RKS Literature: “Little Miss High-class from Jamaica Arrives in 1948 London” (Andrea Levy)

“Man, this woman is a barb under my skin-she irritate me so I lose my temper. I tell her. “Yes, and you know what else, little Miss Stick-up-your-nose-air, you will have to wash your plate, your vegetable and your backside in that basin too. This room is where you will sleep, eat, cook, dress and write your mummy to tell her the Mother Country is so fine. And, little Miss High-class, one thing about England you don’t know yet because you just come off a boat. You are lucky.”

Andrea Levy, “Small Island”, 2004.

RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure: A Victim of Sexism and The Squat They Never Taught You in Gym Class

Off to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, specifically to the Family Practice Clinic which I have been a patient of for a decade or so. It is part of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and its physicians are instructors at that Faculty of Medicine. Sunnybrook is a teaching hospital for residents wishing to practice medicine in a specialized area. You may be seen by a resident but under the supervision of the staff physician usually after the resident comes to his/her diagnosis/recommendation.

As Forrest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You’ll never know what you’ll get.” With a resident you never know who you’ll get and, in this case, a young lady! Blush. Blush. Please disrobe and put on this gown! OH NO. She departs and leaves me in a state of panic. Too late to escape. She returns and, in a fluster, (me not her) asks me to squat up and down feeling the little bugger hernia pop out and bulge. That was quick but seemed close to a full Trump presidential term!

The staff physician arrives, obtains a briefing from the resident and concurs it is time for an ultrasound.

The official beginning of the Great Hernia Adventure!

How many times has medicine breached your “privacy” and its related anatomy with that epithet, “Don’t worry we have seen it all.” I would respond, “Well you may have seen it all but I and my private anatomy aren’t accustomed to be seen by all!”  I might venture to say in a strange way as a man I am a historical victim of sexism in the medical field.

RKS Health: The Great Hernia Adventure

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The Great Hernia Adventure begins prior to your realization of it a common feature of maladies, afflictions and plagues. You only know when you are stricken.

Out of the shower in May 2023. Towelling off. You don’t always look “down there” but even when you do are you are paying any degree of attention. But there it was on the left groin. A noticeable bulge. Just my imagination? Prod and push and it is a lump! Is this the beginning of my demise?

My hunch after consulting Dr. Google was confirmed in my non-medical mind. I had a 97 percent in high school biology but a far cry from graduating medical school.

The next step in The Great Hernia Adventure was obtaining a medical confirmation of my hunch.

RKS 2025 CANADIAN Documentary: “The Salmon’s Call”

Joy Haskell’s feature documentary “The Salmon’s Call” might well have been titled “Last Call for Pacific Salmon” due to the decline of wild Pacific salmon in the riverways of the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Haskell’s closing words of the documentary are, “Salmon don’t have a voice. We are their voice.”

Indigenous people of British Columbia dependent on salmon for sustenance, culture, identity and survival speak to the viewer about the importance of salmon in their society.

Whereas the urban consumer of salmon, most often farm raised in Canada or Norway, views salmon as an edible article of consumption Indigenous populations in the wild Pacific salmon territories of British Columbia understand salmon as a “two-way street” that extends beyond consumption to deep respect and gratitude for the role salmon have played in their economy and culture for generations. Salmon are but a component of the ecosystem. Diminishing and degrading salmon equates with a corresponding destruction of an ecosystem and a way of life.

Haskell remains almost entirely in the background of her documentary letting members of the salmon dependent territories speak about the societal role of salmon both past and present avoiding polemics giving the documentary a lean authentic voice which should be listened to as the voice of wild Pacific salmon.

The viewer will hopefully understand the clear message of elders, artists, poets, salmon activists, the urban Indigenous, educators, fisherman and salmon smokers is one close to despair of the diminishment of the wild Pacific salmon population by wildfires, pollution and a parasitical infestation by commercial fish farms originally slated by closure in 2025 by the Canadian government but then extended to 2029 to “allow for the responsible, realistic and achievable transition”. This promised closure may be four years too late.

You may watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXXBgLoj6hY

“The Salmon’s Call” will debut on British Columbia’s viewer supported public educational broadcaster “Knowledge Network” in celebration of Indigenous People’s History Month in Canada. The documentary will be broadcast on the network on 24June2025 at 21:00 and will be available online to Canadian viewers through Knowledge Network’s services and apps.

RKS 2025 Canadian Documentary Film Rating 86/100.

RKS 2025 Canadian Wine: A Red Assemblage from Ferox Estate Winery in Niagara, Ontario

A blend of Zweigelt (53%), Merlot (18%), Syrah (15%), Malbec (8%) and Cabernet Franc (6%) from 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Each component was aged in neutral French oak barriques (225L) for a minimum of 2 years before élevage, assemblage, filtration and bottling.

Aroma: Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry and cassis all rather dense and heady. Tiny bit of smoke.

