Toronto Film Fester

TIFF 2005 - Epilogue

2005-10-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

Although it already feels like TIFF was just a dream, I think it’s a good idea to let some time pass before I write my epilogue. Things have a chance to settle in my mind. So, it’s a little late, but here is my summary along with some thoughts on life in general.
1) Blog: My colleague, Susan S, so very, very kindly posted my reports to my Blog but I did not have a chance while TIFF was up and running to let everyone know it was there. It can be found at www.torontofilmfester.blogspot.com. Next year I will NOT bother with e-mailed reports. The Blog is THE only way to go.

2) The Day After: Despite the limited amount of sleep I had during TIFF, this is the first year that I did not feel like I "hit the wall" at any point. I certainly had many days where I nodded off during movies, but I never had that feeling like I could not go on any more. So the Sunday after TIFF I did some yoga in the morning. But while doing so, I managed to step on my purple specs with the turquoise racing stripe, and I completely bent one of the arms. My heart sank (you have no idea how much these things cost), but I was able to maneuver the arm back into position without breaking it off. Whew! I guess the metals they use these days are much more supple.

I also went to the gym to get back into my regular routine and then met up with the cripple, aka Mike, and we headed off to brunch at one of our favourites, Fresh: Juice for Life. It was such a gorgeous day out that we were able to sit outside on the patio. After a week of mostly vampire-like activities (sitting in dark theatres), it was nice to be out in the open air and eating a decadently large breakfast PLUS dessert. Detox starts on Monday. From there we sauntered over to Trinity Park where they were having an outdoor art show. That’s about all the cripple could handle so we parted ways in the early afternoon and I had a quiet evening to myself, again.

3) Just a Little Too Cocky for My Own Good: Despite feeling highly energetic through to the end of TIFF, my overall lack of sleep, over-consumption of sugar and exposure to far too many people with colds led to a physical meltdown. By Tuesday of the week after TIFF, I had a killer sore throat and the makings of a cold-from-hell. I took one day off work and then had a relapse by the end of the week and had to take a second day off to recuperate more fully. By the way, just in case none of you "got" this year’s title, "I’ll Sleep When TIFF is Over," it comes from a Clive Owens’ film that I saw at TIFF a couple of years ago called "I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead." "When I’m Dead"/"WhenTIFF is Over," it’s all the same thing to me :-)

4) TIFF Favourites: My favourite doc was "Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man." It’s still haunting me. And my favourite features were "The White Masai" and "Everything is Illuminated," (the second of which is now playing at a theatre near you - GO SEE IT - it is a hoot). Honourable mentions go to docs "Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey" (really) and "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" and features "Slow Burn" and "Matador." My favourite sound tracks were from "Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man" (but I don’t know if the sound track will be released) and from "Slow Burn." I have attached the press release regarding TIFF’s award winners - naturally, I saw NONE of them.

5) Most Inane Conversation Overheard During TIFF: I heard one guy coming out of the French movie "Caché" and he was trying to impress his friend with his knowledge of French. He told his friend that the title meant "broken." WRONG! The word for broken is "cassé." The title "Caché" means "hidden." Okay, so everyone is entitled to make a mistake, but considering that the film hinged on the notion of a HIDDEN camera, I had to bite my tongue hard so as not to correct this dweeb’s linguistic interpretive error.

6) Best Musical Discovery: Antony (of Antony and the Johnson’s) did a soul-moving rendition of a Leonard Cohen tune in "Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man." But he also sang on Laurie Anderson’s "Hidden Inside Mountains." The Sunday after TIFF I noticed an ad for a performance by Antony and the Johnsons in Toronto, on the same day that I had tickets for "Dead Can Dance" at Massey Hall. What were the chances of there being two to-die-for concerts playing in town on the SAME night? Probably one in two hundred gazillion billion. I checked Antony’s web site and he’ll be heading off to tour in Europe soon, so no more upcoming Toronto dates. DAMN!

7) TIFF Changes: TIFF made some really good improvements this year including adding the finish time for movies to the schedule - thank you TIFF gods. But they seemed to have cut back on the amount of staff in the box office this year and that had a major impact on lines for things like ticket exchanges. Frankly, it made it almost impossible to do exchanges. I did not have several hours available to stand in line in between movies any day during TIFF. What were they thinking?

I have, however, adapted to the fact that there is no epicentre for TIFF. I am getting fond of the Ryerson campus, and now that I have found things like sweet picnic spots, undiscovered (undiscovered by most TIFFers, that is) washrooms, free phones, one of the best vegetarian restaurants/take-outs in the downtown core (Le Commensal on Elm, near Dundas and Yonge) and a nearby candy store (Tutti Frutti), the area is growing on me. Still, this means that in future my schedule will continue to be dictated disproportionately by timing (being able to get from one part of the city to the other). It definitely affected the number of indie films that I saw this year, but it did not affect my overall enjoyment of the festival.

After last year’s fiasco regarding searches of TIFFers for recording devices at some screenings, they have desisted with this procedure. Instead, however, for some of the major studio screenings, there were security guards posted throughout the theatres. Some of them even carry some kind of device that they point at the audience throughout the screening in order to detect people who may be recording. I don’t know if it’s some kind of infrared apparatus or what. It’s all very James Bondish and often distracting.

On the positive side, TIFF added a series on Canadian screen legends to the roster of trailers that were screened before films. These were really well done and they made enough of them so that I saw few repeats. Archival materials were taken from the now-deceased Brian Linehan’s archives. I thought this was a great tribute to this legendary Canadian film critic and to the stars featured in these shorts. TIFFers regularly clapped after these vignettes indicating how well they were received. Bravo!

8) Reality TV: Canadian J.D. went on to win "Rock Star: INXS." It broke my heart, as Marty was my fave. But in the end, it did seem like J.D. was a better fit for the group, even if he was a psychopath. Good luck to them. So what am I watching now? Please don’t lose all respect for me - "America’s Next Top Model." I need help! Good news is that "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" kept my attention for a whole 20 seconds before I gave up on it entirely. That means I still have a bit of a brain left.

9) New Respect for Editors: I was so sick with my cold for my second "Film and Sound Editing Class" that I was pretty well delirious and it took me close to two hours to figure out how to do the most basic of editing functions. So, I was rather nervous about my third class - I figured if I didn’t get it, I was not going to get it at all. But it DID start to click and I am finally making some headway on editing that bit of footage from "The X Files." But oh my gawd!! I knew that editing was a painstaking process, but OH MY GAWD!!! The people who go into editing must feel a true "calling" for the work. Even without my cold, I was bleary-eyed after two hours. And I have discovered that my visual memory is PATHETIC. It would be embarrassing to tell you how many times I had to look at clips before I was ready to do a cut. But I am finding the theory of editing positively fascinating i.e. why we as humans are able to process and accept these juxtapositions of time and sound and make sense of it all. Very cool stuff. However, an editor I will never be, but I am still glad I am taking this course. On the other hand, I don’t think I will ever watch movies the same way. Right now, every single cut jumps out at me.

10) Dead CAN Dance: I recently learned from my woman’s group facilitator and documentary filmmaking partner, Susan Z, that when you are working on a major project of any kind, and it is nearing its end, it’s a good idea to schedule some kind of treat for yourself after the project concludes. The particular context she was discussing was the situation of a friend of ours who is training to do a marathon. But I decided to apply this concept to my TIFF experience, since, for me, TIFF is a huge commitment and I am always so disappointed when it terminates (relieved, but still disappointed). So this year, I had bought tickets to the concert of the year, that of recently reunited Dead Can Dance.

This pair never got any radio time, so most of you won’t have a clue who they are. But I have been a HUGE fan since first hearing them on CFNY (back in the old days, when they were playing progressive music rather than "Today’s Hits and Yesterday’s Classics"). This pair of Anglo-Irish musicians perform the most incredible otherworldly kind of music that sends my soul into sublime rapture. Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry were not just co-musicians but were partners in life until they split many years ago. They went on to solo careers, with Lisa Gerrard doing particularly well in the realm of film scores (she was nominated for an Oscar for her score for "Gladiator"), but I thought I had seen the end of them as a twosome. But they decided to get back together to tour. Oh thank you lord!!!

Perry’s voice is smoother than the most favourite nectar of the gods, and he is at the top of my list of all-time favourite male vocalists amongst which Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) are found. And Lisa Gerrard’s mesmerizing voice vibrates to your core and unexpectedly releases primal emotions. I was literally crying through some of her songs. To me it is unfathomable that two such talents met. How does that happen? It can only be the work of angels!!! The day Perry and Gerrard met, supernovas all over the universe must have been exploding. What a treat this concert was. This music may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t deny what a force each of these performers has become. Move over you Cecilia Bartoli types! Make way for the new breed.

11) Wassup: So what else is coming up? Well despite the fact that I have crippled Mike (not just by subjecting him to TIFF, but he also finally agreed to see a massage therapist about his back and now he can barely walk) and passed my cold on to him, we are heading out to Vancouver to spend Thanksgiving with his sister (who has just moved there). Neither of us has ever been to this Canadian "outpost," can you imagine? Anyway, we will trek out to the west coast for five days and I am ecstatic. And other than that, it’s the usual "go, go, go" schedule. And we already have our tickets for next year’s "The Lord of the Rings: The Musical." Considering that I played hooky from work on opening day of each installment of the LOTR film trilogy, how could I not go see the musical? Tee hee. I need help.

So that’s it folks, another TIFF, another year. Thanks as always for following the journey with me.

I will end with an ode to the end of summer.

Syntax
the sky was a puzzling shade of blue tonight
an iridescent hue I had never seen before
the corners of the atmosphere were folding into black
a portent of a storm, perhaps
the flavour of the wind was new
it tasted so randomly true
and silence was gently suspended in the air
taking care
not to touch the ground
where fallen leaves had left their tracks
following an unusual syntax
what a puzzling shade of blue
July 2005

Kiss, kiss, hug, hug,
Luba

International and Canadian Films Honoured at Closing Awards Event
Toronto - With a total of 335 films (including 109 world and 78 North American premieres), from 52 countries, screened over 10 days, the 30th Toronto International Film Festival wrapped on Saturday, September 17 with an awards cocktail at the Hilton Hotel Toronto.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
The People’s Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences - known worldwide for their enthusiasm and love of cinema. The 2005 award goes to Gavin Hood's TSOTSI (UK/South Africa), based on the novel by Athol Fugard and traces six days in the lonely, violent life of Tsotsi (meaning "thug"), a ruthless, young gang leader.

DISCOVERY AWARD
Sarah Watt's LOOK BOTH WAYS (Australia) is the recipient of the Discovery Award. The film chronicles the lives of a collection of characters over an uncomfortably hot weekend who are confronting various crises in the wake of a train accident. The press corps, which consists of more than 750 international media, voted on the Discovery Award. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize.

FIPRESCI PRIZE
The FIPRESCI Prize is awarded to South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan for SA-KWA (South Korea). SA-KWA follows an emotionally damaged woman as she searches for true love. This prize is annually bestowed upon a feature film directed by an emerging filmmaker, and making its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 14th consecutive year. The 2005 jury is president Howard Feinstein (Freelance, Indiewire, USA), Rui Pedro Tendinha (Noticias Magazine, Portugal), and Charles-Stéphane Roy (ICI Montréal, Canada).

CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
There is a tie for the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature. The award goes to Louise Archambault's FAMILIA and Michael Mabbott's THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO. Archambault's FAMILIA is a taut, fast-paced, and visually inventive film that tackles the complexities that arise from familial bonds with humour, sympathy, and a pervasive air of bittersweet desperation. The jury selected FAMILIA for its "strong female cast, accomplished directing, finely observed writing and skill at balancing a variety of tones." Mabbott's THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO is the journey through fictional singer Guy Terrifico's (Matt Murphy) strange and debatably short life. The film takes the audience from the wilds of Canada to the wild times of Nashville and London, and features contemporaries such as Kris Kristofferson, Ronnie Hawkins, Levon Helm, and Merle Haggard (all playing themselves). The jury selected THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF GUY TERRIFICO "for its witty and entertaining satire of the music industry, its exuberant performances and its deadpan comedy cinema verite techniques." Established by sponsor Citytv, the award carries a cash prize of $15,000, which will be split among the recipients, and is presented to a Canadian filmmaker whose first feature film is considered exemplary. This award acknowledges the fresh new talent emerging within Canadian cinema.

TORONTO - CITY AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Toronto - City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to C.R.A.Z.Y. directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Vallée's wildly entertaining film is an ambitious and magical cinematic homage to the pop-culture-saturated middle class of the seventies. Zachary Beaulieu (Marc-André Grondin), a sexually confused teenager with an affinity for Bruce Lee, John Lennon and, most importantly, David Bowie, tries to survive four rough-and-tumble brothers and win the affection of his loving but old-fashioned father (Michel Côté). The jury selected C.R.A.Z.Y. "for its standout acting, its incredible emotional resonance and extraordinary visual inventiveness." Presented annually at the Toronto International Film Festival and generously co-sponsored by the City of Toronto and Citytv, the Toronto - City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film carries a cash prize of $30,000.

CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARDS JURY
The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film and the Toronto - City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film were selected by the following jury members: Kay Armatage, Associate Professor of cinema, women's and gender studies at the University of Toronto; Ellen Baine, Vice-President of Programming at CHUM Television; journalist Leonard Klady; award-winning filmmaker and professor Brenda Longfellow; and acclaimed director and producer Ron Mann (GO FURTHER).

BRAVO!FACT SHORT CUTS CANADA AWARD
The Bravo!FACT Short Cuts Canada Award offers a $10,000 cash prize. The award goes to Renuka Jeyapalan's BIG GIRL. The jury selected BIG GIRL "for the poignant portrayal of the complex issues facing single parent families and its skillful mix of drama and comedy, and for the nuanced performances of Kris Holden-Ried, and Samantha Weinstein." Honourable mention goes to Andrea Dorfman's THERE'S A FLOWER IN MY PEDAL. The jury consists of actor Rachel McAdams (THE WEDDING CRASHERS; RED-EYE); director Rob Stefaniuk (PHIL THE ALIEN); and Lois Vossen, Emmy® Award-winning series producer of the weekly PBS series "Independent Lens.

TIFF 2005 - Day 10

2005-09-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the delay - I have been sick and overwhelmingly busy. Still to come, the epilogue and TIFF 2005: The Book (for those who want a complete package :-)
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I managed to get to the gym and do a three-mile run this morning. I was surprisingly energized and even managed to shave a minute off my usual time. That might not seem like a lot, but when you’re pushing 50 and you’ve been getting less than six hours sleep for the last week, I thought it was quite an achievement. Naturally, however, the gym visit meant I was running late. There was little time for wardrobe selection so I settled for a rather sombre all-black outfit today - but I did add purple accessories for a splash of colour.

For some bizarre reason I decided to chance the TTC. I only had eighteen minutes to get to Yonge and Gerrard. I knew it was an impossible feat. Indeed, you cannot make it from my place to the Ryerson Theatre in 18 minutes on the TTC. But you can do it in 20 minutes! I got to the theatre just in time for the trailers. That had to be a world record.

My first movie this morning was, once again, a selection based on scheduling. It was not something that I normally would have gone to see but it worked in my overall schedule for the day. But surprise, surprise, "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" turned out to be most pleasantly amusing.

This animated feature is by the duo that created the Wallace and Gromit shorts that "took cult and popular audiences by storm." The creators were also responsible for the equally entertaining "Chicken Run." In this story, the plasticine characters, Wallace and his canine, Gromit, have a company called Anti-Pesto, a humane pest control business. They oversee the community’s garden patches and protect the produce from enemies like rabbits and other vegetarian critters. But as the annual giant vegetable competition approaches, Wallace and Gromit are confronted by a ravaging beast. It eludes this expert team and wreaks havoc on the local gardens.

Voices are provided by the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes, but more importantly this film is infused with great wit, cleverness and laugh-out loud humour. This is one of those animated movies in which there are various layers making it totally accessible to kids, yet it’s stimulating to adults as well. Cool! Bravo!

Following the screening, I trekked up Yonge Street and popped into Tutti Frutti again (more macaroons for breky, shame on me - chocolate detox starts next week) and then made my way to the Varsity for my screening with Mike of the documentary "John and Jane." This documentary has been getting a lot of buzz over the course of the festival. Indian director Ashim Ahlualia was on hand to introduce this film about outsourced call centers. What does that mean? Well, at the time that this documentary was shot, over 500,000 people in India were working in telephone call centers from where they pitch everything, from medical insurance to the latest gizmo, to unsuspecting Americans. The would-be buyers on the other end of the line are totally unaware that the telemarketers are calling from abroad and have their own hopes of living the "American Dream" someday. As Ahlualia noted in the intro, the callers’ bodies are in India, but their minds are in America.

The film follows the principle characters in such a way as to make viewers question whether this is a documentary or a work of fiction. He shot in 35 mm with no special lighting and added most of the sound in post-production. During the Q&A, Ahlualia discussed his deliberate attempt to confuse the viewer about the authenticity of the characters and also about how he had to lie to get access to the call centers. He originally followed 45 characters and eventually narrowed it down to just six intriguing personalities. This was definitely an interesting study of a topic that touches us all. I will most certainly think twice before I get rude or hang up on a telemarketer again. If anything, Ahlualia showed that people in this profession have emotions and many of them are desperate beings leading tragic lives.

We had little time before our next screening at Roy Thomson Hall, so we cabbed it. Friends Jeff and Jennaya had graciously agreed to get in line early and snag primo seats for our much anticipated screening of Martin Scorsese’s "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan." Actually, it was not hard convincing these two to sacrifice part of their weekend and a beautiful sunny day to wait in line as Jeff is a huge Dylan fan. He’s probably read everything ever written about this icon.
Before TIFF started, Anita (Roy Thomson box office’s head honcho) had told me that there would be a large stage party before the screening so I was really, really, really hoping that both Dylan and Scorsese would be on hand. But when I ran into another former colleague (Brett) inside the theatre, he told me that things had changed and, in fact, there were only a couple of people there from the film, neither of which was Dylan or Scorsese. My heart sank to my stomach in disappointment. Oh well! I guess my mom was going to be the only person in the family who could boast of having seen Dylan in person. Actually, my mother MET Dylan. He was in Hamilton many years back shooting a film and they used the Ukrainian Cultural Centre, my parents’ second home, as a location. My mother got to meet Bob Dylan and have a brief conversation with him. Of course, this endearing Ukrainian woman had no clue who Dylan was. All she knew was that he was paying them to film at the hall.

In any case, one of the producers was on hand to talk about the beginnings of this project i.e. that its genesis was really when the first person picked up a camera to record the legend. Editor David Tedeschi was also there for the intro and, frankly, when you have the volume of footage that was available on Dylan, you know that this is the kind of film that really is created by the editor. They never get enough credit.

This wonderful documentary starts with Dylan’s roots and influences and interweaves it with footage from Dylan’s infamous "plugged" tour where fans consistently booed him for having gone "electric." It also includes current interviews with the performer. This is a long, long movie clocking in at over 3.5 hours, but it manages to keep the viewer’s attention with a non-linear portrayal of Dylan’s life. Although this was a world premiere, this film will be shown on PBS within the next few weeks and will also be released on DVD even sooner (September 20). So, the good news is that you will all have a chance to see this film very, very soon.

Being another documentary produced specifically for television, I did not find the style particularly inspiring (a far cry from the beautifully rendered "Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man,"), but Mike kept raving about the restoration of the sound in the performance footage. He said that this process alone must have been a painstakingly intense and drawn-out process. In terms of content, I think what I found most interesting was that, despite the subject matter of Dylan’s lyrics, he was incredibly apolitical. He was also quite the liar, almost pathological, I might add. But some of my favourite scenes were watching Dylan spar with contemporary journalists interviewing him. Many clearly knew nothing of his music and several even admitted to this fact on camera. Music journalism certainly has come a long, long way (for the most part). Can you imagine a music reporter today interviewing someone whose music that they had not bothered to listen to? Dylan’s wit and lack of patience in these situations was priceless.

Excuse me for going on and on, but this, after all, is my last screening of the fest. I was also affected by something that Allen Ginsberg said in the film. Ginsberg, who along with Jack Kerouac, helped define the Beat Generation speaks about his revelation upon seeing Dylan perform for the first time. He realized that the musician was the critical link between founding folk music heroes like Woody Guthrie and the new generation of musicians. In my review of "Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man," I wrote of my angst that I have yet to see an artist who is going to provide that same kind of transition to the next generation. Or maybe I just haven’t recognized such an artist.

Mike came out of this four-hour phenomenon (which included an intermission) totally crippled, but that did not stop us from joining Jeff and Jennaya for some supper. Jeff was still so excited about having seen this flick that we almost had to weigh him down to keep him from floating away. It was a really lovely evening, so we were able to eat outdoors on the patio of Hey Lucy’s, located in the theatre district. During dinner, Jeff and Jennaya told us that their older son (I think he’s around 10) has turned into quite the rapper, so I suggested that Mike get together with him and to do some music together. Who knows? Maybe he will turn out to be that elusive link which I am seeking J

From the restaurant, Mike "The Invalid" headed home on his own, in search of a "rack," I think. That meant that I had a quiet evening ahead of me. So what did I do besides playing the neurotic and cleaning my already clean abode? I watched a movie, of course. The classic movie on TVO this evening was of no interest to me so I forked out for a pay-per-view movie, "The Final Sign." This supernatural tale starring Tim Roth and Andie MacDowell turned out to be quite the yawner. I was rather pissed off at having paid $6 for this crap. What a disappointment! But c’est la vie. How could I complain after having seen so many fabulous movies in the last ten days? I was curled up in my clean sheets by 11:30. Nirvana!

The Consummate Toronto Film Fester Soon to be in Sugar Detox

TIFF 2005 - Day 9

2005-09-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

I woke up late and was all stuffed up this morning. I ate too much sugar last night. Plus I had a huge chip in my nail polish on one of my nails. What is that all about? This six-coat nail polish job is supposed to last longer than this, especially when I am not washing any dishes.

