RKS Toronto 2023 Hot Docs Festival: “Eat Flowers”

Once upon a time long ago when you could take rocker Rod Stewart seriously there was his song “Every Picture Tells a Story”. In the short documentary “Eat Flowers” every picture of flowers taken by photographer Cig Harvey tells a story.

The photos are lush and gorgeous as well as the cinematography by River Finlay and Harvey’s voice is a match for the cinematography.

Flowers are life for Harvey some she says acting like a ventilator giving her breath. Perhaps the message we take away is her comment that if you took a lifetime of photos and added up the shutter speeds they would total six seconds so use them and make life count.

Yes indeed in the documentary there is a story about her best friend Mary but I’ll stop here and let the pictures and cinematography tell a story. A riveting sensual experience.

The 14 minute “Eat Flowers” is directed and produced by River Finlay and produced by Cig Harvey and Sashka Rothchild. It screens with Artscape’s Shorts Programme on 1 May and streams in Canada only 5-9 May.

RKS 2023 Hot Docs: “Hebron Relocation”: Church and State Swindle of the Inuit?

Holly Anderson’s short documentary “Hebron Relocation” has its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto Hot Docs Festival. It explores the forced location of 233 Inuit from Hebron to more southerly locations in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1959. Unfortunately the documentary fails to provide what the “official reason” was for the relocation so viewers may be somewhat puzzled how the church and state swindle was justified. Despite that lack of explanation, it was forced location for which the Newfoundland and Labrador government apologized for in 2005. Perhaps a small moral victory for a heinous church and state collaboration.

The 15-minute documentary jives nicely with the opening documentary for Toronto Hot Docs “Twice Colonized” focusing on the colonization of the Inuit in both Canada and Greenland.

Screens with “Samuel and the Light” on 3/7 May and streams on 5 May.

RKS 2023 Toronto Hot Docs: “Undertaker for Life!”: More About the Living than the Dead

The National Film Board of Canada presents a gem of a documentary “Undertaker for Life!” at the Toronto Hot Docs Festival. Yes there is a focus on several undertakers and mourners but the documentary is more about how the living navigate death of loved ones through the grieving process. As one undertaker quips about the statement that in life there are death and taxes but while some can avoid paying taxes no one can avoid death!

The funeral directors we meet in the documentary are witty, insightful, humorous, and full of valuable advice on both death and dying. We listen to their first embalming experiences, their reflections on life and death, what has shaken them and how you might want to best live your life and manage your death. In addition to learning historical aspects about the undertaking business you’ll understand better about funerals and the grieving proves in the Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim faith. And yes funeral directors do cry. One recounts a trip to a children’s hospital morgue where the tiny gurneys had Walt Disney themed blankets at the ready to cover the bodies. 

These undertakers are philosophers! One said my father was a doctor and sister a nurse and when they have done all that they could it is my turn to step forward!

A brilliant collection of music from flippant to sombre whether it be carnival music or New Orleans funeral procession jazz.

If death is in your plans you must watch “Undertaker for Life!”. As death is part of life undertakers are performing a life service.

The documentary will screen at Toronto Hot Docs on 28April and 1May and streams in Canada on 5May.  

This 52-minute documentary is directed by Georges Hannan.

RKS 2023 Film Rating 90/100.

RKS 2023 Toronto Hot Docs: “Twice Colonized”: A Familiar Story for Many but not All

“Twice Colonized” will have its Canadian premiere as the opening night film at Toronto Hot Docs. It is a documentary focusing on renowned Inuit activist lawyer Aaju Peter living in Iqaluit in Nunavut.

Peter was born in the Danish colony of Greenland and at the wish of her father was sent to Denmark to be “educated” where she lost her language, culture and any stability a childhood might have afforded. She boarded with families so this was not a residential school setting like in Canada but she remarks it had the same goal and objective that being the “whitifying” of indigenous children. She stayed in Denmark from 11-18 years of age. Eventually she moved to Nunavut in Canada. Both Greenland and Canada have Inuit populations. Peter says she was colonized twice. Once by Denmark then by Canada.

Her childhood in Greenland was very rough as she and her brother used to go to the dump to find food to eat. She may have escaped hunger by travelling to Denmark for her schooling but her dignity was more important than food on her plate.

