Author: Ayan Chowdhury

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Music

Math-pop and synth rock POP Montreal

During Jian Ghomeshi’s wonderful show at the Olympia Theatre last Thursday, I got a chance to chat with a rather enthusiastic fan there to see Braids. He introduced himself as Vincent and had the familiar look of a musician. I soon found out that Vincent was in fact playing a show later that night as part of the POP Montreal lineup. Invited to hear them play a set, I dec

Photo by Vivien Gaumand.

ided to take a mini detour and head out to the Quai des Brumes on Saint-Denis St.

Gulfer, like many of the bands featured in this year’s festival, hail from Montreal. Formed in 2011, the band is comprised of David (bass/vocals), Simon (drums), and my new acquaintance Vincent (guitar/lead vocals). During my conversation with David, he described their sound with terms such as “math-pop” and “jazz-emo” — and I’m still not quite sure what those terms mean — but as opposed to many synth-heavy bands, I’ll just call it ‘alternative indie rock with balls.’ Once inside the Quai Des Brumes, I finally got a chance to watch these guys play live, and boy, were they fun. In an energy-filled set consisting of a handful of songs, they got the crowd to dance, then mosh-pit, and then dance some more.

Part of POP Montreal ‘s charm is becoming acquainted with such up-and-coming bands and the wide-eyed musicians who genuinely consider themselves lucky to be part of a major festival. More importantly, bands such as Gulfer strive towards taking music from a part-time hobby to a full-time profession. David, for example, is both excited and surprised at the thought of their album Transcendentals selling copies in Japan through their label Friend of Mine Records. As for the very near future, Gulfer is currently working on their full-length release, slated to be out in 2014.

Once a movie theatre, the Corona Theatre in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighbourhood is now home to one of the city’s hottest concert venues — it helps to be partnered with evenko. On Sunday, Danish electro-pop songstress Oh Land took the stage, and she is part of a new breed of pop musicians: a powerful voice backed by synth-heavy catchy melodies. Not only is she a talented pianist, the former Copenhagen-born ballet performer is quirky, confident, and stunningly beautiful. She’s got undeniable stage presence, an adorable accent, occasional dance moves, and of course, a voice that’s simply intoxicating. With her latest release Wish Bone, Oh Land is definitely on the verge of stardom. Backed by a band consisting of drums, guitar, and a DJ, she not only performed a whirlwind 2-hour set for a crowd of 300 but hung around afterwards to sign copies of her new album.

Opening for Oh Land was Sun Rai, the brainchild of Rai Thistlethwayte, an Australian musician who has been performing in various bands since the age of 18. Backed by a drummer Abraham Rounds, the soulful jazzy sound of the band is only enhanced by Rai’s soothing, impressive voice, and equally superb piano chops. It’s very easy to root for a musician who’s so energetic, gracious, and supremely talented. In fact, I was able to have a quick chat with Rai after his performance and he was all smiles, offering me a signed copy of his new album, Live At Studio Delux.

 

Categories
Music

A night of laughter, insight and music

Press photo of Jian Ghomeshi

The annual POP Montreal festival has just wrapped up its 11th edition. Featuring hundreds of artists from the indie rock scene—and quite a handful of them hailing from Montreal—POP Montreal also showcased numerous films, (Film Pop), and art exhibits, (Art Pop), during its four-day run from Sept.25-29.

On Thursday, CBC Radio One’s Jian Ghomeshi brought his popular show Q to the Olympia theatre. Ghomeshi, the silky-smooth baritone-voiced broadcaster of Iranian descent, has spoken to notable musicians, actors, and writers since the show first began in 2007.

If you’ve ever watched or listened to his show, you’d know that his introductions are the stuff of legends. His interviews function differently than your average late-night talk show; the guests seem more at ease as the clever host combines a genuine sense of curiosity with sharp pertinent questions. Thus, entertainers are able to simply be themselves and lower their guard, instead of attempting to keep up an act.

During his interview with comedian Louis C.K. for example, the nature of Ghomeshi’s therapy session-like abilities are evident as he engages in thoughtful conversations rather than merely playful—but eventually meaningless—banter. The most wonderful thing about that interview may be the fact that C.K. doesn’t crack a single joke throughout the conversation. Instead he’s allowed to simply muse about life in an introspective sort of way. That’s the kind of effect Ghomeshi has on his guests, and as usual, this was the case last Thursday.

