September 29, 2017 — the first full day of the incredibly wonderful and oh-so-moving 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival — proved to be a delight and a joy, not just because the films we screened were exquisite and humane, powerful and life-changing, but because …

• The opening day, a VIFF-patron-friendly and peerlessly humane level of VIFF venue logistical organization was brought to the fore that was so respectful of VIFF filmgoers VanRamblings was both astounded and overjoyed (generally, there’s a great deal of kvetching from patrons in the early days of the Festival — not this year, for the very first time!).

  The commitment made by Cineplex International Village venue manager (which means he’s the head honcho), Peter Quin-Conroy — who this past three years has brought his management team (and volunteers) together to create and ensure a welcoming, efficient (read: absolutely hassle-free), near joyous and respectful of VIFF patron’s often fragile and difficult-to-articulate sensibilities VIFF filmgoing venue experience.

  Peter is once again this year more-than-ably assisted in his quest for VIFF venue transcendence, by his simply exquisite floor managers (they’re the ones who organize the lineups and allow ingress to the cinema, among other gargantuan and hard-to-imagine how they manage to perform their tasks of immense derring-do), the always no-nonsense (with a great sense of humour, and a ready, wry smile) Elizabeth Glancy, and new this year, Keely Langford (who quite simply just knocked our socks off — wow, wow, wow!). Please thank them when you see them.

  And, then there’s the too-wonderful-to-describe-in-words Centre for the Performing Arts venue manager Kaen Seguin (with able and humane assistance provided by the peerlessly efficient Jennifer [Jenny] Tennant). From the day that The Centre became a VIFF venue, we have never experienced a more efficient and welcoming ingress of VIFF patrons.

  And let’s not forget, VanRamblings’ favourite year-round, and full-time during VIFF, Vancity Theatre venue manager, Jonathan Stonehouse — who requires and much deserves a second-in-this-post wow, wow, wow!

  VanRamblings, on behalf of VIFF patrons everywhere, offers our undying appreciation to Festival Exhibitions Manager Sean Wilson (yep, VIFF’s numero uno when it comes to overall venue management), more than ably assisted by our newest Facebook friend, the always exquisite (hey, there’s just no other word to describe) Lora Haber, not to mention, VIFF’s Volunteer Engagement Manager, Brie Koniczek, who had more than a little to do with creating VIFF venue nirvana in 2017.

• VanRamblings heard an immense amount of ‘the sky is falling’ kvetching from VIFF volunteers (new policy respecting VIFF volunteers in 2017) prior to the start of the Festival. Not so since the Festival has gotten underway — the attitude of volunteers, thus far, sanguine and accepting, accompanied by a realistically-minded ‘wait-and-see’ attitude.
• Prior to the Festival, VanRamblings heard rumours that VIFF’s Director of International Programming was unhappy and ready to resign, post Festival. “Raymond, I don’t know where you hear these things. I am happy, and intend to be a part of the Festival for many years to come.” Alan has never mislead VanRamblings, ever — we take Alan at his word, and breathe (along with all loyal VIFF patrons) a sigh of relief.
• Ran into one of our very favourite people in the world, and a woman with whom we marched last Saturday in Vancouver City Council candidate Jean Swanson’s March and Rally to Implement a Mansion Tax, DOXA programmer and this year a projectionist at Cineplex International Village, the socially progressive, heart-filled, community activist VIFF leader of the future, the inimitable Selina Crammond, who gently cajoled, “Raymond. Of course, you’re going to vote for Jean Swanson. How could you, as a person of conscience, support anyone other than Jean?” Vancouver City Council / Vancouver School Board by-election voting day, Saturday, October 14th, the day after VIFF 2017 comes to a close.

Thelma, (Grade: B+): A work of some genius by master Norwegian director Joachim Trier, Thelma offers an unsettling, often oblique, yet always thought-provoking foray into Stephen King-style horror tropism, accented with Hitchcockian verve (think: The Birds), and tempered with the dark dynamics of family as seen through the lens of Ingmar Bergman. Gorgeously shot and realized, all of the performances accessible and heart-felt, Thelma never quite transcends the horror genre to become something more than what you see on the screen. Fascinating, yet ultimately disappointing, Thelma does manage to achieve what all great films strive for: a lasting impression in your mind and in your memory.

The Divine Order, (Grade: A-): VanRamblings’ favourite film, thus far, at VIFF 2017, writer-director Petra Volpe’s inspiring, often funny time capsule of a film offers a gentle, humane slice-of-real-life insight into the woebegotten plight of Swiss women prior to 1971, much of the film’s compelling narrative leading up to a 1971 referendum (in which only men could vote) that asked the question, “Should women be accorded the right to vote?” Surprisingly, and hearteningly, that answer proved to be “yes”. With infectious heart and a panoply of lived-in performances by an exquisite cast, by movie’s end The Divine Order emerges as so very much more than a feel-good cine-history lesson on the women’s suffrage movement in Switzerland, and much more an embrace of hope and an acknowledgement that history is a dynamic, and despite the imprecations of the Donald Trumps of the world, history and social conditions move inexorably forward towards the realization of social justice for all, for each and every one of us in every far flung corner of our globe.