I was watching news bites on television this morning, which is not something that I usually do because I hate what the media have done to news reporting. But this is what bombarded me this fine morning: there was another shooting in Toronto (and for all of you folks who think Toronto is dangerous, you are WRONG! - the shootings have been almost entirely gang related, so unless you are hanging out with gangs at night, this is still one of the safest metropolitan cities in the world and I have no qualms walking alone on downtown streets any time of day OR night); Anthrax killed 37 cattle somewhere (did they get it in a letter??? I am sure there is a reasonable explanation); and half of the US population lives one day’s drive to Toronto (if that’s true, why didn’t we get any refugees from New Orleans???). In any case, this was just way too much information!

I did manage to get in a short cycle this morning at the gym but that meant I had to cab it to the Ryerson. My cabbie must have been one of those religious guys who had taken a vow of silence. Anytime I asked him a question like "you are going to take Adelaide, aren’t you?" he just nodded. Not a word the whole way. I don’t think I have ever gotten a ride from a female cabbie in Toronto. Are there any out there?

My first movie this morning was "The White Masai," a German film based on a biography that sold 2.5 million copies in Germany alone and which is one of the most popular books in Europe of the last decade. Director Hermine Huntgeburth was on hand for the intro and spoke charmingly broken English.

As soon as the first few frames lit up the screen, I knew that I was going to fall in love with this film. It had that David-Lean-like epic look, feel and haunting score (you know that farourite director of mine that all those kids in my editing class have never heard of). This is the true story of Corinne Hofmann who traveled to Africa and ended up becoming the wife of a Masai warrior. I thought everyone had heard of the Masai, who roam the Kenyan outback, but when I told Mike about this tribe, he had that deer in the headlights look. In any case, the Masai are nomadic herdsmen known for their grandeur, striking beauty, distinct tribal costumes and for living off the milk, blood (yes, that’s blood) and meat of their livestock. This romance is almost incredulous (beautiful pale-skinned yuppie Swiss woman gives up her life to live with warrior in the bush) and I think can only be explained by a magical soul mate connection. The story follows the attempt of this couple to make a life together in face of vast cultural differences, bureaucratic challenges and disease. I will bet everything I own that this will be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. This was probably my favourite feature movie of the festival. WOW - gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. This movie invades your soul.

Huntgeburth said that this film was dropped into her lap based on the success of one of her previous films and she jumped at the chance to make it. There were comments from the audience about the heroine’s inappropriate missionary-like efforts to change her husband. The director agreed, but also pointed out that the compromises made on both sides were significant and that it might have worked had not the personality of the lead character changed after years of chewing a narcotic herb, which when combined with alcohol, had a serious impact on his behavior. Lead actor Jacky Ido (who played the Masai) was also on hand and he talked about his prep for the film. Ido is not Masai himself, but rather originates from Burkina Fasso. He had to lose 30 pounds in one month to have the lean look of a Masai. Also, prior to filming, he spent five weeks in the outback with the Masai, tending cattle, delving deeply into their culture and learning their customs and language. When the director was ready to shoot, he was prepared. The film was shot in 46 days and the crew lived in the bush while making the film. There were some other questions about the current situation of the real-life characters, but if I get into this, it will spoil the movie for you. Sorry!

I was so swept up in the moment that I had forgotten that I had to go back out onto the streets of Toronto following the screening. It was raining today, but I was well prepared with my rubber, or rather plastic, boots. I ran over to a computer store to buy that external hard drive that I need for my editing course. I then popped over to College and Yonge to Tutti Frutti to purchase some replacement candy for Mike ()since I had eaten all of his last night. I also picked up some chocolate macaroons. Yes, another nutritious breakfast for me. Then it was back to the Ryerson for the screening of "Matador."

"Matador’s" director Richard Shepard was on hand for the intro. Originally he planned to turn his wacky script into a film on a $200,000 budget using digital video. He sent the script into his agent as a sample for her to shop around and, one day, as he was watching Oprah (as all writers in New York do at 4 pm every day, he quipped), he got a call from his agent saying Pierce Brosnan loves the script and wants to produce and star in the film. Shepard soon had his first conversation with Brosnan and had the balls to tell him that he was not going to change the script and Brosnan said, "Okay."

"Matador" stars Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis and Pierce Brosnan as the hit man who starts to lose his edge and decides he wants to leave the business. But before coming to this decision, Brosnan lures the naive Kinnear and Davis into his world. Brosnan plays against character as a slimy, self-indulgent and perverted lush. But this is a dark comedy with one of the quirkiest stories of all the movies I saw in the festival. The viewer is constantly surprised by the hilarious dialogue and strange story twists. This film is great, great fun and highly recommended so look out for it when it is released in November.

After the screening, director Shepard talked about how fun it was to work with Brosnan and the rest of the cast. Apparently Brosnan was open to anything, including a last-minute scene that was added and which will have you howling. I don’t want to give it away, but let’s say it takes place in a lobby and the boots were Brosnan’s personal touch. The budget for this movie ended up being $10 million, a far cry from the $200,000 film that Shepard first envisioned.
I had a mad dash to get to my next movie at the Paramount and had to cab the last leg of the trip. While racing through the lobby of the Paramount, my cherished Storm watch, (the one that I had had so many problems with last year), came flying off, a pin came out and the watch fell apart. I just sat there and looked at it for an unusually long period of time and then snatched it off the floor and put it into a Ziploc bag that I just happened to have with me.

My next movie was the British offering, "Mistress of Spices" starring Aishwarya Rai ("Bride and Prejudice" and considered by many to be THE most beautiful woman in the world) and Dylan McDermott. There’s not much of a story here: Indian girl trained in the mystical art of spices is sent to San Francisco to sell her wares. She falls in love, loses her magical way with spices but then lives happily ever after. This is certainly a gorgeous movie filled with incredible bursts of colour and it has an almost 3Dish quality about it resulting from the textures used in the films. But that’s about all I can say about this movie. I recently saw one of my all-time favourite classics, "Bell, Book and Candle" with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. Novak plays a witch who uses a spell to make Stewart fall in love with her, but then she loses her powers when she falls in love with him. This oldie’s story was very similar to "Mistress of Spices" but was so much better crafted and executed. However, "Mistress of Spices" will make a nice rental for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

From here I rushed over to Burrito Boyz (the city’s best burritos) and picked up dinner for Mike and myself. I then dashed up to the Cumberland for my final screening of the day, the documentary "Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey." This film, of course, was a pick for Mike, a former and perhaps still closet headbanger. But music docs are always of great interest to me as well, so watching this flick was no hardship.

This movie is basically Heavy Metal 101. It’s a detailed history of this music genre from its roots to Black Sabbath to modern metal. This doc covered it all. But it’s also a great sociological study examining why people are drawn to this music, the fanaticism of the fans and of the musicians, for that matter. With interviews of musicians from Geddy Lee and Alice Cooper to Rob Zombie and Bruce Dickinson this is an informative, riveting, humourous and loving tribute to heavy metal music. But if you can’t stand listening to heavy metal music, you might want to pass on this one.

All four directors were on hand for the Q&A and they talked about the difficulty of getting music rights and interviews. In particular they mentioned the blockade they encountered when they contacted Sharon Osbourne in their attempt to get to Ozzie (they never did get an interview with him), how the first cut included 45 minutes of the much more demonic heavy metal scene in Norway, how the bands who have seen the doc have been very supportive of it, and how this movie was made for fans as well as those curious about this style of music. They were also happy to announce that they sold the film to Warner Brother’s and how during this festival they have garnered distribution in 14 other countries. Rock on!

It was an early night for us but I have already managed to cripple Mike (sitting through too many movies - his back is a disaster). So I went home and did some much needed laundry and watched two new episodes of "What Not to Wear." I need help. I was in bed before midnight. Woo hoo!
One more day to go L

Lovingly,
Luba

TIFF 2005 - Day 8

2005-09-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

There was no time for yoga or the gym this morning as my women’s group was meting at 7:30 am at King and Yonge. I started my day off with more sugar (hurray, just what I needed) as our "leader," Susan, treated us to delicious apple bread. Yum!

After our meeting, I walked up to the Ryerson Theatre with Frankie, who happens to teach at Ryerson. Frankie is ultra cool as she not only has the most delicious Irish accent, but she was the first female engineering professor in Canada (and she is very modest about this groundbreaking achievement). Anyway, we talked film most of the way and then Frankie and I parted ways as I headed to the screening of the soon-to-be-released "In Her Shoes."

Director Curtis Hanson ("The River Wild," "LA Confidential," "Wonder Boys") was on hand for the intro. But, he was catching a plane so he was not available for a Q&A. Hanson spoke briefly telling the audience that he chose to do this film because he felt the characters were universal and that they really tugged at his heartstrings. This was one of those films that I picked solely on the basis of timing. It was the only thing that really worked in order for me to be able to get to my next selection. I figured this was going to be typical chick flick shlock, which is fine, but I don’t normally waste a TIFF ticket on this kind of movie.

Fortunately, this film turned out to be surprisingly fun. Starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette (who I positively adore) and Shirley MacLaine (who many think is a screwball but I "get" her more than ever these days, which is scary), this film focuses on the relationship between two very different sisters and their difficult relationship. A twist is added as the sisters discover that they have a grandmother, whom they thought to be dead. Diaz is great as the amoral, selfish sister, while Collette takes a turn at playing the normal and responsible sibling. The dialogue is truly wonderful and the portrait of the retirement home in which most of the movie’s action takes place is refreshingly humourous. I really liked this movie a lot and I don’t think that anyone who likes chick flicks will be disappointed. But, I just could not get over the fact that Diaz was paid $20 million for this role. It’s so sickeningly obscene. Diaz did an admirable job, and I know it’s not her fault. But $20 million - please!!!!!

I had another short turnaround in between movies so I did the same thing as yesterday. I grabbed a quick lunch, but this time in a stairwell at Ryerson (it was raining) and then I used the free phone to call Mike and leave an annoying message.

My next movie was yet another film noir. I know, I know! How many film noirs can one see during a festival? But, I have loved this genre since I was a kid. I grew up on all of those black and white detective movies and I could still spend every Sunday afternoons watching these 50s classics. Let’s get those film restoration people working! And this was an "urban" film noir, as described by director Wayne Beach who was there for the intro (not for the Q&A, as he too had a plane to catch). He talked about being a writer in Hollywood who had been pigeon-holed as an action thriller writer. So this movie was his attempt to break out of his pigeon hole and my, oh, my, he has done a fabulous job.

"Slow Burn," stars Ray Liotta (as a good guy, for once) and, as TIFF rep Cameron Baily said in his intro, just about every African American actor working in Hollywood these days, including LL Cool J and Taye Diggs. The story revolves around corruption in a district attorney’s office and "one night in the city, one beautiful woman and murder." The description in the program book said that this movie sizzles and it does indeed deliver. The writing is some of the best ever and offers layer after layer after layer, the acting all around is outstanding, and the sound track is spectacular (if it comes out on CD, I will be standing in line to get this sultry collection of tunes). What makes this movie stand out is that despite the dense story, the writing is so adept that you can follow this film, and it’s not only a crime drama, but is also as much about identity and betrayal. And the cinematography is superb - the concept of a particular character being a "trick of light" is brilliant. What can I say? This is a movie worth seeing and I hope it succeeds at the box office.