The first guest of the night was Montreal’s very own piano man, Patrick Watson, the angelic-voiced musician whose ethereal songs have been featured in numerous films and TV shows. For Watson, the burgeoning Montreal music scene is one based more on collaboration and less on competition. He later performed a few songs with the help of his backup band.

The second guest of the night was Canadian author Louise Penny, who stands as something of a hero within the nation’s literary scene. Her latest novel How The Light Gets In, debuted at number one on the New York Times  Bestsellers list, quite an accomplishment given that she is in competition with J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown.

The show then took a serious tone as it featured a discussion regarding the controversial Charter of Quebec Values with a panel including Journal de Montreal’s Lise Ravary, La Presse’s Marc Cassivi and CBC’s C’est La Vie’s Bernard St-Laurent. Ghomeshi’s willingness and ability to discuss music, literature, and somehow seamlessly turn the page towards more current social affairs is a truly remarkable gift.

His quick wit has always been evident, but it’s his attention to detail and the extensive research on his subjects that make him one of the most brilliant and well-respected radio hosts in Canada. It’s these characteristics that brought a nearly sold-out crowd to the Olympia theatre.

Following that sobering conversation, Braids, a fast-rising Montreal-based indie rock band, nominated for the 2011 Polaris Music Award, performed a song from their latest album Flourish // Perish. They then discussed the process of recording an album as a three-piece rather than a four-piece band. Given his past as a member of a ‘90s Canadian folk-rock group, Ghomeshi not only respects the process of music making, he thoroughly understands it.

Coming off his insanely popular bilingual comedy show Le Show Franglais: You’re Gonna Rire, the host then sat down with his good friend and Montreal comedian,Samir Khullar a.k.a. Sugar Sammy. They discussed comedic inspiration, such as Eddie Murphy’s Delirious, and  his future plans, which include a bilingual comedy show in India. There was likely a sense of great mutual pride for each other, since both Ghomeshi and Khullar are quintessential Canadian success stories: first-generation immigrants who have won fame, success and accolades within their respective fields.

But perhaps the show-stopper of the night was the hilarious Antoine Bertrand. An actor known more for his comedic roles, he sat down with the CBC host to talk about his latest dramatic film, Louis Cyr, based on the famous French-Canadian strongman.

Ghomeshi wrapped up this live taping in Montreal with another performance by Patrick Watson, ending the evening on a beautiful note.

It would almost be a disservice to refer to CBC’s Q with Jian Ghomeshi as simply another radio show. In fact, it’s become so popular that every episode is taped live in studio to be streamed on its official website and broadcasted on CBC television. He transcended radio long ago. As an award-winning journalist and a best-selling author, for his autobiography 1982, Ghomeshi is now a formidable staple in Canadian pop culture, a celebrity in his own right who interviews celebrities for a living.

Photographs by Keith Race, Jessica Romera 

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Categories
Arts

Where are you getting what you are eating?

All of Us Guinea Pigs Now? screens Monday October 7 at 7 p.m. in room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. The event is co-presented in collaboration with the Festival du Nouveau Cinema. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia. Press photo.

What are the back-door politics behind the food that we consume every day? Where and how are they really produced and what kind of chemicals are used? What are its harmful effects? These are a few of the issues tackled by the film All of Us Guinea Pigs Now? by French director, Jean-Paul Jaud.

According to the documentary, most of the world’s governments have authorized the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) after having studied their effects on animals. The film also asserts that these studies usually last for only three months, often too short of a time span to determine the various chronic effects associated with the use of GMOs. However, a secret research study was recently undertaken in France, testing the adverse health effects of a certain type of genetically modified seed and the results were frightening. The rats used in the study were prone to developing cancerous tumors and eventually succumbed to premature death.

The film travels from France to Senegal and Japan, showcasing various groups of outspoken farmers and protesters. In Japan, for example, the major environmental issue is the use of nuclear power, a contentious subject since the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima. In Senegal, we find a group of organic farmers very much against the use of GMOs, a belief which they pass on to the younger generation of food producers.

In the case of Japan, the documentary arbitrarily asks: how can a nation that suffered from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII (and the subsequent decades of harmful radioactive effects) allow the explosion of the nuclear plant at Fukushima to occur?

Outside of a few scenes in Senegal and Japan, the film fails to truly remain engaging, especially during the long stretches filmed in France. The director presents ideas that are at best subversive and at worst based on unfounded conspiracies.

