. Monday 11 Jun 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Iron Lady The Iron Lady is a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century's most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world. Meryl Streep's portrayal of a once great lady in her prime, latterly addled by dementia, is amazing, as the screenplay is sharp. Monday 18 Jun 2012 alphabetical list chronological list A Friend Indeed: The Bill Sackter Story A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story is an inspiring new documentary showing how a forgotten man and an uncommon friendship shattered the world's perceptions of people with disabilities. Bill Sackter's life story was made famous by the award winning made-for-tv movie "Bill" (1981) starring Mickey Rooney as Bill, and Dennis Quaid as the young filmmaker Barry Morrow who had befriended Bill in 1972 and began filming their relationship and adventures. After 44 years in an institution, and with some help from a few good friends, Bill's life was transformed - as was everyone around him. With a harmonica, a warm cup of coffee and a positive embrace of life, the real Bill Sackter became an international hero for people with disabilities. It's a story, that could have been a dead end, that gets better and better with each turn. You'll love it. Pg Watch this trailer and tell me this isn't a perfect MM feature! I dare you! Monday 25 Jun 2012 alphabetical list chronological list A Portrait Of Myfanwy Pavelic This locally made film about one of Victoria's most loved artists, Myfanwy Pavelic, was beautifully crafted by a MM booster Agustin Luviano-Cordero (who lives just down the street from MM). Myfanwy discusses her techniques, her materials, her approach to her subjects and some of the world's famous artists like Vladimir Horowitz and Andres Segovia. She also talks about less well- known friends and family who have been important to her over the years. She shows viewers through her studio, as she works on a self-portrait and one of Pierre Trudeau. Monday 2 Jul 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Bill Cunningham New York The "Bill" in question is 80+ New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham. For decades, this Schwinn-riding cultural anthropologist has been obsessively and inventively chronicling NYC's fashion trends and high society charity soirées. Cunningham's enormous body of work is more reliable than any catwalk as an expression of time, place and individual flair. In turn, Bill Cunningham New York is a delicate, funny and often poignant portrait of a dedicated artist whose only wealth is his own humanity and unassuming grace. Monday 9 Jul 2012 alphabetical list chronological list William Kurelek's The Maze This brilliant new film is about a Canadian artist, William Kurelek (1927-1977), whose work is currently enjoying a major retrospective at the Art Gallery Of Greater Victoria. The film takes an intimate look into the life of one of the 20th century's most fascinating artists and his struggles with attempted suicide and a self professed "spiritual crisis". The Maze (1953) is a particular painting that inspired this film, produced by the tormented artist in his mid twenties. It got better! Kurelek's life story is dramatically told through his many paintings and his on-camera revelations - a film actually brought to life after being lost for 40 years. Immerse yourself in this ultimately inspiring life story, the art, and this film that is a work of art in its own right. Monday 16 Jul 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Loving Lampposts As autism has exploded into the public consciousness over the last 20 years, two opposing questions have been asked about the condition: is it a devastating sickness to be cured? Or is it a variation of the human brain - just a different way to be human? "Loving Lampposts" goes inside the autism wars and shows us the parents, doctors, therapists, and autistic people who are redefining this disorder at a moment when it's better known than ever before. USA Pg "Loving Lampposts takes a different view of autism. Inspired by the filmmaker's own experience with a son on the autism spectrum, the film looks at the 'neurodiversity' movement, a growing group of people who view autism not only as a disorder that must be treated, but as a different way of life that must be accepted and supported. Told through the stories of autistic children and adults, the film examines the politics surrounding autism and the neurodiversity movement. Ultimately, it shows that it's possible to lead a happy, successful life and be autistic." Monday 23 Jul 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Fathers & Sons Fathers & Sons is an alternative feature length drama that employs aspects of the conventional drama in its creation, but utilizes entirely improvised dialogue in its execution. Following the lives of four very different families as they confront a pivotal moment in their relationships, the film celebrates those unchosen bonds that shape our lives, the blessings and burdens. This, second in our Carl Bessai trilogy, is a treat - and demonstrates again that good films can be made on a tiny budget! Wednesday 25 Jul 2012 alphabetical list chronological list On The Line Unfortunately, a far too topical film about the implications of the Enbridge pipeline