She was insulted and angered by her colonization and has used that energy to advocate for indigenous rights both in Canada and in the EU attempting to create a permanent indigenous forum in the EU. The EU’s animal activists believing animal rights were more important than indigenous rights managed to ban imports of seal products to the EU crippling the Canadian Inuit economy, wounding the pride and dignity of the Inuit and creating hunger. The seal import ban requires more fleshing out than as given in this documentary.

Peter notes the colonization of the Inuit has many unable to comprehend anything but the Inuit of many years past. She wants the Inuit to be part of the modern economy not as imposed by the colonizers but on Inuit terms. What those terms are not explained.

Despite the suicide of her son and being in what seems an abusive relationship with her boyfriend she rolls along hoping to write a book “Twice Colonized”. So in addition to dealing with political struggles she has to wrestle with some personal demons.

Colonization of indigenous populations in Canada was brought to light in a very public way with legal action against the Canadian government by many indigenous nations for the damages caused by the residential school system so the documentary adds little to that concept but it brings Peter’s experience vividly to life and it personalizes colonization to make it more understandable for many not understanding it. It also universalizes colonization to many indigenous peoples throughout the globe. In many ways the colonization of the Inuit has similarities to the indigenous populations of Brazil “relocated” because of hydro electric projects.

This Danish-Canadian-Greenland documentary screens 27/28 April and 1May. It will open in Canadian theatres on 12 May and will be shown on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Passionate Eye” in its 2023/24 season.

This 91-minute film is directed by Lin Alluna.

RKS 2023 Film Rating 87/100.

RKS 2023 Film: “Sisu”: Finnish WW 2 Bloodbath!

“Sisu” is not your “usual” war movie and the usual meter can swing in both directions and after 5 decades of war movie viewing experience “Sisu” is off the meter. In fact it breaks the meter! No “Full Metal Jacket” nor John Wayne “Green Berets”.

Aatami (Jorma Tommila) is a Finnish goldminer (and something a little bit more) in the remote Lapland region of Finland. He looks like Grizzly Adams hence a rather harmless old geezer? It is 1944 and the Germans are on the retreat from Finland with the Russians hot on their trail scorching everything in their way looting, raping and murdering. Aatami has just hit it rich discovering a huge vein of gold. So he packs up a couple of sacks of the precious metal and heads off with his horse and dog encountering a convoy of Germans with their “Finnish bitches” they are holding prisoners in one of their trucks. The nasty Germans then try and eliminate Aatami and steal his gold. Then a harmless old geezer reveals a personality that fits nicely into the poor victimized against the evil overpowering “bad guys”.

You probably can guess what happens but of course I can’t spoil it for you. “Sisu” borrows from many genres, films and directors but blends them into a unique style somewhat like a great red Bordeaux wine with a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. To give you a flavour of what to expect think of “From Dusk Until Dawn”, Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns, “Scarface”, Thor, Dr. Strangelove and perhaps even “Mad Max” and “Conan the Barbarian”. Although blood, guts and body parts fly all over the screen much of the film has a graphic comic book feel to it. And as it is the SS that gets a real good licking the violence in the film can appear somewhat justified. If Bogart hadn’t been such a sociopath in “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” that movie might just have ended like this one. Ask those “Finnish bitches” how sweet revenge can be. A film where both the bad guys and the good guys can be bad.

Compelling cinematography, special effects, acting and soundtracks. I think it will have great popular appeal upon its 28 April North American release and thereafter perhaps even a “cult classic”. Just a tad repetitive at certain points.

You can see the trailer here; https://lionsgate.app.box.com/s/4d0t0ijn112ftstcajl2ngn8cm7rflft/file/1171289129411

Directed by Jalmari Helander

RKS 2023 Film Rating 94/100.

RKS Literature: Kafka on Bureaucracy: “The Castle” (“Das Schloss”)

“He ought long ago to have had, not a uniform, for there aren’t many in the Castle, but a suit provided by the department, and he has been promised one, but in things of that kind the Castle moves slowly, and the worst of it is that one never knows what this slowness means; it can mean that the matter’s being considered, but it can also mean that it hasn’t been taken up, that Barnabas for instance is still on probation, and in the long run it can also mean that the whole thing has been settled, that for some reason or other the promise has been cancelled and that Barnabas will never get his suit. One can never find exactly what is happening, only a long time afterwards. We have a saying here, perhaps you’ve heard it: ‘Official decisions are as shy as young girls.’”