For example, according to the film, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank are “mercenary organizations working for the U.S. and are the oligarchies and financial muscles of the food-processing industry.” We, as an audience, are expected to simply swallow this as unquestionable truth.

This film feels as if activists have made it solely for other activists, instead of the average filmgoer.

All of Us Guinea Pigs Now? fails to create an immediate sense of connection and compassion, asking questions that have little to do with the topic at hand. While the issue of what goes into our food supply is an important one, it seems that the makers of this film are so obviously vexed, so righteously indignant towards the ‘big bad enemy,’ that they fail to present their argument fully.

All of Us Guinea Pigs Now? screens Monday October 7 at 7 p.m. in room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. The event is co-presented in collaboration with the Festival du Nouveau Cinema. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

 

Categories
Arts

All that glitters is not gold

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth screens Monday Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. Press photo.

A gentle voice surveying the vast golden skies and the blue seas opens the film Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth, a documentary on the Mayan resistance in Mexico and Guatemala against the destruction of their ancient homes, cultures, and traditions.

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth screens Monday Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. Press photo.

The Mayan calendar once foretold that the end would bring about a natural change in colour, that the Gods would destroy the people, and the world would begin anew. Yet, this change of colour can already be found in Guatemala, in the form of luscious green rainforests cut down to make room for dull gray gold mines, thanks to the vengeful multinational corporate “gods.” In addition, the suffering masses are the indigenous Maya who reside in Mexico and Guatemala fighting a losing battle against these industries.

Written and directed by Frauke Sandig and Eric Black, this award-winning documentary follows six individuals who all come from different walks of life yet inevitably share the same cultural identity.

It is a culture which embodies the harmonization between man and his natural surroundings, emphasizing the duties towards protecting his environment, the vast forests, and the various animals which reside within it. The preservation of culture is the preservation of one’s way of life. But the preservation of the Mayan way of life in Chiapas, Mexico and in Guatemala, is determined by the preservation of nature.

Unfortunately, more than two-thirds of the Lacandon rainforests have been destroyed in the past 30 years. In Guatemala, trees have been cut down, wells have dried up, houses have been brought down, and people have been severely affected by the chemical use of cyanide all in the name of gold (some by Canadian industries no less). Chiapas, which once held a diverse ecosystem, has now been left as a wasteland. Furthermore in Mexico, indigenous people who rely heavily on cornfields have been struggling against mega-corporations such as Monsanto, who produce cheaper genetically modified corn.

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth can at times seem like a slow-paced film, especially when it showcases the many complex rituals of the Mayan people. Nonetheless, the filmmakers manage to create a documentary that is both vivid and beautiful, with an expertly-detailed focus on natural landscapes and exotic creatures.

The film also deals with the identity crisis faced by many Maya in Guatemala and Mexico, a struggle between what it means to be Latino as opposed to indigenous; it is a literal, and often dangerous, clash of cultures. It is a struggle based upon the old ways versus the new, what culture once was, and what has become of it today in a modernized world that values profit over preservation. According to Mayan beliefs, everything living that exists on earth must be taken into account along with mankind; humans make only one part of the entire structure. After all, if everything under the sky truly is connected, then nothing should be excluded, forgotten, or destroyed without grave consequences.

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth screens Monday Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. The event is part of Divine Interventions: Documentary, Spirituality, and Social Justice. Directors Frauke Sandig and Eric Black, and special guests speakers will be in attendance. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia

Categories
Arts

The right to sexual expression

Screenshot from Scarlet Road
Screenshot from Scarlet Road

Are intimacy, connection and touch any less different if one has to pay for it? Are they any less different if one is not able-bodied?

Scarlet Road, directed by Catherine Scott, follows Australian sex worker and activist Rachel Wotton as she visits various friends and clients, educates fellow sex workers and travels to parts of Europe. Wotton has been in this industry for more than 16 years. In fact, she admits she’s always been drawn to it. She resides in New South Wales, Australia, one of the few places in the world that has decriminalized the sex industry. At least in principle, they can operate like “any other business.”

John Blades, who has multiple sclerosis and is wheelchair-bound, is one of Wotton’s many clients. The time they spend together makes him feel normal and at ease with himself, like an “able-bodied person within a disabled shell,” he says. The director does a fine job of filming their scenes in a tasteful fashion.

