Toronto International Film Festival Program Notes

My comments on the film selection and the festival's new initiatives follow below. The hot links connect the reader directly to the online catalog of Toronto International Film Festival which will be September 10-17 and will screen 273 features. Last year it screened 249. 242 are world, international or North American premieres, and 71 are first features.

First off, my thanks go to the Toronto International Film Festival for the new City To City Section's selection of Tel Aviv which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Ten films have just been announced and there will be a public forum for filmmakers and thinkers from Tel Aviv and Toronto.

I do more than hope that we will not see the "Ken Loach experience" of Edinburgh and Melbourne repeat itself in uglier colors reminding us that September 11, 2001 happened in Toronto as it did everywhere else in the world. “The Ken Loach experience” happened when Ken Loach pulled 'Looking for Eric' because Edinburgh and Melbourne festivals were "supporting" Israeli filmmakers and he was supporting a boycott of Israel on behalf of the Palestinian cause. (For the record Loach is publicly affiliated with a UK based ultra leftist Trotskyite splinter political party.) The bravery of Edinburgh and Melbourne was tested in the face of those wanting to muzzle free expression, though in the end Edinburgh was coerced into pulling its offer to fly an Israeli filmmaker to Scotland and even pulled the film under fire. Melbourne stood firm but received bad news on another front from selected Chinese filmmakers who pulled their films because China was objecting to Melbourne's showing a doc on the Uighurs, the Muslim minority who were staging protests in China. Toronto is really putting itself on the line here and hopefully will not have to defend freedom of expression as it relates to artistic freedom and freedom of choice.

The City to City Section will “explore the evolving urban experience while presenting the best films from and about a selected city.” “Cities are, almost by definition, cinematic,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF co-director. “ By 2025, two-thirds of us will lead urban lives. We need to take a moment to think about what it means to live in these large and growing communities, with increasingly diverse and multicultural populations, and to consider how a city’s identity is perpetually in flux.”

Toronto probably could have shared City to City honor with Cairo: I counted at least 5 films taking place there: Agora, Scheherazade Tell Me A Story, The Traveler with Omar Sharif, Heliopolis, Cairo Time

Speaking of cities, let's talk urban U.S. indies which number among many of the festival films dealing with issues of youth, crime, and immigration. I'm proud to see the American indies are giving voice to theses universal issues. One of the buzz films at the festival is La Soga which takes place in Washington Heights, NYC and the Dominican Republic. Here's the synopsis off the Facebook page: An edgy, action-drama, combining the gritty reality of movies like "City of God" and "Amores Perros." It is the personal journey of a brave man who risks everything to find justice, a visceral and gripping story of redemption that lays bare brutality and corruption. The executive producer, Henry Mu, already has his next (finished) film to discuss in Toronto.

Down For Life takes place in South Central L.A. during one day in the life of a 15 year old Latina gang leader who wants out. And of course there is the Sundance gem, Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire.

Other strictly urban films include Heliopolis, Sawasdee Bangkok, Passenger Side, Cairo Time, My Tehran For Sale, The Waiting City.

Those dealing with the inevitable cross cultural links that must be made in urban environments include Bouchareb's London River// Jean Charles (both deal with the London bombings in 2005)// Reel Injun// Jaffa, Kirot// Crab Trap// Should I Really Do It// Gaia// Heiran// Same Same But Different.

We know some of the delights of the city are food and wine and here are films touching on these subjects: Cooking with Stella// Soul Kitchen// The Vintner’s Luck//,Vengeance// I Am Love

And we know some of the dark sides of the city involve drugs, crime and prison. I'm skipping the drug and crime films but here are the prison films: Presumed Guilty// Moloch Tropical// Every Day is a Holiday// Cell 211// Giulia Doesn't Date at Night

There is a notable number of films made by women. At my last and possibly inaccurate count there were 51 (not counting shorts). The reader may be aware of more, and if so add them in the comments. When the number reaches a near parity with the number of films made by men, this issue will no longer be something to note. But until then, I make note of those films here: The Waiting City// Partir// Women Without Men// My Tehran For Sale// Google Baby// Jaffa// Stolen// The Most Dangerous Man in America// Mall Girls// My Queen Karo// Heiran// Hipsters// The Topp Twins// Whip It// Blessed// Green Days// Bran Nue Dae// Beautiful Kate// A Brand New Life// Bare Essence of Life// The Day Will Come// Eamon// Every Day is a Holiday// Last Ride// Mall Girls// My Tehran For Sale// Nora// La Pivellina// My Dog Tulip// Saint Louis Blues// The Unloved// Fish Tank// The Angel// Once Upon a Time Proletarian: 12 Tales of a Country by same director as She, A Chinese// Hotel Atlantico// Melody of a Street Organ// Vision// White Material// Lourdes// My Year Without Sex// Le Pere de mes Enfants// Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel// Bright Star// Cairo Time// Tanner Hall// Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould// Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound// The Private Lives of Pippa Lee// The Vintner’s Luck