It was now beautiful outdoors so I decided to walk over to the Paramount. Unfortunately, I had made the mistake of believing the weather reports earlier today and I was overdressed. All week, I have actually been dressing a little more formally than I normally do for TIFF, but today I wore jeans - and I was sweltering as a result. That may explain why, when some street nutbar got verbally abusive, I turned around and snapped at him, telling him to f..k off. I don’t know what got into me. As soon as I did it, I realized how stupid it was especially considering that this guy was obviously mentally unstable and I was lucky that he did not come running after me. What was I thinking????

Surprisingly, I was able to let go of that moment and still managed to enjoy the rest of my walk. I had some extra time, so I found a wonderful bench at City Hall and languished in the sunshine and in the surrounding architecture and flora, despite sitting in my own little sauna.
My next flick was a documentary called "Overcoming." This Danish film features the CSC cycling team at the 2004 Tour de France. The description of this film said that director Tomas Gislason is a visionary editor who "continues to push the borders between documentary, experimental and dramatic forms." I, however, learned absolutely nothing new in this film. It was sensory overload (I guess this is a film that kiddies would "get" more than I) and frankly, there was nothing here about the Tour de France that I have not seen in television coverage about the event. We all know that this is probably one of THE most grueling sporting events in the world, we all know that it can take a split second for cyclists’ careers to be ruined in an accident in this race, and we all know that only an insane athlete would compete here. So, hullo, show me something new. It just goes to show you that just because you have incredible footage, a great documentary it does not make. Too bad - this world could use an amazing documentary about the Tour de France.

I did not have a fourth film today as I had my first Film and Sound Editing class at Ryerson. I was a little nervous as it’s been a while since I have taken an evening course. But let me introduce you to some of my fellow classmates: an over-adrenalized Osgoode Law School prof who thinks far too highly of herself; a cute but very, very, very young skateboarder (brought it to class) who is going to film school in LA in January; an IT business owner who was trying to get everyone to buy their required hard drive from him; a know-it-all; a stoner, "Ra-pha-el" who works in special effects in the film biz and who can barely complete a sentence (well, maybe he could if he weren’t so stoned); just to name a few!

I have taken night courses throughout most of my working career but the people who have attended these classes with me were always "adults." So, I was just not used to this zany, overly-chatty and, for the most part, uninteresting group of dorks. I am sure they think I am the loser (after all, here I am almost 50 years old and taking a film course - what was I thinking?). In any case, I like the teacher a lot and he’s got an impressive background. But when he told people that his first editing work was with B Movie king Roger Corman and when he showed us a clip from one of the movies of one of my favourite directors of all time, David Lean ("Lawrence of Arabia," "Doctor Zhivago," "Passage to India," Ryan’s Daughter" etc.), almost everyone looked at the teacher like deer paralyzed by headlights - they had no clue. As I said before, heaven help this generation.

The good news is that I will not have any homework. All of our editing will be done during class time and for 2/3 of each class, I will be in my own private little room working away on a computer in isolation. I won’ t have to deal with the riff raff for the most part. But, I will try to keep an open mind. Maybe my classmates will grow on me - NOT! And my first assignment - we have to edit some raw footage from an X Files episode. Oh joy!

I managed to get home in 15 minutes on the TTC. Part of this was due to the fact that my ride home was on a streetcar driven by a maniac who was racing through red lights. I don’t know if it was his last run of the night or what, but seriously, I feared for my life. However, this meant that I got home in plenty of time for yet another stimulating episode of "The L Word." I had made the mistake of buying Mike some "Mike and Ikes" (as in candies) and wine gums for tomorrow, but while watching "The L Word," they were calling out to me, "Eat me. Eat me." So I ate them. I guess that’s why I was up until about 1am writing my TIFF journal. Unfortunately, I ended up having a technical problem with my group mailing list function on my e-mail program, so I stayed up for another 45 minutes trying to send out my report to you folks. I finally gave up. My bedtime was 2 am.

Yoy!

TIFF 2005 - Day 7

2005-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

I was up before 6 am to get to the Skydome to teach yoga this morning. It was just a tiny class today, but it was still worth teaching just for my own benefit. Afterwards, I did a fast-forward twirl around the resistance equipment circuit. I did not have a lot of time but was determined to get to these machines. From there I took a cab to the Ryerson. The cabbie talked non-stop, but I have no clue what he was saying. His accent was just too heavy and I kept hoping that I was saying "yes, yes," in the appropriate moments.

My first movie this morning was "Walk the Line" with Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in a retelling of the Johnny Cash story. This film is this year’s "Ray" with Witherspoon and Phoenix doing their own vocals. This is a riveting tale of Cash’s rise to fame and his infamous struggle with his personal demons. It’s also a heart-wrenching love story and an inspiring portrait of June Carter Cash who stood by her man, through a lot of thick and thin. For some reason I was most struck by the fact that June Carter Cash wrote "Ring of Fire" and by the fact that she had been quite a star in her own right (not being a country music fan, I did not know this). Phoenix is astounding as Cash and his vocals are superb. When the credits on the screen rolled by indicating that Phoenix had sung all of the songs, a gasp went through the crowd. I think most people had thought that he had lip-synced.

There was no one on hand for a Q&A, but it was just as well as I had little time in between screenings. I did, however, discover a FREE phone in one of the hallways at Ryerson. How cool is that? As most of you know, I am one of the few beings on this planet without a cell phone (and I will resist as long as I can), so finding this free landline was a bonus. I called up Mike (not that he’s ever at his desk) and left him a nice, long, inane message just to bug him. From there I headed out to the glorious outdoors (yet, another beautiful day) and inhaled a quick lunch while listening to a bunch of young Ryerson students talking about film and TV. One of them fessed up to never having seen "The Godfather" and continued to add that he could never get into "The Sopranos." Heaven help this generation!

My next movie was Atom Egoyan’s much-anticipated "Where the Truth Lies." This movie captured a lot of buzz at Cannes and more recently has been the talk of the town because the film garnered an NC rating (Not Classified) in the States. NC is even harsher than an X rating and can be disastrous as it can really impact negatively on box office receipts. This film is based on a book that paints a dark and fictitious rendering of the lives of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. It is a basic neo-noir film focusing on the unraveling of a cold case murder. It stars Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth and Alison Lohman in Egoyan’s biggest budget movie to date. I quite enjoyed it, particularly Egoyan’s meticulous recreation of two different decades (loved the costumes, in particular) and it was probably Egoyan’s most accessible work. But I can’t say that this film blew me away. I think it was the casting of Alison Lohman in the part of the journalist that ruined it for me. She just looks so young. I think she’s approaching mid 20’s, but as Egoyan mentioned, she’s probably the only actress her age who could convincingly play a twelve-year old - (she plays her character both as a prepubescent teen AND as a 25-year-old). But even understanding why Egoyan cast her didn’t win me over.

After the film, Egoyan naturally spoke about the censorship issue, going quite a bit into detail about the nightmare. There were only supposed to be 10 people on the US censorship board but when he turned up for the session, there were twelve people present. Apparently two CLERGY were invited to "help" the censorship board with their decision. Oh brother! Egoyan said that he butchered the film as best he could to at least get an R rating, but he refused to cut a three-way sex scene, which he felt was critical to the movie. It was this scene that got him the thumbs down from the board. The version that the TIFF audience saw was uncut and it is this rendition that will play in Canadian cinemas. Egoyan also talked about how he used a different ending than was used in the book, why he selected the actors that he cast, how he used different lenses when portraying different eras in the movie, and how he was influenced by both noir and more recent neo-noir. And once again, former ROM employee, Mychael Danna, did the music for the film. Danna has been with Egoyan since the start of Agoyan’s career and Egoyan is definitely responsible for Mychael’s path to Hollywood.

I left the theatre, sat on the grass outside for a few moments and then was back inside again in the Ryerson for actor Liev Schrieber’s directorial debut "Everything is Illuminated." I was supposed to meet Lise for this screening but when I got into the theatre, there were no seats around her so I headed closer to the front. The reason that I picked this film is because it takes place in Ukraine. It’s about a young man, played by Elijah Wood, who is a collector extraordinaire (he saves the most unusual things, like false teeth, in Ziploc bags and pins them to a huge wall of memorabilia). Following the death of his grandmother, Wood’s character sets off to Ukraine in search of his roots and to unravel some mysteries surrounding the life of his grandfather. In Ukraine he is teamed up with the most incompetent pair of tour guides imaginable including the hilarious Alex Jr (played by Eugene Hutz), his crusty grandfather and his vicious seeing-eye dog.

This is a really unusual and delightful tale that had me laughing throughout the screening. It turns serious towards the end and had me crying as hard as I had been laughing. From my own brother’s tales of recent Ukraine (where my family had tried to start a business after the fall of the Soviet empire), I knew that Schreiber got it right. I thought it was a great first film for the director and even if you don’t know the slightest thing about Ukraine, you’ll still enjoy this movie. Lise told me after the screening, that only a small percentage of the book made it into the film (she said the book is incredibly multi-layered and is knee-slapping funny), but that she understood why he had to narrow the focus. And by the way, the closing song, "Start Wearing Purple" will definitely be my new anthem. I also ran into fellow Ukrainian and former ROM employee Ulana after the screening. She loved the movie as well and we ended up chatting like long lost friends.

It was raining when I left the theatre, but it was still quite warm. I made a pit stop at the Eaton Centre where I picked up a new purse. I splurged - $20 - woo hoo! I then made my way towards the Parmount hood where I was meeting up with my women’s group for dinner. I had offered to introduce the women in this wonderful support group to TIFF (a few of them had TIFFed prior to this, but most of them were virgins). Our sessions together had been suspended over the summer months so this was only the second time that I had seen them since June. It was a nice reunion. We had a really fun dinner at Milestone’s. I was feeling rather tired (besides being up since 6 am, I had also been schlepping around my yoga mat and gear all day) so I decided on a decadent dessert. I don’t drink coffee, but the combination of chocolate and sugar will usually keep me awake.

There was only one evening that all of us could meet and unfortunately, this was one night where there were no films that really grabbed me. So, I settled on "Free Zone," an Israeli movie by Amos Gitaï, which starred Natalie Portman and won Israeli actress Hanna Laslo the award for best actress at Cannes. This story follows the character played by Hanna who is "on her way to the Free Zone, a region in northeast Jordan bordered by Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, a customs- and tax-free space where people from countries at war with each other rub shoulders to sell cars."