proposal. An eco-adventure documentary like no other. Follow Frank Wolf and Todd McGowan on a 2,400 km journey by foot, bike, raft and kayak as they seek to uncover the truth about this proposed 5.5 billion dollar oil pipeline from the oil patch to BC's coast. The Sierra Club will be on hand as well as participants. During the show a good place to park is the 1 hour zone on Lee Ave (west of the theatre). That street is not ticketed on Movie Monday evenings, special for us. 6:30 pm & 8:00 pm showings. Monday 30 Jul 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Foreverland Foreverland tells the story of Will Rankin, a young man stricken with Cystic Fibrosis, a terminal illness, who is tasked with delivering his friend's ashes to a legendary healing shrine in Mexico. Joined by the sister of his fallen friend, Will embarks on an epic journey down the Pacific Coast Highway to the desert heart of Baja, encountering a memorable cast of characters along the way. In the spirit of Into the Wild and Little Miss Sunshine, it's about dreams and the courage to pursue them. Hope, laughter, and life's small miracles. Max McGuire, the director, is Ottawa based and he lives with cystic fibrosis, which gives this film extra credibility and heft. Monday 6 Aug 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Misfits "The Misfits brought together three legendary performers: Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, and Marilyn Monroe, in a story of lonely, modern-day cowboys and the woman who loves them. Arthur Miller's screenplay, Russell Metty's somber black-and-white images, and final performances by Monroe and Gable give this film a profoundly elegiac tone." Here's a chance to celebrate the real Marilyn soon after our recent screening of My Week With Marilyn starring Michelle Williams. Marilyn Monroe died 50 years ago, Aug 5, 1962. Gable died soon after the film wrapped. Monday 13 Aug 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Doppelgänger Paul Following a near-death experience, Karl comes to believe that Paul is his doppelganger. When Karl finally reveals himself to Paul, a unique and troubled relationship begins to form, a relationship that is severely tested when Karl grants Paul the privilege of reading his 20,000 page manuscript, A Book About How Much I Hate Myself. When Karl's book is published 17 months later in a vastly edited version credited to two other author/doppelgangers, Karl and Paul hit the road to confront the plagiarists but end up confronting themselves instead. A dark and slyly funny comedy. R Filmmakers Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand and Producer Katherine Hazen were with us to present this Vancouver-made indie gem! "A dark and slyly funny comedy riffing on identity and the insatiable hunger for connection, Doppelganger Paul delights in the same sort of meta-comedy that we've come to expect from Charlie Kaufman, though co-directors Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand deliver it here in a package not nearly as smug or neurotically self referential. Elgstrand's script balances cleverness neatly with character, his writing blessed with the sort of confidence that never feels the need to show off. A low key, low budget indie, it would be easy to overlook a film like Doppelganger Paul. That would be a mistake." Todd Brown TIFF review 2011 Friday 17 Aug 2012 alphabetical list chronological list William Kurelek's The Maze This brilliant new film is about a Canadian artist, William Kurelek (1927-1977), whose work is currently enjoying a major retrospective at the Art Gallery Of Greater Victoria. The film takes an intimate look into the life of one of the 20th century's most fascinating artists and his struggles with attempted suicide and a self professed "spiritual crisis". The Maze (1953) is a particular painting that inspired this film, produced by the tormented artist in his mid twenties. It got better! Kurelek's life story is dramatically told through his many paintings and his on-camera revelations - a film actually brought to life after being lost for 40 years. Immerse yourself in this ultimately inspiring life story, the art, and this film that is a work of art in its own right. Monday 20 Aug 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Weibo's War In the 1990s, natural gas wells were drilled near the home of Reverend Wiebo Ludwig and his clan in Alberta. Soon after, livestock began to die, and the Christian community started experiencing health problems, including a series of miscarriages. After five years of being ignored by the oil and gas industry, Ludwig decided to fight for his land and his family's survival. This is an intriguing story with many perspectives: an unbeliever filmmaker trying to fairly depict a faith-based community and its charismatic leader, that may have committed terrorist strikes on gas company installations, and even murder, and balancing the rights of a small community with the overwhelming pressures of "progress". Lots to consider here! Pg13 Filmmaker David York was our guest by phone from Toronto. Monday 27 Aug 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Love That Boy "The story of Phoebe, a socially inept overachiever, unrecognized in a world run by C students. When Phoebe's best friend Robyn dumps Phoebe two weeks before college graduation, Robyn points out that Phoebe's "to-do" list is missing one essential thing - a boyfriend. Phoebe begins an ill-fated quest to find a boyfriend. After the demise of her first relationship - her "boyfriend" didn't even know that they were going out - Phoebe inadvertently falls in love. The only problem is, he's fourteen." It's quirky, Canadian, and a great summer watch. With Andrea Dorfman, a Halifax filmmaker, at the helm and starring Nadia Litz, Nikki Barnett, and Adrien Dixon, and MM fave Ellen Page in a supporting role. PG Monday 10 Sep 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Into The Wind So far The Terry Fox Foundation has raised 0.6 Billion for Cancer research. Terry Fox Run is on Sunday Sept 16. Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope is so ingrained in Canadian culture that it's hard to believe there could be any aspect of the story left to tell. But don't dismiss Into the Wind, the new documentary on Fox by [Phoenix Sun's point guard] Steve Nash and his filmmaker cousin Ezra Holland. The documentary, set to air on television as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 program, goes far beyond what most Canadians know about the icon. Through archival footage, new interviews with Fox's friends and family members, and complete access to his daily journals, the film goes deeper and explores the fights, anger and the personal struggles he had to overcome, bringing life to the bronze statue, humanizing the legend and proving the man was even more of a hero by showing him as the ordinary and sometimes frail person he was. Monday 17 Sep 2012 alphabetical list chronological list To Make A Farm To Make A Farm asks: What might the future of local food and farming look like? This beautifully photographed documentary explores of the lives of five young people who have decided to become small-scale farmers. VIFF calls To Make A Farm "exceptionally hopeful, giving us a close-range view of humanity along with a detailed portrayal of the nuts and bolts of agriculture." Pg Monday 24 Sep 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Rainman This classic film is well worth a revival on our big screen. Made 24 years ago when we were all much younger, when Tom Cruise was just a sharp young actor, and Dustin Hoffman was taking real chances as a character actor and most of us knew little about autism. Charlie, a sharp, egotistical yuppie finds his father has left him only a car and a few rose bushes while the expected estate has gone to a brother he didn't know existed. It's a solid, entertaining film with lots to talk about. R From Wikipedia: Effect on popular cultureBarry Morrow, who won an Oscar for writing this screenplay, was the catalyst in a recently shown MM favourite, A Friend Indeed: The Bill Sackter Story. Wednesday 26 Sep 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Mighty Uke A Canadian-made documentary exploring the quirky history of the ukulele and its recent resurgence as a fun instrument with remarkable powers to bring people together. This is a special event in co-operation with the Friends Of Music Society. Monday 1 Oct 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Monsieur Lazhar A French Canadian film about a teacher who steps in after a previous teacher killed herself during recess at an elementary school. The kids know what happened but no one is talking about it in open terms. The Algerian replacement teacher has his own secret and past trauma, and sees a need to address the children's emotional needs gently but more directly. It's nicely done, very touching. Multiple award winner and Canada's Oscar contender. So interesting to me is that, in situations like this, suicide is often not talked about but still remains "the elephant in the room". We'll discuss. Pg13 a review. We'll have Tara Timmers with us to talk about her involvement in the upcoming GoodLife Marathon (Oct 7), raising pledges BCSS Victoria. She is a bright young woman now in a 2 year Master's in Leadership Health program. She works full time as the Administrative Coordinator at BCSS Victoria and is also in recovery from mental health issues involving PTSD and addictions. As a Reiki Master she manages her illness in a holistic way. Monday 8 Oct 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Descendants Set in Hawaii, The Descendants is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. He now has to step up to parenting a couple of daughters he doesn't really know, a beset with challenges of deciding the future of a large piece of family land and a surprising, unwelcome revelation. "A thoroughly rewarding assembled-for-adults dramedy that benefits immensely from both its island locale and one of George Clooney's finest performances." R Monday 15 Oct 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Dinosaur Maker - an evening with Bill Maylone Inspired by the fantastic films of Ray Harryhausen, and with a professional career that started in Victoria in the mid-1970s, Bill Maylone ended up directing or creating animated movies and sequences for the likes of Adbusters, the National Film Board, NOVA, the CBC, and Will Vinton Studios. In the days before computer animation, dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures were brought to life most effectively using the painstaking hands-on technique of stop-motion animation. He came