On VanRamblings VIFF film-going schedule for Saturday: the vital immigrant drama from Aki Kaurismäki, The Other Side of Hope, which we wrote about on VanRamblings earlier in the week; the David House-recommended, Swallows and Amazon (hello! who doesn’t just love Kelly Macdonald, in every film and on every television show in which she’s had a role); and, on a ‘slow’ filmgoing day for VanRamblings, Okja, the latest film from Korean auteur Bong Joonho, who will be present to engage at tonight’s screening for what is sure to be a rewarding and enlightening conversation with this always provocative filmmaker.

Full VanRamblings coverage of VIFF 2017 is available by clicking here.

Thursday evening late, the first (somewhat truncated) day of the 36th annual Vancouver International Film Festival ended, VIFF officially having gotten underway, the lineups of patrons awash with good feeling (“What a lineup – so many strong films this year”), and audiences once seated at The Rio, SFU’s Goldcorp Theatre or The Centre for the Performing Arts (the three opening night venues, with four more venues being added today) wildly enthusiastic, with welcoming hugs all around, and an appreciation that our little festival by the sea has once again returned to our shores to open a humane window on our often troubled, yet still hope-filled, world.

The Centre, VIFF’s Opening Gala venue for Mina Shum’s new film, Meditation Park

VanRamblings was simply swept away by a VIFF opening night film, the Canadian première of Alexandra Dean’s exceptionally fine Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, a film which employs extensive research on Lamarr’s life conducted by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes, published in his book Hedy’s Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, the documentary also relying on first-person accounts from stars who knew Lamarr in her day, including a poignant yet humorous account by comedian Mel Brooks.

VanRamblings asked the permission of VIFF (and VanCity Theatre) programmer, Tom Charity, to publish his list of VIFF 2017 favourites …

“From Germany (and Bulgaria), Western, an observant film about men, without question one of the best films from Cannes this year, Valeska Grisebach’s third feature the long-awaited follow up to VIFF 2016 favourite, Longing. A Season in France (which screens tonight at The Rio, at 8:45pm), the latest film from Chad’s acclaimed auteur Mahamat Saleh Haroun, moving and deeply empathetic, the film’s compelling narrative presented from the too often ignored migrant point of view. Then there’s B.C.’s Never Steady, Never Still (Kathleen Hepburn), one of the strongest Canadian début features I have seen in years, the work of a natural filmmaker. Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name manages to make the first love / coming of age story feel like it’s never been done before.”

So, there you go, a panoply of can’t miss VIFF 2017 films from Vancity Theatre programmer, Tom Charity. I mean, don’t you just love the films Tom programmes year-round at Vancouver’s most welcoming cinema.
Meanwhile, VanRamblings’ very own Mathew Englander — who this year, as he does annually, attended Toronto’s film festival, where he screened 29 films — is over-the-moon enthusiastic about Michael Haneke’s new film, Happy End, his very favourite at TIFF 2017, about which he has written, “Happy End is my favourite movie of 2017 so far. Haneke’s new film is being compared to Amour because it has some of the same cast, but it kept reminding me of Benny’s Video, only updated for the social media era.”

Mathew also highly recommends two more films screening at VIFF 2017:

• Directions (dir. Stephan Komandarev). Six taxi rides in Sofia, each shot in a single take. Komandarev’s previous film, The Judgement, emerged as one of my VIFF 2014 favourites, but whereas that film had wide-open precarious mountain settings, Directions has an urban modern-noir look. The two films do, though, share a sophisticated sense of irony.
• Sami Blood (dir. Amanda Kernell). This is a compelling début feature about a 13-year-old Swedish, indigenous Laplander, Sami (Lene Cecilia Sparrok), an under-the-radar film that met with an enthusiastic reception at TIFF 2017, and should be considered a must-see at VIFF.