Palate: Gentle tannins. Huge mouthfeel. Abrupt sour cherry finish. Smidge of blackberry. A case of recalcitrant fruit.

Personality: I may be cheap but not terribly cheerful. And all these different grapes perhaps had you yearning for more innovative depth?

Food Pairing: The winery has several intriguing suggestions but I think the pulled pork with hickory smoked salt wets my whistle.

Cellarbility: Drink before the snow hits Ontario.

Price: $17.00 CDN.

RKS 2025 Canadian Wine Rating: 83/100. Wine Align Community Score 87.

(Vantage Red, Non-Vintage, Ferox Estate Winery Inc., VQA Ontario, 750 mL, 12.5%).

RKS 2025 Canadian Film: “Angela’s Shadow”: A Disgusting, Shameful and Disgraceful Chapter in Canadian History….and the Pages Continue Turning

Canadians have been hearing stories about residential schools akin to prisons for Indigenous children managed by various religious orders and blessed by the Canadian government. Residential schools no longer exist but the trauma inflicted by them on survivors and the Indigenous community continues.

You might wish to summon up a plenitude of adjectives to describe the evils of residential schools or reduce the word count and label these schools as a component of genocide.

Angela (Sera-Lys McArthur) is asked by her former nanny Mary (Renae Morriseau) to visit her in KiiWeeTin, a Cree community, in Northern Canada before Angela gives birth. Henry (Matthew Kevin Anderson), her physician husband, accompanies her to write about how “those half breeds live”.

This is 1939 Canada with residential schools in full swing kidnapping Indigenous children and imprisoning them to “civilize” them by forcefully eradicating their culture. A time when Indigenous ceremonies were illegal.

The relationship between Mary and Angela is initially friendly but attempts to expose Angela to Cree culture are met with Angela’s resistance as if the Canadian government considers cultural expressions as criminal Angela states, they must be bad. Henry, awkward and ill at ease, appears taken with the sweat lodge and hunting.

Both Henry and Angela experience visions accompanied by haunting noises. A bombshell is dropped (although in my view highly predictable) about Angela’s family history causing her to rethink the trajectory of her life. Whilst Angela becomes contemplative Henry moves closer to madness and violence developing a compulsion to wash imaginary dirt from his hands as hauntings intensify. Lady Macbeth OCD, a sign of guilt.

The storyline is compelling delivering its message in a calm but razor-sharp manner without excessive anger however well deserved that may be considering the brutal attempts to eliminate Indigenous culture.

A unique personal portrayal of the attack on Canadian Indigenous culture with some of its flimsy rationale fleshed out in the film. The importance of Indigenous spirituality is key to the film as well as the Cree resistance to Catholicism.

The acting is spot on but the writing tends to spawn too many overdramatic moments undercutting the skills of the cast.

A true Canadian feel production redolent with earnestness despite some of its faults. An excellent primer for the shameful legacy of residential schools.

You can watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ukjIjAfUE

A Canadian theatrical run commences 20June2025 in Vancouver with more dates and locations to be announced.

Directed and co-written by award winning Cree filmmaker Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin. Co-written by Steve Neufeld.

RKS 2025 Canadian Film Rating 76/100.

RKS 2025 Film: “A Hardworking Robber”: Shining Greek Satire

Satire runs heavily through Greek cinema and it shines in a short film from 2013 “A Hardworking Robber” directed and written by Michael Felanis.

Makis, owner of an Athenian jewelry and gift store is slothful, lazy and entirely ignorant about customer service and selling his wares. He spends his time drinking coffee, smoking, playing with his worry beads and backgammon, ignoring customers and throwing paper waste balls on the floor. Dust balls proliferate throughout.

Then the stick up but the robber, Apostilis, is dismayed as only 5 Euros and some coins are in the till! The credit default of Greece?

Apostilis ties up Makis in the basement and magic happens spiced with a bit of slapstick courtesy of some slovenly and fumbling policemen one of whom is Makis’ brother. The old boy’s connection in Greek society?

Earlier, Makis had asked a customer to run to a corner kiosk and get some change and when he received some guff from the customer for ordering him to fetch change he blames Greece’s economic difficulties on “people like him”.

“A Hardworking Robber” is a delightful lampoon straight to heart of Greece’s “people like him” old order attitudes and behaviors and the consumerism helping build a mountain of insurmountable debt.

RKS 2025 Film Rating 86/100.

The Global Long-Legged Society Commissions Study on Cruelty and Discrimination by Airlines Directed Towards Long-Legged Passengers

Winnipeg, Manitoba: 5June2025

The Global Long-Legged Society headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba announced today it has commissioned a study to investigate if commercial airlines are discriminating against long-legged passengers in the cabin configurations of their aircraft, particularly seating.