Women are not only directors, and as women they have issues, they are mothers, they have families, their families have issues, their partners have issues, their children have issues. I have broken out some of these issues as depicted in films as follow:

About women: My Heart Goes Hadippa// Partir, Women Without Men// Wheat// Whip It// Ahead of Time// Google Baby// The Topp Twins// Backyard, Blessed// Applause// Every Day is a Holiday// Le Jour ou Dieu est parti en voyage (The Day God Walked Away)// Nora// Should I Really Do It// She, A Chinese// Vision// Mother and Child// The Private Lives of Pippa Lee// The Young Victoria// Precious// Slovenian Girl// My Queen Karo// Scheherazade Tell Me A Story

About mothers: Mother// Google Baby// My Son My Son What Have You Done?// The Sunshine Boy// Blessed// The Angel// The Day Will Come// La Pivellina// Shirley Adams// Together// Excited// Mother and Child// J'ai Tue Ma Mere// My Toxic Baby

About family: Partir// The Hole, Eamon// The Happiest Girl in the World// Dogtooth// Heiran// Huacho// What's Your Raashee?// The Young Victoria// The Last Days of Emma Blank// Together// White Material

About school: The Trotsky// Whip It// Mall Girls// Heiran// Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire// Cracks// Tanner Hall // The Loved Ones

About fathers: The Boys Are Back//My Toxic Baby//The Vintner’s Luck// To The Sea// St. Louis Blues// Carmel// The Translator// Dixie Chicks// The Road// Vengeance// Beautiful Kate// A Brand New Life// Last Ride// The Misfortunates// Bena

About professors: After last year's Despair now being released in the U.S., what can these say? Leaves of Grass, A Single Man. A lot apparently, as A Single Man is based on a late novel of Christopher Isherwood. Leaves of Grass, The Loved Ones, High Life apparently belong in their own category but I won't go into that for now.

About politics: The Most Dangerous Man in America// Once Upon a Time Proletarian: 12 Tales of a Country // The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de sus ojos)// Women Without Men// Bassidj, Stolen, Videocracy// The Bubble // Beyond the Circle(Britter Bairey)// Moloch Tropical// Le Jour ou Dieu est parti en voyage (The Day God Walked Away)// Heiran, Prince of Tears// Tales From The Golden Age (Amintiri Din Epoca de Aur) // My Tehran For Sale, Independencia, Stolen, Cell 211, Scheherazade Tell Me A Story

About war: Triage// Balibo// Lebanon (Levanone) // Le Jour ou Dieu est parti en voyage (The Day God Walked Away)// City of Life and Death// Glorious 39 Other subjects which seem more prevalent than others in this line up include:


Other subjects that stand out by their prevalence in the program include:

India: My Heart Goes Hadippa// Road, Movie//Cooking with Stella// The Waiting City// Google Baby, The Man Beyond the Bridge (Paltadacho Munis)// What's Your Raashee? // A Hindu's Indictment of Heaven// Windo (Janala)

Iran: I have not had enough time to look at the many titles from Iran listed...yet...stay tuned.

Epic: Kamui (Kamui Gaiden) // Baaria// The Road // Valhalla Rising // Wheat

Based on the book: Women Without Men// Dorian Gray // Youth in Revolt // The Private Lives of Pippa Lee// Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire// What's Your Raashee?// Shameless//A Single Man// Under the Mountain // The Warrior and the Wolf// Beautiful Kate

Based on the true story, memoirs: Creation// My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done // The Boys Are Back// Hiroshima // The Informant! // Bright Star

How About Nora Ephron’s New Film?

I don't understand all the Nora Ephron bashing, as led by Nikki Finke.



"Julie and Julia" was a wonderful pean to two women finding their place in the world.



The saddest note is that Julia's pain about not having a child is never assuaged by the appearance of her true spiritual daughter. I wonder why she did not accept the tribute Julie offered her. Was she too old or was she in fact unconscious of the fact that this was her spiritual daughter? In the end, this is what gave the movie its pathos. I also wonder if Nikki's dislike of Nora has deeper meaning. But hey, this is Hollywood. We thrive off vitriol.