VanRamblings’ David House has screened writer / director / star Yilmaz Erdogan’s Sour Apples saying, “Raymond, you are going to love this film from Turkey, not only a visual feast of colours, costumes, light and locations — not to mention, Turkey’s entry for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film — but because, well, I mean … just look …

VanRamblings also recommends you keep an eye out for the new film from Agnès Varda (who directed VanRamblings favourite film of all time, Vagabond, starring the exquisite Sandrine Bonnaire, for which she won the Best Actress César) — Faces Places, part of the Spotlight on France series, and a featured film at this year’s prestigious 55th annual New York Film Festival, which kicked off yesterday and runs through Sunday, Oct. 15th.
Today, VanRamblings will catch the 1pm screening of Joachim Trier’s Thelma, at Cineplex International Village (which we also refer to as “Tinseltown”, which it used to be and is a much better name), in Cinema 9, followed by a break for a late lunch before catching Petra Volpe’s The Divine Order, at Tinseltown, Cinema 10 at 4:30pm, after which we intend to wander around town aimlessly bothering people on the street before lining up at The Centre for the 9pm screening of Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, The Square. Oh yes, VanRamblings has already written about these three films on our blog.
Now, Andrew Poon — VIFF’s Gateway / Dragons & Tigers media co-ordinator (we visited the whole VIFF publicity team yesterday, at the Sutton Place Hotel, and what a fine group of folks they are) — will have our head if we don’t write about the 65+ films from Asia that will screen at VIFF this year. So, we’ll set about to do that very soon. In the meantime …

Full VanRamblings coverage of VIFF 2017 is available by clicking here.

VanRamblings preview coverage is getting down to the crunch, given that the 36th annual Vancouver International Film Festival will nominally get underway this upcoming Thursday, and kick off in its full glory on Friday, September 29th. So many fine films to preview for readers, so little time.
If you’ve not read VanRamblings’ opening orientation column for VIFF 2017, you’ll want to click on the link that has just been provided you. If you’re looking for all of our coverage to date, simply click here.
In 2017, in addition to coverage of VIFF, VanRamblings is covering the Vancouver civic by-election, which somewhat ‘less partisan’ coverage oughta ramp up this week. Arising from our coverage of the by-election, VanRamblings’ coverage of VIFF 2017 will be somewhat prejudiced. Still, we’re almost as addicted to the film festival as has long been the case that we may not be able to help ourselves in providing more VIFF coverage.

Each September, the fine folks at VIFF present advance screenings of films set to ‘unspool’ at VIFF, films where VIFF will bring in writers / producers / directors or actors associated with a film. Of all the films in preview, by far the film with the most buzz is Melanie Woods’ Shut Up and Say Something, the must-see BC Spotlight film screening at VIFF 2017 on Wednesday, Oct. 4th at 6:15pm and Sunday, Oct. 8th at 12:30pm, at the Vancouver Playhouse. Spoken word artist Shane Koyczan (the “protagonist” in the film) and the film’s director will be in attendance at both screenings.

Each year the prestigious and heavily juried New York Film Festival takes place at the same time that the Vancouver International Film Festival does. Can’t make it to New York for NYFF55, not to worry — this year the 55th edition of the New York Film Festival shares 12 films with VIFF, which we’ll write about this upcoming Thursday, the kick off day for both festivals.
The trailer for Thelma, above, is there for a reason — cuz Thelma will screen this Friday, Sept. 29th at 1pm at the International Village (and again on Monday, October 9th, 6:30pm at the Vancouver Playhouse — and will also screen Friday and Saturday, October 6th and 7th at NYFF55 (just in case you want to take a break from VIFF and catch a screening of Thelma in New York). This Norway/Sweden/France/Denmark film directed by Joachim Trier (oh, c’mon, you know that Trier’s 2011 award winner, Oslo, August 31st just knocked your socks off) is another must-see at VIFF.
Here’s what Rodrigo Perez, in his review on The Playlist, has to say …

Trier’s beguiling, thought-provoking and icy supernatural thriller is his most ambitious film to date and yet still possesses the essence of the young filmmaker’s preoccupations about mental disorders and souls grappling with subconscious turmoil.

Moody and chilly, Thelma brings foreign language and arthouse sensibilities to the genre of the inexplicably psychic and mystical and this mélange — Stephen King fascinations and Ingmar Bergman’s fearful, existential relationship with God — makes for an utterly spellbinding portrayal of the unconscious mind and the terrible implications of transformative power. And yet, for all its genre tropes, Thelma is character-driven first and foremost and plays out like a vivid and nightmarish version of a coming of age story.

One more note before we close out today’s column: the big buzz film at Telluride this year, the film that knocked the socks off of filmgoers and critics alike at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month, the film that is a lock for a slew of Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture (which it could win) and Best Actress a lock for Saoirse Ronan, with a very probable Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for the always wonderful Laurie Metcalf, a simply stunning out of the blue début success for its novice director and longtime indie actress Greta Gerwig, yes, we’re writing about Lady Bird, which will screen at VIFF only once: on Monday, October 9th, 4pm at the Centre for the Performing Arts, after which it’ll be a whole month before the film opens in wide release Friday, November 10th.

Full VanRamblings coverage of VIFF 2017 is available by clicking here.