Franz Kafka, “The Castle”, 1926.

RKS 2023 Wine: Alyan A&A 2017 Carménère from Chile

The Alyan A&A 2017 Carménère from Chile is produced in the Maule Valley, Chile’s largest viticultural area yet one of the most geographically and climatically diverse encompassing the Andes to the east, the sunny plains throughout the central corridor and the rolling coastal hills to the west which makes it possible for both red and white varietals to thrive.

Aroma: Ample blueberry, raspberry, black cherry with the blueberry winning the struggle of the fruits. In many instances the raspberry wins that battle for Chilean Carménère but not this time.

Palate: Soft tannins. Soft and lush blueberry contrasted with a sharp and almost brackish spicy raspberry and black cherry with a peppery finish. A stern wine that might require a little more time to soften in the bottle.

Personality: I am not one of those good time wines whirling around the dance hall. I am more serious and studious for another year until I reach my diploma in maturity.

Food Match: Mussels in a tomato and chorizo sauce with lots of garlic and merken.

Cellarbility: Drinkable now up to 2026. It should soften up a bit by 2025.

Price: $22.95 (Ontario).

RKS 2023 Wine Rating: 88/100. Timatkin.com91.

(Alyan Family Ambassador 2017 Carménère, Maule Valley, Viña A&A, Pirque, Chile, 750 mL, 14%, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 27205).

RKS 2023 Film: “Montreal Girls”: Dangerous Title but Highly Seductive Film!

With a title of “Montreal Girls” you might surmise this is “A Girl’s Gone Wild” subsidiary. Not the case.

As a native of Montreal for 30 years before escaping as a political refugee to Toronto down Highway 401 to a then sterile city of Toronto any film better capture my former city of habitation or I will get nasty.

Yes Level 33 Entertainment as distributors of the film will be delighted I am no ranting film reviewer!

It seduced me from the beginning and for that matter through the entire film with shots of Montreal that sparked a whole series of pleasant memories particularly the lookout at Mont Royal a favourite former haunt of mine. Then Beaver Lake on Mont Royal. I was in 7th Heaven!

Should you beware of my seduction as corrupting my rational take of this film? Hopefully not. This is a film that could have easily evolved into a sentimental pail of slop but with a inspirational curated soundtrack, right on acting and good screenplay construction it was a winner.

I am not going to delve into the plot lest that deprive you of total enjoyment of the film. Yes we Canadians can make films and act in them! A strong cast throughout with hats off to Hakim Brahimi as the sensitive poet looking for the right direction to his life. Tamer his punky cousin played by Jade Hassouné is a lovable punk rocker with a heart of gold. Sana Asad and Jasmina Parent are perfect if not unobtainable Montreal girls.

Are Montreal girls different than Toronto girls? Not telling you. Montreal and Toronto await you to “research further”.

I had to pinch myself after the film to determine if the Montreal in my blood skewed my thoughts? But as “Montreal Girls” won the best feature film at the Los Angeles International Film Festival no I am not dreaming about the film.

And some most appropriate poetry throughout!

Released in theatres in the United States beginning on 12 May and then VOD on 27June.

Directed by Patricia Chica.

You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1CG324ImAY

RKS 2023 Film Rating 90/100.

RKS 2023 Wine:  Ho Hum Pinot Noir from Ontario’s South Islands

When it is a question of Canadian Pinot Noir my favourites are from British Columbia’s Okanagan. Smooth, elegant, soft and just perfect with salmon. Ontario Pinot Noirs? More of a hit and miss proposition.

Pelee Island is always a fun place to visit even if you do not like wine. Pelee Island Winery produces some fairly basic wine that fails to ignite excitement. But the Vinedressers Label is their higher end brand. So keeping my fingers crossed for a Vinedressers 2018 Pinot Noir Reserve;

Aroma: Oooh not such a good sign it is not so readily identifiable as a Pinot Noir. Somewhat of a rough approximation of what one might identify as a Pinot Noir. Instead of raspberry, strawberry with a dusting of cocoa this wine has blackberry and black cherry leading the train. Not to fear right? Pinot Noir can assert its individuality when it strays from the pack.

Palate: And unlike most Pinot Noirs the tannins are on the heavy side. What little fruit there is seems smothered by the tannins.

