A veritable smorgasbord of films wow and inspire audiences
As one of the first international documentary film festivals in the world, the Guelph Film Festival was founded in 1984 and continues to screen films of both local and global relevance. This year’s festival took place at various intimate and accessible venues throughout the downtown core from Nov. 3 to 6, offering a wide range of documentaries and children’s programming.
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Cinema Travellers
Claire Wilcox
The festival opened with Cinema Travellers, a feature-length lyrical documentary which follows multiple “touring talkies,” old-fashioned mobile tent-cinemas, as they travel through regions of rural India. Beyond the wonder fostered by viewing a film, Cinema Travellers exposes the craft behind operating celluloid film through decaying projectors and how small “talkie” operations struggle to stay afloat and toy with going digital. This is overshadowed by realities of life in rural India and the physical breakdown of both humans and equipment. Directed by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya, this one is for the true cinema-lovers; the fixing and fiddling, the mechanisms and machinery behind showing a picture prove to be just as meaningful as creating it. The film is shown in Hindi and Marathi, with subtitles in English.
“We felt that it was a beautiful reminder of why cinema is important, and how it’s changing and evolving,” said festival coordinator Carolyn Mieli in an interview with The Ontarion. “We have a sense that the community’s really behind the festival, we’re really excited about the films.”
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Spirit Unforgettable
Dana Bellamy
Spirit Unforgettable is a film about the dedication, courage, and companionship among Celtic Canadiana rock band Spirit of the West as they prepare for a gig at the legendary Massey Hall. Director Pete McCormack combines archival footage that digs deep into the history of the band with a poignant narrative surrounding lead singer John Mann’s battle with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
While seemingly simple things like remembering lyrics become difficult for Mann, the band is aware that every time they step out on stage, there is potential for a train wreck. The film captures a sense of hope amid the struggle and effectively demonstrates the healing powers of music through Mann’s ability to write and perform despite what he describes as a “numbing white fog.”
By the film’s final scenes, Spirit of the West’s biggest beer-guzzling hit “Home For a Rest” takes on a whole new meaning, sending chills down the viewers’ spines in the most visceral way possible.
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Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest
Tiann Nantais
It is believed that the Skolt people of Finland were among the first to inhabit Scandinavia. Kaisa’s Enchanted Garden, a story of the Skolt people, is a new documentary by writer and director Katja Gauriloff. The film is presented through the eyes of Robert Crottet, a foreign visitor who spent much of his adult life within the Skolt community. During his stay, Crottet became very close with Kaisa, who we ultimately learn is Gauriloff’s grandmother. The film combines black and white footage of Kaisa’s life, with haunting illustrations of the Skolt legends she shares with Crottet. The major role these legends play throughout the film demonstrates how important traditions are to this community. Despite constant pressures from the outside world, the Skolt community in Finland was able to maintain their traditional way of life in which a relationship with nature was of the utmost importance. However, at the breakout of the Second World War, the Skolt people are displaced from their traditional settlement, and Crottet must do everything in his power to help his new family find land to call their own.
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How to Build a Time Machine
Tanner Morton
How to Build a Time Machine, from director Jay Cheel, tells the story of two men obsessed with the concept of time travel. One is an artisan attempting to perfectly recreate H. G. Wells’s time machine, the other is a physicist looking for a way to travel back in time to save the life of his father. While time travel is the film’s subject matter on the surface, the real narrative is revealed to be the parallel obsessions of two men and their goal to recover what has been lost in their life, whether through tragedy or just the natural passage of time. How to Build a Time Machine is a stunning examination of the speculative world of time travel, but it never sacrifices the human element of its story in favour of science fiction fantasy.
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Tomorrow (Demain)
Craig Burke
In a world where the effects of climate change are more evident than any other time in history, we have seen an influx of documentaries on the problems relating to these matters. However, documentaries on the people trying to come up with solutions have been rare. The 2015 documentary Tomorrow (Demain) fills this void by offering an optimistic outlook about the way people—particularly organizers and activists—all over the world are combating climate change.
Directors Mélanie Laurent and Cyril Dion investigate 10 countries to see how organizations and activists are reinventing agriculture, economy, and energy to combat climate change. The name of the film comes from the idea that in order to solve climate change, there should be an investigation into the positive actions that are creating a better tomorrow.
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Don’t Blink – Robert Frank
Dana Bellamy
Don’t Blink profiles the life and work of Robert Frank, notorious filmmaker and photographer famously known for his post-war photo collection, The Americans.
Through his candid approach, Frank is known for capturing the grit and honesty of his subjects. Backed by a soundtrack of experimental jazz and garage rock, the documentary roughly chops together interviews, archives, and Frank’s film footage, building on the chaos and sincerity of his own character.
While the participatory approach to Laura Israel’s documentary defies Frank’s inconspicuous “fly on the wall” style, it allows for humorous and authentic interactions between the filmmaker and subject as long-time collaborators and friends.
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The Crossing
Fiona Cashell
The Crossing, directed by George Kurian, is a documentary following a group of Syrian refugees residing in Egypt, as they attempt a dangerous journey across the sea to Italy in 2014.
After fleeing their homes in Syria, the group of friends continue to face adversity and discrimination in Egypt. The group makes a decision to go to Europe with the help of smugglers to try and find a new life.
Unfortunately, their arrival in Europe does not signal the end of their troubles. Some of the group members have a hard time being shipped between different refugee camps. Others are unable to enrol in language classes or find work. The frustration of their situation in Europe makes them wish they could return to Syria, if only for some familiarity, but the home they have left behind is quickly becoming lost as the war progresses.
The film portrays the humanity of those crossing. By showing moments of laughter, fear, joy, and anxiety, the film helps the viewer to better appreciate the stories they hear in the news regarding refugees. The use of hidden cameras by the passengers allows the audience to see the world from the refugees’ perspective.
Feature photo by Dana Bellamy.