Melanie Mintwiky, President and Chief Happiness Officer of the GLLS stated at a press conference, “Commercial airlines have long propagated their concern for the well being of their passengers. Airlines have shown their compassion for a wide range of passengers such as permitting service animals onboard, forcing obese people to purchase two seats and even offering meal choices for those with special dietary needs. Yet long-legged people are compelled to suffer in low pitch seats primarily in Economy Class. The long- legged are forced to twist and contort their bodies causing significant physical and psychological damages increasing in intensity and severity with the length of the flight.

Should emergency conditions arise in the airplane long-legged people may be trapped unable to move as paralysis may have set in due to prolonged contorted seating posture putting at risk the long-legged and other passengers.

We find it “coincidental” our queries concerning this topic are answered identically by all airlines by stating without due regard to the long-legged this matter could be solved by the purchase of Business Class and Premium Economy seats. Our study may very well point to an airline conspiracy against long legged people in cabin seating.

Furthermore, WC configurations affect the species of long-legged people referred to as tall particularly men that must stoop over the bowl to urinate causing urinary retention leading to bladder infections and poor aim causing nasty spills on pants and shoes.

The results of the planned study may result in a global class action against multiple airline groupings for damages based on physical damage and mental cruelty.

Furthermore, the GLLS may, if justified by the results of its study, lobby appropriate levels of government to include discrimination against long legged people as a prohibited activity.

The GLLS has assembled a team of physicians including psychiatrists and urologists to advise them in the study.

Further details and calls for testimony from the public will be forthcoming.”

RKS 2025 Film: “The Old Woman with the Knife”: Dense, Engrossing and Impeccably Choregraphed Korean Assassin Thriller with a Social Message of Sorts

In 1975 a destitute and abused housemaid of 16 lies on the Korean roadside covered with snow and close to death. A passing motorist, Ryu, picks her up taking her to his restaurant he runs with his wife where she is hired as a helper. Ryu claims to be in pest management and extermination and he is not referring to insects but to lowlife and despicable subhuman men as social pests. When the housemaid kills a U.S. serviceman attempting a violent rape in the restaurant kitchen Ryu is nonplussed stating she has simply killed a bug giving her the nickname “Nails”. So the assassin career of Nails (Hye-yeong Lee) commences.

The Sinseong Agency is founded. Its services are to, at the behest of clients, kill the most depraved and despicable who cause untold suffering to clients and society in general. Assassins with a moralistic code. If an assassin fails in a killing assignment death is the rule. Sohn, boss of the Agency, has been straying from moralistic killings to murder for hire to the dismay of Nails, who having proven her worth to become a legendary assassin earning the nickname Hornclaws (claws of a beast).

A young Turk, Too-Woo (Kim Sung-cheol) with Bullfight as a nickname, emerges on the scene as a ruthless killer delighting in causing the utmost pain and suffering to his victims. Unbeknown to Hornclaw, Bullfight establishes a connection between himself and Hornclaw deserving of a revenge killing of the 60ish Hornclaw even if it means saving her from death so he can make the kill.

The final battle between Hornclaw and Bullfight is a magnificent show of choregraphed fighting. Is Bullfight’s revenge assassination successful?

Although pocked with occasional humour the film is a serious one with reference to age and the female character as weaknesses. Hornclaw has survived prejudice and sexism reaching legendary status but with increasing age the sexism returns coupled with ageism.

If John Wick is a franchise there is no reason why there shouldn’t be “The Old Woman with the Knife II”.

Here is the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97_3dkfY5nU

The director is Kyu-dong Min.

A VOD release is now scheduled for 26August2025. It demands a double watch due to its density and numerous flashbacks.

RKS 2025 Film Review 92/100.

The 12th Annual Korean Film Festival Canada: “Hole”

The 12th Korean Film Festival Canada held in Montreal will be wrapping up 7June2025.

“Hole”, a 2023 K Short by Hyein Hwang, screened on 24May2025 but it surely and deservedly must pop-up in the festival circuit.

Kafkaesque initially gradually transcending into absolute horror and I am not referencing the Borror genre of horror with slashing, spewing guts and predictable violence. This is pure thinking person’s horror triggered by suspense and curiosity that may kill the cat. The horror is psychological.

Jeong-mi is a junior child welfare officer in Seoul under the tutelage of her boss who leaves her to finish off the day’s tasks to attend his wedding anniversary party.

Two young children on her “list” have not been attending school for months so the situation must be investigated. Are the parting words of her boss indicative of child welfare authorities in South Korea; “Children lie a lot so don’t believe everything they say.”

Jeong-mi attends the home of the two children who take her to a room with a manhole cover over a deep hole where the children say they can hear their parents’ voices coming from below. These children are to be believed. There are voices and noises coming from the bottom of this deep hole. At this point your curiosity may be quickly transformed into terror of a menacing nature.

Bone chilling and delightfully discrete! High class horror!

RKS 2025 Film Rating 94/100.