There are definitely some interesting elements in this film including a technique involving overlapping images to explain how the character played by Portman got to this point in her life. And the no-nonsense and unglamorous portrayal of the rural and urban Jordanian landscape brought back lots of memories of my travels in Egypt. However, Gitaï’s overall approach did not work for me. It’s done in a cinema verité style so there are long pauses in the movie (because in real life, we don’t talk all the time - although I know some people who do J), but there was not enough in the images to keep my attention. Gus Van Sant has been using this approach in his recent movies including "Elephant" (based on the Columbine High School killings) and more recently in "Last Days" based on the last days of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. I loved both of these movies though Mike was bored to tears in "Last Days" because it was one of those "nothing-is-happening-here" kind of movies. But Van Sant managed to keep me riveted while Gitaï lost me in the opener - Portman just sits there and cries for nine minutes.

In the Q&A, Gitaï said that this story is based on an incident that he experienced personally, but he flipped the characters into women. He also talked about how the Jordanian government was very cooperative despite the grim portrayal of this country. The director also addressed the opening scene and said that it was shot twice, but Portman had refused to do any more takes because the crying had totally drained her. I must admit that it must have been grueling for her, but Portman is one of those eye-squinchers - when she cries in movies, she squinches her eyes to press out the tears (as she did in "Garden State" as well) and, in real life, people don’t squinch when they are crying unless they too are trying to force the tears out (I know, because I have been there). Sorry for going on about this, but Porman’s crying technique has bugged me since "Garden State," a movie that I loved otherwise. Gitaï also talked about superimposing those images to show what had brought Portman to this point in her life and discusses how humans are able to process several layers of images at once i.e., you are watching one thing, but there are other images racing around in your brain. I was rather impressed with this. Unfortunately, that was about the extent of my being impressed. The director also tried to explain the odd ending - again, I was not impressed.

I shared a cab ride home with Kim’s friend Christine (she was the only one who stayed for the Q&A). When I reached home, I dashed up to my place to catch the end of the encore broadcast of "Rock Star: INXS" only to see one of my favourites, Susie, get "kicked off the island." Boo hoo! She is such a talent and deserved to stay longer than that psycho J.D. Anyways, I still had a major buzz going from that chocolate ganoche that I had devoured at Milestone’s earlier, so I stayed up and watched "Fear Factor," the family version. "Fear Factor" does not usually keep my attention for more than five minutes, but I was totally absorbed by this new twist involving parents and their kids. I even watched the standard having-to-put-insects-in-your-mouth challenge, which usually restarts my channel surfing. Can you believe adults put their kids at risk (both physical and emotional, as far as I’m concerned), to get on TV and win some money? Afterwards, I could have kicked myself for watching. This kind of thing should be BANNED.

I didn’t get to bed until 1:30 am. What a loser.
The Loser

TIFF 2005 - Day 6

2005-09-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

I got up early enough to do "Flow Yoga" again this morning. My muscles have been tightening up after all that sitting and my hip and knees have been feeling irritated. Luckily, even this little bit of yoga seems to have loosened up my joints.

I TTC’d it to the Ryerson Theatre, but after getting off the subway I was thinking that it would be awfully convenient to have a driver on a Vespa. They could take me around from theatre to theatre and would never have problems finding a parking spot. Maybe, I could rent a bevy of Vespas next year for TIFF and have them available for chauffering other TIFFers around town. Yes, a brilliant business concept. How do I come up with these things? ;-)

My first movie today was yet another studio flick, but this time there was more than the usual method in my madness. "North Country" was directed by Niki Caro, director one of my favourite movies, "Whale Rider." How could I possibly pass on her follow-up film, studio-based or not? Caro was on hand to introduce the film, which she said she literally finished just a few days ago. She also said that despite being a studio work, she was given a lot of autonomy and she felt that she made it as if it were an independent feature. Hmm, that doesn’t quite explain the star-studded cast including Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson and the chick from "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang," Michelle Monaghan, looking completely different from the way she looked in the afore-mentioned movie.

"North Country" is the tale of a group of female miners, the first in their community, who filed a class action lawsuit as a result of the sexual harassment they suffered at the hands of their misogynistic male coworkers. Theron puts in a stellar performance, although she was allowed to look pretty at times in this film. And Frances McDormand is just not capable of anything less than outstanding. Based on a real story, it’s hard to believe that women were treated like this in the workplace only 30 years ago. But Caro has managed to intersperse fragments of beauty into the film by transforming the rugged landscapes of the mines into stunning panoramas. She even managed to make the normally clumsy movement of large mining machinery look balletic. It’s brilliant. And the use of a lot of Bob Dylan tunes in the soundtrack was icing on the cake. But do have some Kleenex handy as you may find your eyes welling with tears.

After the screening, I finally gave up on the horrendous waits in the washrooms around the Ryerson Theatre and ventured further into the halls of Ryerson’s buildings. Success!! Why did I not find these other WC’s last year? In any case, afterwards I ventured towards the spot where I was going to meet Steph and Lori. I ended up running into Lori AND Anita en route and then we picked up Steph. Anita, who was looking fabulous by the way, was on her way to work at Roy Thomson Hall and left the three of us to go on our merry way to the lineup for "Proof." It was REALLY steamy outside and we were sweltering waiting for the lineup to go in.

Although I had met both Lori and Steph very briefly a few years back, I felt like I had known these women for years. We had lots to talk about and I was almost sad when the lights went down for the movie to start. "Proof" follows in the tradition of "Goodwill Hunting" and "Beautiful Mind" in terms of "being set in the rarefied sphere of theoretical mathematics." Gwyneth Paltrow gives an intense performance as a mathematical genius on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But the story is a complex one as Paltrow struggles with her personal demons and with the fact that she might be succumbing to the same mental illness that struck her brilliant father, played expertly by Anthony Hopkins. Jake Gyllenhaal is also perfect as the love interest who tries to save Paltrow from slipping away and Hope Davis’ performance as the wicked sister is, well, wicked!

Unfortunately, there was no one there for a Q&A, so Lori, Steph and I had our own conversation about our attraction to movies about mathematical masterminds. Steph used to work at Cambridge University (the Department of Applied Physics and…sorry Steph, I knew I wouldn’t remember the full name of the department) where she hobnobbed with the likes of Steven Hawking. And of course we had a discussion about how refreshing it was to have a female play a mathematician. We were all still appalled at how few women break into the top echelons of theoretical mathematics. Oh well, we curbed harassment in the mines, I’m sure we’ll be able to get more women into the mathematics faculties.

After the movie, Lori went on her way, and Steph and I headed up to University and Bloor where we parted ways, much to my chagrin. Both of these women are very smart, interesting individuals and were stimulating and pleasant company.

I popped into my office to eat my lunch and just deal with some of my e-mail and other personal business, including trying to track down a portable hard drive that I need for my film editing course. From the ROM I dashed back down to the Ryerson Theatre for the Marvericks presentation with Laurie Anderson.

As mentioned in my prelude, I have been a Laurie Anderson fan for years. She is an extraordinary performance artist. What does this mean? Well, long before rock bands started using screens filled with moving images to beef up their stage shows, Laurie Anderson was using her own multi media creations to showcase her music and poetry. The queen of technology, Anderson never ceases to amaze and inspire her audiences.

These Maverick sessions used to be restricted to industry folks, but this year they opened them up to the public. This session consisted of a screening of Anderson’s "Hidden Inside Mountains" followed by a discussion with Canadian filmmaker Patricia Rozema. The film was commissioned for the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan and was chock filled with beautiful images, Anderson’s signature electronic sounds and "twelve poetic segments musing on nature, artifice and dreams…" It was positively sublime.

In the discussion, Anderson talked about how she came to get this commission and the challenges she faced creating a work for the Japanese pavilion, considering the differences between Eastern and Western cultures. Translation of text in the film was just one of many communication issues with which she had to grapple, but which opened up her eyes to a whole new world. The discussion moved on to such issues as commercialism, technology, empathy, nightmares, her dog and so much more. And just as an aside, in case you did not know, Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed have been a couple for years and years. Anyway, I probably could have listened to Anderson talk all night, though I was not impressed with Rozema as an interviewer. Still, this was a great way to spend a couple of hours.

From here I scrambled home to get to my yoga class and, as usual, my teacher M.J. managed to get me twisted into new and wonderful ways. I felt fabulous after this class and that’s a good thing considering that I had another screening to go to at 9 pm. My last flick of the evening was "Duelist" which was playing over at the Paramount. This South Korean action movie is a period piece set to heavy modern music. I’d like to tell you what this movie was about, but I have no clue. But I read a review afterwards that said that this movie was definitely short on content, so it seems that I did not miss anything after all. However, every frame of this film was an explosion of light and colour and some of the fighting scenes were absolutely mesmerizing. But this was nowhere near being a "Crouching Tiger, " "Flying Daggers," or a "King Fu Hustle." It just really missed the mark on plot and tone, so I am not sure if the visuals will be enough to get it a North American distribution.

I stayed for the Q&A with director Lee Myung-se in hope of getting some insights, but this was one of those sessions where the translator’s English left a lot to be desired. Someone would ask a question and the translated answer did not even address the query. If it weren’t so pathetic, it would have been positively comical.

To make things worse, I came home having missed the first half of the encore broadcast of Rock Star. I missed Suzie’s performance entirely. So, if she gets booted off the show by INXS, I won’t even know why. This was an early night for me. I was in bed by 12:30, but that’s because I had to teach yoga at 7 am.

Nighty night,
Luba

TIFF 2005 – Day 5

2005-09-13T05:08:00.000-07:00

Remarkably, I was up at 6 this morning and off to the gym by 6:30 for my friend Mona’s cardio combat class. For some reason, I forgot to book off my Monday night (which I normally leave free for the gym), so this was going to be one of my few opportunities to get some fun cardio and some serious resistance work in this week.

On the way to King Street to catch the streetcar after my workout, I was almost hit by a bicycle. It was so close that I was tempted to twirl around and knock the cyclist’s head off. He went through a red light and I was pissed. Idiots like this give cyclists a bad name. Man I was pissed.
Fortunately, my first film took the edge off my anger. It was Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice." There’s not much to say about the plot. It’s your typical Jane Austen fare i.e. family with countless daughters has to get them married off or risk impoverishment when the patriarch of the family dies and the inheritance goes to a male cousin. Director Joe Wright stayed true to the novel as best as I can remember and he created a beautiful work of art in the process. Stunning cinematography, and I mean stunning, sumptuous sets and beautifully crafted period costumes, this was a real piece of eye candy. Add to this some stellar performances by Keira Knightly, Brenda Blethyn, Dame Judi Dench and Mathew Macfadyen and you have perfection.

There was a Q&A with Wright and actors Brenda Blethyn and Mathew Macfadyen after the screening. Wright confessed that this script literally fell into his lap, but that it was just a career move from TV to feature films for him – at least at the start. But then it turned into a labour of love and the film of his dreams. He told the audience that Emma Thomson worked quite a bit with him on the script, for free, and did not want credit (so her name just shows up in the acknowledgements). There is a spectacularly beautiful scene that takes place in a sculpture court in a castle and when questioned about it, Wright shared that it was shot at Chatsworth in Derbyshire. Wright also chose to set the piece in 1797 (the year in which Austen would have written the first draft of the work, so he rationalized), so that he could use costumes that were a little different than what are normally used in works based on Austen’s books (he wanted to avoid the empire-waisted dresses which he felt make women look like balloons). There is also an ending in this movie that was not in the original version screened earlier in Europe and Wright says the scene is there to stay.