Personality: I am flat and dull. Readily identifiable as wine of some sort but golly gee not much Pinot Noir heart and soul in me.

Food Pairing: “A Friday night wine” to borrow a term for less than stellar juice.

Cellarbility: No amount of ageing can help this wine and I can’t see a reason why you would want to keep it around.

Price: $24.95 (Ontario).

RKS 2023 Wine Rating: 73/100.

(Vinedressers 2018 Pinot Noir Reserve, VQA South Islands, Pelee Island Winery, Kingsville, Ontario, 750 mL, 13%, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 325282).

RKS 2023 Toronto Hot Docs Film: “Eat Bitter”: Functional Dysfunctionality and Who is to Blame?

The Central African Republic (CAR) has 76% of its population living below the international poverty line. Its GDP is less than $500 USD per person. In Canada the GDP per person is $52,000 USD. The CAR is more or less in a civil war which has yet to reach its capital of Bangui. Violence, desperate poverty and then there are the Chinese “managers” from the People’s Republic of China who are managing construction projects in Bangui and for that matter elsewhere in Africa.

Unfortunately the documentary fails to dig deeper and explain is there more than Chinese management involved such as if there is Chinese ownership and hence Chinese imperialism? A fierce capitalist country taking over Africa?

These construction projects require sand and pebbles used in the production of cement and impoverished men, many from the bush country, are involved in “mining” sand and pebbles from the river coursing through Bangui. They dive for sand and pebbles which are then loaded onto primitive canoes and taken to shore. There are divers, brokers, wholesalers and many levels of people involved selling to the Chinese overseers. The local government of Bangui attempts to shut down the sand and pebble business for goodness knows what reason but most likely to encourage bribery of the police and army. Send unemployed men back into the bush and some of these men say they will be fighting and killing each other.

Luan is a Chinese manager of several Bangui construction projects. Like the workers on his projects he comes from a dirt poor background in China and his overseas assignments earn him more than what he could earn in China so he attempts to build a nest egg for his retirement. He has colleagues arriving to assist and they have their own growing community in Bangui. There is even a Chinese owned grocery and hardgoods store. There is an uneasy peace between the Chinese and the locals. Both are desperate for money. Domestically Luan and his workers and the sand divers are miserable with broken families all linked to a desperate attempt to better themselves economically.

Working conditions throughout for the locals are horrific. On construction sites the locals are wearing flip flops and have no hard hats. Scandalous by North American standards but life is cheap in the CAR.

One project involves building a branch of a bank that the President of the CAR is going to appear at the opening for a press opportunity. The CAR government is more interested in promoting itself than legislating any sort of worker protection or regulation in the construction and the sand and pebble business. What are a few dead workers in the face of a presidential photo op! African politics.

While viewers will witness the social and business aspect of the construction projects there is the social aspect of local life and that of the Chinese overseers and the struggle for survival and the stress placed on familial relationships. The locals are on the edge of survival and the Chinese overseers are perhaps better off but as for happiness both are suffering.

There is dysfunctionality in personal relationships, the economy, politics, poverty and working conditions causing pain and suffering but it somehow works perhaps not humanely or efficiently but it works. The Chinese are not trusting of the work ethics and skills of the locals. The locals do not trust the Chinese thinking they are no better than the white man that discombobulated their country but they co-operate. Who is to blame for this mess? That’s up to you to determine. The Chinese overseers are not blameless but with the assistance of politicians and “local” middlemen the exploitation works quite efficiently creating few winners, a few dreamers and many losers both amongst the locals and the Chinese. The Chinese and CAR Bangui community are not opposing communities. The Chinese may be the shark but the layers of Bangui middlemen are the remora. A symbiotic relationship.

Life is very bitter for all but the undercurrent of the film is that bitterness (and suffering) for some is the ticket for a sweeter tasting life. Tolstoy in the Central African Republic? As in Brazil with the dislocation of the indigenous population into miserable shanty towns the Christians are on the scene “saving souls”.

At points the documentary lapses into a soap opera in its focus on the personal lives of Bangui workers/sand and pebble divers.

You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/798887255

The Canadian premiere of the documentary is on 3/5 May. Streaming available in Canada. The directors of the documentary are Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun.

RKS 2023 Film Rating 81/100.