New Thread: Women in Movies

My blogs are often created as responses to requests of clients seeking research or to my own interests. I was recently put on the board of the new website www.Twolia.com and my blog on that site will be posted here as well because it is hitting that all important demographic: Woman.

Here is the first:
I am going to blog about women in film...starting with Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" which is bound for Academy Awards.

If you want to follow this blog, also sign up for free to www.imdb.com because that's where you can find out more about the names here. If you are a film professional, you might sign up ($100/ year) to www.IMDbPro.com where you'll get even more information with contact information.
So, Kathryn Bigelow has been an actress, is a writer, director and producer. A list of films she's directed (from IMDb of course) is here.

The Hurt Locker (2008)
Mission Zero (2007)
"Karen Sisco" (1 episode, 2004) - He Was a Friend of Mine (2004) TV episode
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)... aka K*19: The Widowmaker (USA: poster title)... aka K-19 - Showdown in der Tiefe (Germany)... aka K-19: Terreur sous la mer (Canada: French title)
The Weight of Water (2000)... aka Le poids de l'eau (France)
"Homicide: Life on the Street" (3 episodes, 1998-1999)... aka "Homicide" (USA: informal short title) - Lines of Fire (1999) TV episode - Fallen Heroes: Part 2 (1998) TV episode - Fallen Heroes: Part 1 (1998) TV episode
Strange Days (1995)
"Wild Palms" (1993) TV mini-series (hour 4)
Point Break (1991)
Blue Steel (1989)
New Order: Substance (1989) (V) (video "Touched By The Hand Of God")
Near Dark (1987)
The Loveless (1982)... aka Breakdown
The Set-Up (1978)
Her films are very male in that they deal with action, hard core crime, and in "The Hurt Locker", with war - this time in Iraq. After that absolutely fantastic film, you never need to see another movie on Iraq. I looked hard for the woman's touch and maybe found it in a rather out of place scene where one of the soldiers sneaks into a private home and the woman of the house yells at him until he leaves like a dog with his tail between his legs.

It looks like Bigelow is bound for the Oscars which brings to mind someone else's blog which I am going to post here as well. Anne Thompson in Thompson on Hollwood (TOH!) in her article (see Ladies First) says:

"If Kathryn Bigelow were to be nominated for best director, she would become only the fourth woman - and second American woman - ever to receive that honor. If “The Hurt Locker” were to be nominated for best picture, it would become only the seventh best picture directed (or co-directed) by a woman. And for the first time ever, she could have some female competition. Back in indieWIRE‘s post-Cannes awards check-in, we noted the first inclinations of this fantastic potential. Jane Campion (one of the previous three female director nominees) seems to be in good shape for contention after the Cannes screenings of her “Bright Star", and Lone Scherfig’s “An Education” was still enjoying the promise that met it at the Sundance Film Festival.

Both “Star” and “Education” - set for release in September and October, respectively - continue to seem like likely fixtures in the awards race. And they could possibly be joined by a few as-yet-unseen female-helmed films, from Mira Nair’s “Amelia” to Julie Taymor’s “The Tempest” to Nancy Meyer’s (who has supassed Penny Marshall as the highest grossing woman director) as-yet-untitled (It's Complicated) but promisingly cast (Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin!) new film. That makes for six strong female-directed possibilities - not to mention a slew of female-centric possibilities like Rob Marshall’s “Nine” and Lee Daniels’s “Precious” (oddly enough, both directed by gay men) - in these unchartered ten best picture-nominee waters. And wouldn’t that make good on the Academy’s suggestion that the fattened shortlist would “broaden the possibilities” of Oscar?

At this point, it would be surprising if five films that have already screened either theatrically or in festivals—“The Hurt Locker,” “Bright Star,” “An Education,” “Precious” and “Up”—did not end up serious contenders for Oscar’s top ten. That would make for half the list being filled with three female directed-films, a film directed by an African-American (which has never made the shortlist), and an animated film (which has happened just once in 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast”)."

Every Day is a Holiday / Chaque Jour est une Fête

I saw this film when it won the Works in Progress prize in Dubai. It is a film which you will be seeing in the top festivals.

Producer Thierry Lenouvel invites you to join the Facebook group "Every Day is a Holiday / Chaque Jour est une Fête". It's Independence Day in Lebanon: three women who've never met before are on the same bus heading to visit a prison situated in a remote area of the country. Traveling through an arid landscape littered with mines and decapitated dreams, the journey transforms into the women's quest for their own independence.

Thierry says, "Bonsoir à tous, on tente une nouvelle expérience : la coproduction de notre dernier film par souscription internet !Rejoignez-nous et inviter vos amis à nous rejoindre à leur tour... Merci."