to realize that this odd profession could actually contribute to changing the world. Maylone, now a Mayne Island resident, will share his stories, images, movies, and models and talk about the challenges, successes, and frustrations involved in being driven by the unusual, but - fortunately - constructive obsession of making inanimate objects appear to be alive. Pg with clips of Bill's own work and some classic Harryhausen work too. Monday 22 Oct 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Being Flynn De Niro is Flynn, a con man, passionate, self proclaimed 'great writer'. He's obstreperous and a serious drinker on his way to homelessness. Paul Dano is the son he left behind but has re-connected with after many years of absenteeism. He has his own issues and is drifting, heading for a job working in a shelter for homeless men. Not an easy watch, revealing of realities that lead to homelessness, insights into dysfunctional family dynamics. Based a real life memoir by son Nick Flynn. Powerful cinema experience and a great fit for MM! Both De Niro and Dano keep it real. R suggestive scenes, drug use, language. Monday 29 Oct 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Mystery Of Sveva Caetani Her father was a prince of an important Italian dynasty who, when Sveva was 3, settled in Vernon, BC with Sveva's mother. He thrived in the freedom of this New World frontier, but when he died, Sveva's mother kept her a captive in their home for the next 25 years. A naturally artistic person, she was denied materials to explore her creativity. When she was finally released from her imprisonment, her pent up artistic energy flooded out in paintings, writing.... especially exploring her origins in ethereal landscapes with figures, rich with meaning about her own life and the universal. "The Mystery of Sveva Caetani by Agustin Luviano-Cordero" penetrates her paintings and written words, the viewers discover, bit by bit, the true story of who really was Sveva Caetani. Pg The Mystery Of Sveva Caetani presented by Victoria filmmaker Agustin Luviano-Cordero who is the maker of "A Portrait Of Myfanwy Pavelic" shown June 24/12's at MM. Wednesday 31 Oct 2012 alphabetical list chronological list The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical masterpiece! Camp it up for Hallowe'en, be "best dressed" for this sumptuously presented version of the musical hit. Set and costume designers jumped the shark on this one! A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorizes the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégée whom he trains and loves. Pg13 This was a special event in co-operation with the Friends Of Music Society. Monday 5 Nov 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Nothing But A Man A very special film written and produced by Michael Roemer and Robert M. Young (the maker of William Kurelek's The Maze documentary that we featured recently). "From the era when American films almost never put black characters at the center of a movie, Nothing but a Man stands like a beacon of intelligence and sympathy. It was shot in 1964 at the height of the Civil Rights movement by two Jewish white men, director Michael Roemer and cinematographer Robert M. Young, who wrote the script after traveling through the South and immersing themselves in African American life. Ivan Dixon plays a railroad worker who settles down to marry a preacher's daughter (jazz singer Abbey Lincoln), only to find that the system is rigged against him. The film is not condescending or idealizing in its approach; some of the problems of the characters are outside the reality of racism. Aside from its status as a landmark social-issue film, it is good to recognize, 40 years on, what a terrific piece of filmmaking this is, with fine acting, lucid dialogue, and a fresh feeling for everyday domestic life." --Robert Horton Pg13 We'll include an extra by the senior filmmakers looking back 40 years on this groundbreaking project. Monday 12 Nov 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster The story of notorious Canadian bank robber Edwin Boyd, beginning with his return from duty in the Second World War. Dismayed by public indifference toward veterans, humiliated by his inability to provide for his children and his wife Doreen , and seeing only disappointment in the face of his policeman father, Eddie resorts to unlawful activity. What starts as small time bank robberies, evolves over time—and with experience—into a career that turns Boyd into postwar Toronto's public enemy number one. Electric performances by Scott Speedman as Boyd and Kevin Durand his accomplice. A really riveting film based on real life events.. The film took home the TIFF prize for best first Canadian feature 2011 R There's a solid Victoria connection to this story: Boyd settled here and became a model citizen! Monday 19 Nov 2012 alphabetical list chronological list How To Die In Oregon In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. As a result, any individual whom two physicians diagnose as having less than six months to live can lawfully request a fatal dose of barbiturate to end his or her life. Since 1994, more than 500 Oregonians have taken their mortality into their own hands. In How to Die in Oregon, filmmaker Peter Richardson gently enters the lives of the terminally ill as they consider