My movies were back-to-back today so I had just enough time to go to the ladies room and come back out and bud in again to go to my next screening, also at the Ryerson Theatre, Guy Ritchie’s "Revolver." Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," "Snatch" and "Swept Away"), was on hand for the intro and said that the plot was quite complex (a chess game, within a chess game within a chess game), but that he heard that Toronto audiences were smart and that we would figure it out. He also said he’s fallen in love with Toronto and wants to move here. Maybe he and Madonna will buy a place in the city??

In any case, I guess I’m not one of those "smart" Toronto people because I did not have a f..king clue what was going on and I kept going in and out of snooze mode. The film is described as a "ferocious new crime thriller…With its many twists and turns, this arresting mind game riffs relentlessly on fascinating existential themes." That explains it. If it has the word "existential" in the write-up, it is sure to go over my head. This is a film for which I required my friend Lise to act as interpreter. Where were you Lise???

Ritchie came back for a Q&A and he was really having a splendid time with the session. He talked about how the setting was intended to be ambiguous and how it was really several movies (no kidding). He dodged the question on his views on violence and said he plans on working on an animated feature in the near future (there was some animation in "Revolver"). He joked about how there’s more money in kids films anyway.

This Q&A went on unexpectedly long and I only had five minutes to get to my next screening at the Elgin. Obviously, I was late (I showed up after opening credits), so I don’t know if the director or if the the cast was on hand for the intro for the French film "Cache." It was directed by Michael Haneke of "La Pianiste" fame and stars Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche. It’s the story of a family who start receiving videotapes indicating that they are under some kind of surveillance by some unknown person. Puzzled and ultimately frightened by the notion of being observed by some stranger, their comfortable world is suddenly turned upside down in the worst of ways. I was riveted by the story and I have a feeling that some North American studio will decide to do an English-language version of this film. However, there was one scene that came out of nowhere that shocked the life out of me and seeing as I was not expecting it, I was not able to turn my gaze fast enough. Unfortunately, that scene is going to stay with me for a while.

I was actually relieved that there was no Q&A after this flick since I had barely had a chance to eat today and I needed to get something into my stomach or I was going to faint. I also had to pick something up for Mike for supper. I headed across the street to the Eaton Centre and chowed down as quickly as possible on some food I had carried around all day (as the bacteria grew and grew, I’m sure). Despite my haste, I was still quite late getting to the Ryerson where I was meeting Mike and my friend Tanya. The line was going in, so I budded in – again – and quickly entered the theatre knowing that Mike and Tanya were standing around somewhere, baffled about where I was. But I grabbed some decent seats and then ran out to give Tanya her ticket and to fetch Mike. Tanya was near the entrance looking puzzled but Mike was back out on the street fuming. I figured that he had had a bad day at the office and I was right. Oh well. I can’t control that.

In any case, Mike proceeded to devour his supper and we settled in for "Trust the Man" by director Bart Freundlich (Julianne Moore’s husband). The entire cast was on hand for this world premiere including Moore, David Duchovny, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eva Mendes and Ellen Barkin and more! It was the first time they were seeing the film as well. The movie is a romantic comedy focusing on two couples and dealing with issues like commitment and adultery. But this is not your standard fare as one character is a sex addict while another stalks his psychiatrist. Freundlich’s previous works have been really intense works ("The Myth of Fingerprints," and "World Traveller") so his sense of humour in this film was somewhat surprising. But, I really felt he grasped the genre well and added his own refreshing twists. This film elicits a lot of laughs and is great fun, fun enough to forgive the syrupy ending. Highly recommended for an evening of shameless escapism.

It was a good day overall and I’m sure Mike will forgive me eventually, well by Friday, I’m sure, which is when we have our next screening. I have a number of long, long days ahead of me and so the rest of my reports may not turn up until the weekend. So be patient, I WILL get to them. Unfortunately, I do have to sleep sometime.

A la prochaine,

Luba Duba

TIFF 2005 – Day 4

2005-09-13T05:07:00.000-07:00

I treated myself to sleeping in today so I did not get up until just before 8 am. At this early stage of TIFF I did not want to exhaust myself. I wasn’t hungry this morning (surprise, surprise – remember I had the chocolate cake just before midnight last night) so I just gulped down a glass of water with psyllium husks (good for digestive health). I’m sure this concoction would make most people gag.

It was another glorious, glorious day outside. I think this is the warmest TIFF on record. I was almost regretful about having to sit in theatres rather than basking in the sunshine beside my pool. Oh well, all the better for my skin, I suppose.

I was back in relax mode this morning so I took the TTC to the Ryerson Theatre. I got to the subway station in no time but I got stalled there for longer than expected. While waiting for the train I was pondering a poster ad across the subway platform promoting "Martha Unscripted." Oh lord, what’s next in realm of reality TV? I think you can be pretty certain that this is one show that I will be passing on.

A train finally approached, but it stopped before entering the station and was in an unusually long holding pattern for a Sunday morning. I glanced up at the platform clock and noted that it was exactly 9:11 am. F..k! What’s the date today? Damned if I know. I pulled out my TIFF schedule and confirmed – it’s September 11. F..k! My heart sank to my stomach.
I got off at Dundas Station and made my way down Yonge scoping out a rendezvous spot for next week. April’s Aunt Steph is in town (she comes in from the UK for TIFF as frequently as she can) and Anita’s partner Lori is also in town for the festival. We will be hooking up on Tuesday and I needed to find a place that we could meet. I looked at my watch again and it was suddenly 9:28. F..k!

I dashed to the theatre and ended up in the front row for David Cronenberg’s highly acclaimed "History of Violence." This psychological thriller stars Vigo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt. It’s about a family living a normal, mundane small town American life until, one day, a violent event turns their world upside down. This is a powerful story with riveting acting but the graphic violence was just a little hard to swallow on a Sunday morning. Nevertheless, its ethical contemplations were the subject of a conversation I had with Mike later in the day. This is a flawless film and should be on everyone’s must-see list, if you can take the violence. I was, however, really disappointed that the director was not there for a Q&A (especially since Toronto is his home town). It would have undoubtedly been an interesting session.

After the screening, I made a quick stop into Winners and from there I headed north and did some grocery shopping at Whole Foods. I then met Mike at the Varsity and we proceeded to "Sketches of Frank Gehry." This film was directed by Sydney Pollack ("The Way We Were," "Three Days of the Condor," "Tootsie," and "Out of Africa," just to name a few of his classic features) and it was his first documentary. Despite his remarkable filmography, a feature filmmaker does not a documentary filmmaker make. This portrait of architect Frank Gehry left me feeling completely flat and unimpressed. Considering that Gehry’s Bilbao Museum turned him into a "rock star" in the world of architecture and changed the way that new museums are being built or remodeled (including the ROM), I expected to come out of this film feeling somewhat inspired. That did not happen.

Director Pollack and Gehry were friends so the filmmaker had the advantage of being an insider, but I could not help comparing this film with the documentary "My Architect: A Son’s Journey" which I saw a few years ago. This intimate portrait of architect Louis Kahn touched my soul and its cinematography was glorious. It’s hard to capture the three-dimensional magnificence of buildings on celluloid, but this doc succeeded while Pollack’s effort failed miserably. This doc was made for PBS and it looks it. Mike, on the other hand, enjoyed this film so you may want to take my critique with a grain of salt.

Pollack was on hand for a Q&A and discussed why he used specific techniques (techniques that frankly irritated the hell out of me) and how access to Gehry’s psychiatrist (who is interviewed in the movie) gave him the most fruitful insights into Gehry’s psyche. The best line in the movie comes from this psychiatrist who at one point says, "most people come to me looking for a way to change themselves, artists come to me looking for a way to change the world."
The Q&A was quite long so Mike and I had a mad scramble to get down to the Elgin Theatre for our next screening, "Little Fish" starring Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving. Director Rowan Woods and some of the cast including Weaving, Martin Henderson, Noni Haslehurst and Dustin Nguyen were on hand. No Cate or Sam, unfortunately. Woods almost forgot to introduce his wife and screenwriter Jacquelin Perske. You know he’s going to be hearing about that one for the rest of his life.

"Little Fish" focuses on the character played by Cate Blanchett, an ex-drug addict who just can’t seem to be able to rebuild her life. This is a different kind of "junkie" film and rather than exploiting the subject as most movies about addiction do, this film looks at the day-in, day-out struggles with which recovering addicts are besieged. This was a very thoughtful film (although it was probably a good half hour too long), but I am doubtful this will get widespread distribution in North America. It may show up on the DVD shelf eventually.

Afterwards Mike and I had some time to grab supper at Spring Rolls and then we headed to the last movie of the night, "Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man." I was really looking forward to this film, as I have been a Cohen fan since my teens. As the movie mentions, most of us have had a Leonard Cohen moment at some point in our life. Mine was when my older brother fell in love with one of my grade-nine classmates and her name was Suzanne. This "first love" relationship fell apart only weeks later, but my fragile brother came undone. After her family requested that he stop stalking her, he locked himself in his room and listened to Cohen’s "Suzanne" over and over and over again.

Unfortunatley Cohen was not on hand for the screening – apparently he avoids crowds. But director Lian Lunson invited one of the other participants in the documentary to do the intro and it turned out to be BONO of U2!!! I kid you not! Mike had heard a rumour (in the women’s washroom, at least that’s what he told me) that Bono would be there for the screening, so his appearance was not a complete surprise to us. In any case, Bono is quite the wordsmith himself and the eloquent intro that he wrote and read was awesome (for lack of a better word, as my wordsmithing capabilities usually dissipate as TIFF progresses). He had the audience in the palm of his hand.

This film was quite unique as it is a concert documentary recording a tribute concert to Leonard Cohen held in Australia. But, it also interweaves interviews with Cohen in between performances. Numerous artists including Rufus and Martha Wainright, Nick Cave, Beth Orton, the McGarrigle sisters, Anthony and others performed Cohen’s songs. I was moved to tears several times during this screening. Cohen’s lyrics have a way of crawling into the crevices of one’s heart and settling there eternally. I am praying to baby Jesus that a soundtrack comes out of this documentary (at this point it is uncertain whether there will be one will be produced).
In any case, the difference between this portrait of Cohen by Lunson and that of Gehry by Pollack were like night and day. This evening’s film was an artistic masterpiece – it was lyrical, mystical and magical, an ethereal journey through the work and life of one of the best poets of our lifetime. But as I looked at Cohen’s beleaguered and weathered face, all I could think of was what a tragedy it will be when we lose this force and questioned whether we would be fortunate enough to encounter another being in our generation whose work approaches the virtuosity of Cohen’s writings.

There was a Q&A after the film but I don’t remember much about it. My mind was in another realm.

TIFF 2005 – Day 3

2005-09-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

I was at the gym bright and early this morning and did a three-mile run and a few weights. But I was on a tighter deadline today than yesterday so I had to cab it over to the Paramount afterwards. Breakfast consisted of organic baby carrots, which I munched on in the theatre. Also for breakfast this morning was what I thought would be standard Hollywood fare, "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" starring Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr.

