Browsing: Special Edition

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My number one pick is a documentary film which profiles Lesley Slowley. An artist and environmentalist, Slowley lives his life differently from the rest of us. He travels using his bicycle…backwards. The term he uses is “backwards rider.” The film shows Slowley on a day in his life during the Occupy movement in Toronto last year, where he taught people courses on how to recycle papers to create art.

The camera follows him as he travels backwards on his bicycle through the streets of Toronto. As he travels, you can relate to the reaction on the faces of pedestrians. It’s not exactly what we could consider normal behaviour. But Slowley claims there are “billions of backwards riders.” The climax of the story occurs when Slowley is confronted by the police for his dangerous way of traveling. The tension is palpable. As a viewer, you feel as if you are present in the scene.

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Audiences are expected to be active participants when immersive cinema is introduced to Toronto by 360 Screenings on May 25, 2012. Created by Ned Loach and Robert Gontier, this film screening merges the worlds of cinema and immersive theatre to produce a truly unique experience.

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A positive buzz is in the air this week as Canadian independent filmmakers get ready to showcase their talents. Hollywood studio films may attract general audiences, but Canadian indie filmmakers are hoping to make a change. The spotlight will be placed on films made by hometown talents, with the revival of the Canadian Film Fest from March 28 to 31st. The festival, which was created by Toronto film enthusiast Bern Euler, originally began in 2004 but ended temporarily in 2008 because of the economic crisis, resulting in lack of sponsorship money. Its return this year provides a great platform for Canadian filmmakers who continuously struggle to share their stories with an audience.

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There’s been a lot of talk lately about the perceived death of Hollywood. Between movies like Battleship, the incumbent Stretch Armstrong and Transformers 4, Tyler Perry, and pretty much the entirety of the 2012 Oscars, many see the film industry as being on its last legs. It’s difficult to blame them. There’s so much wrong in Hollywood today (what’s up, box-office-record-breaking Twilight Saga?) and so much that has been said about it that it’s difficult for me to not come across as a broken record right now. Here’s the condensed version: reboots, remakes, spin-offs, sequels, toy adaptations, regular adaptations, adaptations of adaptations (and adaptations of these adaptations)…it was depressing just typing that. As jaded as any passionate moviegoer may be (believe me, I feel your pain), imagine how much more jaded young aspiring filmmakers must be. You’d think we would be, right?

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