whether – and when – to end their lives by lethal overdose. Richardson examines both sides of this complex, emotionally charged issue. What emerges is a life-affirming, staggeringly powerful portrait of what it means to die with dignity. Pg13 Monday 26 Nov 2012 alphabetical list chronological list We Were Here A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis. "Absolutely electrifying. I wept, sure, but mostly from relief that this story has finally been told with all its dimensions intact: the panic, the betrayals, the brave humor, the enormity of what we lost - yet, ultimately, affirmed for the ages. It's a love story about the resilience of our tribe." Armistead Maupin Pg13 Wednesday 28 Nov 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Genghis Blues The extraordinary odyssey of a U.S. musician of Cape Verdean ancestry to Tannu Tuva, in central Asia, where nomadic people throat sing more than one note simultaneously, using vocal harmonics. A bluesman, Paul Pena, blind and recently widowed, taught himself throat singing and was by chance invited to the 1995 throat-singing symposium in Kyzyl. Helped by the "Friends of Tuva," Pena makes the arduous journey. Singing in the deep, rumbling kargyraa style, Pena gives inspired performances at the festival, composes songs in Tuvan, washes his face in sacred rivers, expresses the disorientation of blindness in foreign surroundings, and makes a human connection with everyone he meets. This was a special event in co-operation with the Friends Of Music Society Monday 3 Dec 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Prince Of Broadway A find from a filmmaker I met at VIFF, Prince of Broadway is the story of Lucky and Levon, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion district. Lucky, a street smart illegal immigrant from Ghana, makes ends meet by soliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise. Levon, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, operates an illegal storefront with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to interested shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life by a past girlfriend who insists the toddler is his son. It's part comedy, part drama, very authentic, and made with passion on an indie budget. We'll show a 'making of' doc that shows how this terrific film was birthed. R language His new, impressive film, Starlet, with a debut staring roll by Papa Hemmingway's granddaughter Gree, screened at VIFF in September. Monday 10 Dec 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Smokin' Fish Movie Cory Mann is a quirky Tlingit businessman hustling to make a dollar in Juneau Alaska. He gets hungry for smoked salmon, nostalgic for his childhood, and decides to spend a summer smoking fish at his family's traditional fish camp. The unusual story of his life and the untold history of his people interweave with the process of preparing traditional food as he struggles to pay his bills, keep the IRS off his back, and keep his business afloat. By turns tragic, bizarre, or just plain ridiculous, Smokin' Fish, tells the story of one man's attempts to navigate the messy zone of collision between the modern world and an ancient culture. Pg13. Hopefully with Cory Mann will be with us to present his story. Plus short: Uninterrupted ( 4 min ) Nettie Wild's short about our Adams salmon run. Monday 17 Dec 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Genghis Blues This new Oscar nominated doc has won awards and hearts everywhere it plays. It's about a blind blues player who learns throatsinging and, with the help of some buddies, travels to remote Tuva to compete in a remarkable competition. It's about taking chances, the universal power of music and the resilience of the human spirit. Wednesday 19 Dec 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Lightning in a Bottle Beginning with a stirring African folk song the roots are established and rapidly swell into a trunk thickened by the hardships of the Great Depression and the oppression of segregation. Finally, this Blues family tree shows off vibrant new growth as it reveals the Blues' influence on our modern wealth of talented musicians. Ruth Brown gives Blll Cosby a full-throttle serenade, along with Mavis Staples and Natalie Cole. Angélique Kidjo persuades Buddy Guy to an unforgettable rendition of 'Voodoo Child,' shortly before Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray accompany B.B. King and Lucille for the final number, 'Paying the Cost to be the Boss.' This documentary presents to the audience, with authority and candor, an authentic history of this musical form. The highly esteemed elders of this musical family are exemplary in their humbleness toward one another, rich with decades of shared memories; and their performances are of a quality rarely seen in modern times. This is a special event in co-operation with the Friends Of Music Society Monday 31 Dec 2012 alphabetical list chronological list Cat Ballou This lovely spoof on the American Western featured the sweet, wide-eyed Jane Fonda (at 28) as an ernest daughter wanting to avenge her fathers death. Lee Marvin deservedly won an Oscar for as washed up gun slinger, Kid Shelleen, hired to do just that. This fun film is propelled along by wandering banjo-slinging minstrels, Nat King Cole & Stubby Kaye. Pg |