Director Shane Black was on hand for the intro and he had everyone laughing with his comments about how the studio suffered a fair amount of anxiety over the starring duo (just in case you don’t know, Kilmer and Downey have been known for both their substance abuse and diva antics on set). Black also started to rave about Toronto and the festival but then made some comment about how the people in Montreal were more beautiful – boo!! What kind of comment is that? He ended by saying that the movie budget was $15 million and if this movie wasn’t a success, he’s "going to blow his fucking brains out."

I don’t think we have to worry about him committing suicide, however, because this turned out to be quite a surprisingly enjoyable movie. This is a modern film noir with Hollywood as its backdrop. The story is clever and suspenseful, but at the same time the dialogue is razor sharp and pokes great fun at both the genre and filmmaking in general. Kilmer plays a gay detective while Downey Jr. portrays a criminal turned wannabe actor turned protégé to Kilmer (and story narrator-extraordinaire) in a case involving a female character played by the gorgeous AND talented Michelle Monaghan. All in all, the movie was a roller coaster ride from start to finish with non-stop fun. There is a fair a dollop of violence, but what can you expect. This movie is definitely worth checking out at the theatres. It doesn’t quite have the edge of a Tarantino flick, but it’s certainly up there with the likes of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."

I had a longer than usual break before my next movie so I trekked to The Healthy Butcher again, but this time I stocked up for the week and took my groceries home. My fridge is now respectably full and I won’t have to worry so much about finding my next meal. I then headed up to Bay and Bloor for my next screening with Mike at the Varsity. Mike turned up minutes before the movie was supposed to start. I tried to convince him that I had been on time and was waiting forever, but he didn’t buy it. He knows me better!

Our movie was "Heart of the Game" which has been described as the female version of "Hoop Dreams." In other words, it’s about high school girl’s basketball. Filmed over a period of seven years and focusing on an accountant turned basketball coach and one of his rising stars, this is an uplifting story about dedication, determination, competition and the indomitable human spirit. I laughed, I cried and the last 15 minutes are about as nail-biting as any sports film, doc or feature, as I have ever seen. Director Ward Serrill, coach Bill Resler and player Darnellia Russell were all on hand for the Q&A afterwards to talk about this film’s long journey to the screen. It was finished literally days before the festival and the director was just tickled pink to be at TIFF. If I say anymore about the Q&A, I’ll give too much of the film away. But I had a chance to talk briefly to the director afterwards where he talked about knowing nothing about filmmaking when he started the project, how he shot 160 hours of film and how it took almost two years to edit the film to under two hours. This film was a real labour of love and it showed.

We were back at the Varsity for our next screening as well, "Sorry, Haters," starring Robin Wright Penn and Abdellatif Kechiche and directed by Jeff Stanzler. This was a disturbing little film about alienation and racism in New York City. It’s both a political and psychological drama focusing on the character played by Wright Penn and how she wreaks havoc on the life of an innocent Muslim taxi driver who happens to pick her up as a fare one evening. Penn’s character’s low self-esteem leads to her plunging to extreme depths. The movie ends with a rather shocking and unexpected twist. This was one of those movies where Mike and I just looked at each other afterwards not knowing what to say.

Director Stanzler was on hand for the Q&A as was Robin Wright Penn, looking absolutely smashing, I must say. Wright Penn spoke of how she found the inspiration for such a dark character while Stanzler discussed how the story was inspired by someone he once met not long after 9/11. As soon as the Q&A was over, Mike and I dashed out of there as we were meeting some friends. We took the back exit out of the theatre and unbeknownst to me, Sean Penn was hanging around in the stairwell having a quick bite to eat while waiting for his wife. It was Mike who made the Penn sighting and he failed to stop me in my harried tracks. I can’t believe he didn’t grab me or pinch me. He has now been briefed on the correct protocol for future celeb sightings.

We dashed down towards the Elgin and to Terroni (yes, again, but it’s really the only decent restaurant in that area and there’s always plenty of choice). We were meeting our friend Cinzia and her newish beau, Jeff. We ended up having a stellar time and they not only treated us, but Cinzia made me a huge batch of homemade power bars (nuts, and sesame seeds, raisins and all kinds of other good stuff) for me to snack on for the rest of the week – I’ll give them a couple of days though, if they last that long. Thanks again you guys!! We ended up having such a good time at dinner that we did not notice how much time had passed and after ordering dessert, we had to get doggy bags for the sweets. We had to get in line at the theatre for Tim Burton’s new animated flick "Corpse Bride."

Unfortunately, it was already too late and we ended up being a block and a half back in line. I had but one recourse! I was going to have to leave the others and try my budding-in strategy. So, I left the three of them behind and headed across the street to watch for the right moment. I waited with all of the celeb whores hoping to catch a glimpse of Johnny Depp. My tactic worked (it usually does succeed at the Elgin because there is so much going on at the entrance). But with all of the reserved seats and Gold and Platinum Visa Card Holders that had gotten in first, the only spot with four seats was the front row. Okay, so we would be able to see up Johnny Depp’s nostrils – there are worse things in life.

We WERE rather close to the large screen, but it was great for viewing the stage party which included Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Mr. Depp in the flesh, as well as Danny Elfman (who does an incredible number of movie soundtracks – you see his name in credits ALL THE TIME) and a host of other folks. Unfortunately, the shy Depp was on stage but for a few moments. We settled in for the movie by slouching down in our seats and spent the next hour and a half looking almost directly upwards at the screen. Cinz, Jeff and I were okay, but this kind of semi-reclining position is a killer for Mike’s back. He was somewhat crippled by the experience. However, even Mike felt it was worth it because "Corpse Bride," a rather macabre yet romantic tale about love after death, and well, you know, that standard kind of Tim Burton fare, was terrific. This film was so inventive and visually stunning (it was actually very cool to see it this close). We all LOVED it!

When the four of us were parting ways, I almost didn’t get my doggy-bagged dessert because Mike suggested that Cinzia and Jeff keep both pieces. I squeezed Mike’s elbow so hard that he screamed and I got my dessert after all. What was he thinking? Anyway, we headed home. I was beat but still ate my flourless chocolate cake before bed – oh yeah, that’s always a healthy thing to do. Journal writing was left until the next day so that I could get to bed by midnight. I have another early morning tomorrow.

The Celeb Whore (credit goes to Cinzia for coming up with this title!)

TIFF 2005 – Day 2

2005-09-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

I fell asleep last night around 12:30 with the TV still playing and when I woke up just after 1 am, guess what was on? THE "L WORD." So guess what I did for the next hour????
In any case, despite not falling asleep until after 2, I somehow managed to get up just before 7 and did the "Yoga Flow" program, and then indulged in some leisurely e-mailing, Internet banking and breakfast. I was out of the house in plenty of time for my first movie and when a streetcar passed me by, I didn’t even run for it. But, the light turned red and I caught it anyway. Everything was going my way today. I was at the theatre 15 minutes early. Who is this person?? Have aliens now taken away the real Luba and left behind a replicant? If so, watch out Mike! I just might be on time for everything.

As the lights went down in the Paramount Theatre, I got a little teary-eyed. I had a flashback about what I was experiencing at this time last year, and I was having another one of those grateful-to-be-feeling good moments. My first movie of the day was Alexander Sokurov’s "The Sun" about Japanese Emperor Hirohito during the American occupation of Japan at the end of World War II. I know that I did not have much sleep, but I was nodding off constantly throughout this highly praised flick. Most of the film was in Japanese (which in itself is a feat, considering the director is Russian), but it was just sooooooooooo slooooooooooow. And I don’t usually have a problem with slow movies or as Mike would describe them, "nothing-going-on-in-them" movies. But this was just a little too sluggish, even for me. I don’t deny that the acting was brilliant, that the process of watching a man considered a deity being completely humbled was a story worth seeing, but, all in all, I still had a hard time keeping my eyelids apart. A few years ago I saw Sokurov’s "Russian Ark" which was also brilliant on a technical level, but, ho hum. I should have known better.

Afterward’s I had enough time to trek a little further afield to The Healthy Butcher for some fine organic food. This local spot is one of my regular shopping spots these days. They have fab organic meats and prepared foods. And being a regular shopper at Whole Foods, I am always astonished at how much cheaper The Healthy Butcher is than "Whole Paycheque." Afterwards, I found a nice quiet spot to dine, almost right across from the Paramount. The door to the patio of the Joker nightclub had been left open and I slipped in and basked in the sun in this deserted place. If it were not for the constant traffic on Richmond, it would have been a veritable paradise.

I was back at the Paramount for my next screening. The theatre was quite full by the time I entered, so staff was asking people to put their hands up if there was an empty seat beside them. I caught sight of an arm go up in my preferred seating area and as I looked closer, I realized that the arm belonged to a former colleague of mine from Roy Thomson Hall, Andy. He looked as surprised as I was when I sat down.

My second flick was "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic," an offering from the Midnight Madness part of the TIFF program. I have to admit that I had never heard of this controversial comedienne and former writer for Saturday Night Live, but I’m always up for some good stand-up. Silverman is this gorgeous, innocent looking young thing who totally surprises with her potty mouth and often politically incorrect humour. But, you can’t help laughing and I did a lot of that. Not only was she hilarious, but she bore an uncanny resemblance to Mike’s sister-in-law in both appearance (except for the hair colour) and especially in mannerisms. Oh my god, I was actually getting a little creeped out by the similarities, especially since Roxanne also has the most incredible sense of humour and I have always told her she should be doing stand-up. Just plain weird! There was no Q&A, although Silverman had been there for the intro and had cracked everyone up in the few short minutes that she spoke. I like this girl!

After the screening I walked (yes walked, I actually had time – hard to believe, isn’t it?) over to the Elgin for "Liza with a Z." As I arrived at the theatre, Liza Minelli had just turned up and the paparazzi were in full force. I pushed my way through the scrum into the theatre and to the third row. I wanted a good view of Liza. It turns out that I made the right choice, but more about that later. "Liza with a Z" is a television special directed by one my my favourite choreographers, Bob Fosse, way back in 1972, the year Liza was riding high following the success of "Cabaret." It took six years to restore the film and it was a true labour of love for all involved.
I know that Minelli’s music is not everyone’ s cup of tea and yes, she has recently been a serious target for the tabloids, but this film was pure joy. I did not stop smiling throughout the whole screening. Minelli’s charisma jumps off the screen so much so that everyone was applauding furiously after each number concluded, as if it were a live performance. It was wonderful. And then, as if it weren’t enough to have seen her during the intro and in this performance film, but this was part of the "Dialogues: Talking with Pictures " program, so Liza came back after the screening along with a number of other people involved with the project. The discussion/Q&A lasted for over half an hour – and Liza was sitting less than 20 feet in front of me this whole time.