Cinéastes of the western, eastern, northern and southern world are counting down the days to the start of next Thursday’s much-anticipated 36th annual edition of the glorious Vancouver International Film Festival.
Today for your edification, VanRamblings presents a preview of three much-lauded films: Call Me by Your Name, the film that took Sundance by storm and won the Audience Award at the Melbourne Film Festival; BPM (Beats Per Minute), the 1990s-set AIDS activist drama, the celebrated Grand Prix and FIPRESCI award winner at Cannes this year; and Léa Mysius’ Ava, the coming-of-age story about a young girl who goes blind, which won the SACD Cannes Critic’s Week Award supporting new writers.

The smash at Sundance in January of this year, and equally lauded at Telluride earlier this month, Call Me by Your Name is a lock for several Oscar nominations, the film picked up at Sundance by Sony Pictures Classics (to be distributed by Mongrel Media in Canada), and set for a wide release on Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S. (and Canada), on Nov. 24th.
At VIFF, sometimes you want to be the first person among your group of friends to see a film early, and not have to wait a couple of months to catch it in regular theatres. For VanRamblings, and for many others, that’s probably the case with Call Me by Your Name, which will screen three times at VIFF, each time at The Centre for the Performing Arts: Thurs., Oct. 5th at 9pm, Sun., Oct. 8th at 9pm, and Thurs., Oct. 12th at 3:15pm.

Almost as celebrated as Call Me by Your Name, as Guy Lodge wrote in his Cannes review for Variety, Robin Campillo’s BPM (Beats Per Minute) jumps off the screen as a “sprawling, thrilling, abrasive, consoling and emotionally immediate portrait of 1990s Parisian AIDS activists, melding the personal, the political and the erotic to heart-bursting effect.”
And, as we wrote above, BPM (Beats Per Minute) was the Grand Prix winner at Cannes this year, not to mention the Cannes 2017 recipient of the prestigious International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI award.
As Peter Bradshaw writes in his five-star review in The Guardian …

Robin Campillo’s passionately acted ensemble movie about ACT UP in France in the late 80s – the confrontational direct-action movement that demanded immediate, large-scale research into AIDS, compellingly combines elegy, tragedy, urgency and a defiant euphoria, ACT UP’s goal to rouse the gay community from fatalism and torpor — and strike back against the hostile complacency of the political and Big Pharma.

The extraordinary power of the ACT UP campaign has assumed in cultural history is that it was something that valued life, but also made people think about death — the last taboo. It made staring into the sun not merely possible but necessary. For most people in their twenties, death is just a rumour. For the gay generation of the 80s and for ACT UP, mortality, illness and bereavement were facts they had to confront, without help from the agencies of the state.

This film has what its title implies: a heartbeat. It is full of cinematic life.

BPM (Beat Per Minute) screens twice at VIFF, both times at The Playhouse, Saturday, Sept. 30th at 3:15pm, and Monday, Oct. 2nd, at 6:15pm.

Part of the annual 10-film Spotlight on France VIFF series, the North American première of Léa Mysius’ celebrated La Semaine de la Critique (SACD) award at this year’s Festival de Cannes, Ava tracks 13-year-old Ava in the months following the information that she will lose her sight sooner than expected, and as she confronts the attendant problems in her own idiosyncratic way. Okay, that wasn’t very articulate: let’s try this …

• Jessica Kiang, Variety. Ava’s (Noée Abita) loss of sight perhaps mirrors her loss of innocence and coming of age. Ava is a film that doesn’t simply explore the textural possibilities of 35mm film for the hell of it, it makes thematic use of them, to stunning, evocative effect. Co-screenwriter, along with director Mysius, cinematographer Paul Guilhaume’s visually exquisite storytelling provides a compelling resonance in a story about vision, creating images of a peculiar richness in which the colours are saturated but the lens seems progressively more stopped-down so that even the brightest sunlight can feel portentous. “She’s blonde and sunny, and I’m dark and invisible” says Ava, self-pityingly comparing herself to her fair-haired love rival. But Ava’s darkness is anything but invisible; it has a glowering luminosity in a film that shines darkly.
• Wendy Ide, Screen Daily. A 13-year-old girl fights back against her impending blindness with guns — literally — blazing full bore in this insouciant tale of adolescent rebellion, the arresting visual sense of Léa Mysius’ feature début boasting a robust resistance to the cinematic clichés of the usual portrayal of disability, the film’s cello-infused, brutalized score providing a sense of menace, the film seeded with black: the dog, the police horses & the circles that Ava paints on her bedroom wall evoking both the fear of and fascination with her loss of sight.

That’s it for today. You may expect more previews of award winning (and lauded) films set to play VIFF 2017 this weekend, and next week.
Full VanRamblings coverage of VIFF 2017 is available by clicking here.