Again, despite her recent tabloid adventures, you could not help falling in love with the persona on stage. She recounted stories of getting makeup and hair done in a hooker hotel across the street from the theatre where the TV special was filmed and how the sponsor (Singer, as in sewing machines) almost banned her from doing one number because her hot, hot ultra-mini Halston dress revealed her nipples. And she gave away her secret to keeping her huge eyelashes on while dancing up a sweat. But she was also incredibly attentive to everyone else on stage including the genius who restored the film and the other project collaborators. And oh, this TV special will be coming out on DVD. There was a camera crew filming this whole event so I suspect there will be footage in the DVD from the screening today. Maybe I’ll turn up in some of the "special features" clips, heh, heh.

While still walking on Cloud Nine after this experience, I popped over to the Eaton’s Centre for some power shopping and then it was back to the Elgin for my final screening of the night with Mike and friend’s Josie and Jeff. Mike was the last to arrive in line and it turned out he had an interesting excuse. As he rushed out of the office to come meet us, he had a little altercation. While crossing at Bay and Gerrard, he came upon a couple of guys in suits who had jumped out of their minivans and were pummeling each other over some kind of road rage incident. Mike said that people were just standing around watching one guy take the brunt of the beating and he decided to get proactive. He started running towards them screaming that the police were on their way and then body slammed the both of them sending them to the ground in a state of shock. They got back to their feet but now the rest of the crowd stepped in and kept the two apart, but one of the jerks still managed to kick the other’s vehicle and rip off his side-view mirror. But they drove off and Mike took off, but not before getting the license number of the guy who seemed to be the primary agitator. That’s my Mike!!

We scored some good seats for the viewing of our next flick, "Tideland" by director Terry Gilliam ("Brazil", "Fisher King," "Twelve Monkeys," and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"). Gilliam was on hand for the intro and could not say enough about shooting this film in the Canadian prairies and working with a Canadian crew. The full cast was also on hand including Jeff Bridges (prrrrrrrr), Jennifer Tilley and the remarkable young star of the film, Jodelle Ferland. The movie starts out with Jodelle’s character helping dad Jeff Bridges shoot up, so you can just imagine what the rest of the story was like. The program book describes the movie as "a delirious, hallucinatory tale set against the wheat fields and big sky of the Prairies." The movie was both hysterical and disturbing and oh my, it was beautifully shot. The cinematography was spectacular. And this movie was scored by former ROM employee and Planetarium music producer, Mychael Danna, together with his brother.

Mike, Josie, Jeff and I had lots to talk about after this intriguing film and we lucked out by getting a table at the nearby Terroni for calamari, pizza and pasta. Yum!
This was a great day all around with celebs and friends (I also ran into pal Lise at the Elgin for "Tideland" – we’ll be hooking up next week for a couple of screenings). And oh, I forgot to mention that I had a conversation with a guy sitting beside me at "Liza with a Z" who turned out to be a producer. He gave me some good tips on getting my doc funded. So, it was also a fruitful day!

I ended the evening with, DOH, another reality show obsession of mine, "What Not to Wear." HELP ME! Bedtime tonight – 2 am AGAIN.
Until tomorrow,
Luba

TIFF 2005 - Day 1

2005-09-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, just an apology for any typos or grammatical errors I make in my reports. I’m usually whipping these things up as quickly as possible, so mistakes are inevitable. Eventually, I catch the errors in my final edit of my diary at the end of the festival.

Chasing the film fest dragon – Jason Anderson (EYE Film August 4, 2005)
"As addictions go, my burden is less catastrophic than a crystal-meth problem yet more debilitating than chocoholism. Unfortunately, what I go through every year around this time will never merit a tearful episode of "The Maury Show." With the Toronto International Film Festival only a month off, I begin to steel myself. While I know that compulsive movie viewing is generally regarded as a quirk – a privilege, even, for the pampered few who don’t have to do difficult things like collect diamonds in Sierra Leone – I also know my binges are not harmless.
Movies are taking over more and more of the storage space in my head that I’d reserved for other important matters, like close friends’ names…"

When I read this article over a month ago, I thought that someone had gotten inside my head. At first it was scary but then it was reassuring to know that I AM NOT ALONE. Yes, there are many more of us film and TIFF fanatics out there, thank heavens!
Toronto International Film Festival 2005 Statistics
335 films including 256 features and 79 shorts; 215 features that are world, international or North American premieres; 3,545 total number of films submitted for consideration; 52 countries; 67 first features; 23 screens used; 305,000 admissions from both public and industry
How cool is that?

What a TIFFer Should be Doing the Night Before TIFF Starts

1) shopping for groceries
2) relaxing
3) getting a good night’s sleep

What Luba Did the Night Before TIFF 2005 Started

1) went to see "Just Like Heaven" with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo thanks to a free pass I received for the screening

2) ate trail mix for dinner

3) did my nails and toenails with Rimmel’s extraordinary 60 Seconds Extreme Nail Polish, colour 875 otherwise known as "Zeitgeist" (how can you resist a nail polish called that); although you can get away with one coat of this superb and affordable polish, my whole "lacquering" process consists of six coats so, unfortunately, it takes a LOT longer than 60 seconds
4) watching the encore broadcast of "Rock Star: INXS" until midnight (since I missed the live broadcast earlier in the evening because I was at the movies); they did the right thing – "Jordis is not the right person for the band INXS" so she is out; but Mig is now starting to really bother me – he’s just way too pretty; for those of you who don’t follow the show, there are two Canadians out of four remaining contenders – that’s pretty amazing even if one of them is an obnoxious pill

How I Hoped My Day Would Go

1) get up just before 7 am to do the half-hour "Flow Yoga" program on Rogers digital channel ONE and then go to the gym for some more cardio

2) get to work on time

3) have a leisurely day at work and work on the Blog that my work pal Susan’s husband set up for me; I would be able to post my daily reports to the Bog rather than having to e-mail everyone; for those of you, who like me, had never heard of a Blog, it’s like a web site, but FREE

4) leave work a little early and pick up a few things before going to the theatre

5) enjoy the movie, go home and watch "The L Word" before retiring for the night

How My Day Actually Panned Out

1) when the alarm went off, I turned it off, fell back asleep and woke up too late to do "Flow Yoga"

2) when I did wake up, I had a bit of a headache going on

3) I checked my work e-mail from home and there were about 20 messages from the photocopier at work – yes the photocopier – saying that it was jamming and shutting down; yes, our multi-purpose fax/printer/scanner e-mails me every time it’s having a melt-down and it clogs up my e-mail box

4) when leaving my place to go to the gym I was almost blinded and deafened as I stepped into the hallway; the corridors in my building are being refurbished and covers have been taken off all the light fixtures – it is stark out there; add to that a guy cutting wood trim with a huge saw located by the elevator and it looks and sounds like a serious construction site

5) I managed to make it to the gym and while on the stationary bike I continued to read my "Writing, Directing & Producing Documentary Films and Video" text; I also did a little bit of shadow kick boxing – I had to drop the book for this part of the workout

6) I was quite late coming into work and by the time I got there all hell had broken loose; my boss, who has been working on the budget for the last few days, was on a rampage about our supplies budget: he had everyone collecting their extra pens to put into our supplies cabinet; he also sent me a memo commanding me not to order any new pens nor to spend more than $50 a month on supplies – period; the savings on those pens alone should save us, hmm, maybe $10 over the next three months

7) most of the hard hats I put together the day before (you have to assemble the adjustable strap on the inside of the hat and it’s finger- and wrist-breaking work) were scooped up by the contingent of artisans who have just arrived from China to begin erecting the palace/temple structure for our new Chinese gallery (picture below); I will now have to order, and thus assemble, two more dozen hats in the near future (you will have to go to the attached Word version to see the photo)

8) the report that I had hoped to have finished by mid-day took me until 6 pm to complete because of the number of interruptions I had during the day and because many of my colleagues do not understand the meaning of the word "deadline"

9) friend Lise dropped by with my ticket for the Laurie Anderson session at TIFF; she waited in line from 6:30 to 10:30 am yesterday for the tickets; I owe her my first-born in my next lifetime; and I forgot to mention that the apple of my eye, Karina, dropped by yesterday to give me a TIFF poster – what a sweetheart

10) I was not successful in getting my Blog set up; I tried, I really tried but it was not as intuitive as I thought and I just had no time to tinker with it today; even just posting my info became a nightmare as the fonts were inexplicably transformed into countless fonts and sizes in the same document; thanks Susan and Sean for trying, but I’ll have to try again for next year as I won’t have any more spare time to do this

11) I did manage to set up some TIFF rendezvous with friends and also to laminate the pocket TIFF schedules I prepared for Mike and myself

12) I escaped for 10 whole minutes from the office today to get my boss his Euros for his trip to Munich next week

13) my huge order from Grand & Toy came in and I had to put the supplies away without my boss noticing that the order was six times more than the new budget limit he set this morning
14) I managed to break the office printer/copier/fax right at the end of the day so that when I depart for holidays, the office will be completely incapacitated (but at least I won’t be getting any messages in my e-mail box until it’s fixed, heh, heh)

15) I did manage to get to my movie!!!! And guess who I ran into at the Varsity? Well, Karina of course. Once more she is working for TIFF as a stage manager at the Varsity. She is so cute.
So, my first TIFF film was "Ballets Russes," a documentary on the dance company, consisting mostly of Russian refugees, that revolutionized dance at the beginning of the twentieth century. This was THE only dance-related flick that I could see listed in the whole TIFF program this year and so, how could I miss it (you know, "Luba MUST SEE every dance movie ever made"). And, seeing this film was a tribute to my friend Diana in London. She absolutely loves ballet and seeing as she was the one that introduced me to TIFF, I figured that if she were here to TIFF with me, we’d be seeing this together. So, this one’s for you Di!!!

Inspired by the reunion of the dancers of the Ballets Russes in 2000, this is a poignant and affectionate look at the history of the ballet company and the wonderful characters and remarkable dancers that dazzled audiences between 1909 to 1962. Stock footage, rare clips from performances and interviews with positively delightful characters (now in their 70s, 80s and even 90s) combine to make a film that is a joy to watch from start to finish. Edited from 140 hours of footage to two hours, this film tracks the company politics, dancer romances, and the revolving door of choreographers (including Ballanchine). A side story on the power of a single promoter was an interesting sidebar as well.

This was one of those special TIFF experiences where the Q&A was just as wonderful as the film itself. Besides directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, one of the principal dancers (and I could shoot myself for forgetting his name) who is now in his 90s was on hand. Articulate, sharp, funny and full of life, this gentleman is a model for all of us. He recounted wonderful tales of the company’s hardships (i.e. these dancers were rarely paid) and amazing resilience. Despite his age, this former dancer is still setting pieces for companies around the world and is doing his part in attempting to save BalletsRusses works that could be lost forever if not recorded soon. Director Dayna Goldfine also talked about how she was inspired to make this film as she turned 40 because she was tired of making docs about teenagers and she was looking for role models for aging "gracefully." This film will be distributed widely in Canada and the US in later October, so if you are a dance fan or just love a well-crafted doc, make the effort to go see this film.
But drats, I did not get home until 11 pm and I missed "The L Word." Double drats!

I'll Sleep When TIFF is Over

2005-09-07T15:46:00.000-07:00