Wotton also travels to Gothenburg, Sweden for the World Congress for Sexual Health in order to talk about her unique experiences and her work for Touching Base Inc., an organization which helps people with disabilities and sex workers in matters of “access, discrimination, human rights and legal issues.” During the conference, Wotton’s ability to articulate her experiences and concrete facts is noted by her audience, a trait which is far different than those who come from a purely clinical and academic background.

Scott also follows Wotton in her personal life. Although Wotton would like to move to Queensland, Australia in order to be with her longtime boyfriend, there are complications because the sex work industry is illegal in that part of the country.

This is a thoroughly engaging film regarding a subject seldom discussed so openly. Scott allows Wotton to share her story through her own words and actions, rarely interfering and focusing both on sexual education and narrative honesty. As an observational documentary, it aims for immediacy between subject and audience. In fact, it feels as though the camera is working as a therapeutic device for a woman who likely faces frequent discrimination in such a stigmatized industry.

Wotton’s happy-go-lucky attitude is particularly endearing. She admits why she chooses differently-abled people as clients, “I like the fact that my job always entails pleasure, making someone feel better about themselves, that they are the centre of someone’s attention and they deserve to smile.”

Scarlet Road screens Monday April 8 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. The event is co-presented with STELLA. Rachel Wotton will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

Categories
Arts

The promise of prosperity

Press photo for Land in Revolt: Impure Gold
Press photo for Land in Revolt: Impure Gold

What is the price of wealth?

Land in Revolt: Impure Gold is directed by filmmaker and activist Fernando Solanas. Travelling through the vast valleys of Argentina, he encounters environmentalists, professors, farmers, politicians, protesters and engineers as he searches for answers in a country fraught with exploitation. The film draws a web of corruption connecting the major mining corporations with some of the most powerful politicians in Argentina, including its current and former presidents.

The film begins by charting a history of exploitation in South America, going as far back as 1650. For instance, over a period of 400 years Bolivia is said to have been “looted” of its rich minerals by Spanish conquerors.

Argentina holds the sixth largest mineral reserve in the world, assessed at over $200 billion US. Thus, large-scale mining operations arrived during the 1990s, leading to increased exploration and a prospective boom. However, as Solanas demonstrates throughout the film, the social and environmental impact of these mining projects have become severe and destructive. Farming families living near these sites witness their animals—essentially their livelihood—dying of contamination while their houses and farms are bulldozed to create more exploration space. In addition, heavy amounts of water are used for mining. This leaves little for the surrounding communities, who often live without electricity. It comes as no surprise that the social exploitation of the mining industry in Argentina has led to widespread poverty, unemployment and malnutrition.

According to the film, the billions of dollars in profits generated from mining rarely comes back to Argentina, as once promised by the government. In fact, the mining corporations in Argentina are tax-exempt from all of their investments. Moreover, village workers are rarely hired as a result of their lack of professional experience. As one environmentalist notes, “they’ll rob us until there’s nothing left.”

However, this film suffers as a result of its uneven pacing. During the scenes at Minera Alumbrera, one of the largest mining sites in Argentina, the director does little to help alleviate the dullness. Lacking both music and quick edits for long stretches at a time, Solanos overestimates the patience and sympathies of a non-Spanish speaking and non-Argentinian audience. However, as an experienced filmmaker, he manages to showcase some wonderful images of his native land, especially the red rocky mountainous regions in the Argentinian valley.

During the final act, we find citizens fed up of their dire situations and conducting major protests against the many injustices allegedly committed by the mining companies in conjecture with the Argentinian government. Despite the violent and shady methods used by the larger powers-that-be to threaten and discourage the protesters, a rising sense of unity among both villagers and city-dwellers is apparent by the end of the film.

Land in Revolt: Impure Gold screens Wednesday April 3 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

Categories
Arts

The drying well, the draining of life

Press photo for Last Call at the Oasis
Press photo for Last Call at the Oasis

Water, as a resource, is a fundamental necessity to our existence, yet from China to the Middle East to California, nearly every region of the world is facing a shortage of it. In fact, by 2025, half of the world’s population will not have adequate access to clean water. To make matters worse, less than one per cent of the earth’s water is actual freshwater that is available to drink. This begs the question: how can we ensure, now and in the future, that there will be high quality drinking water for all?

Produced by Participant Media, the same people who brought us An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc. and Waiting For Superman, Last Call at the Oasis is directed by Oscar winner Jessica Yu. The film deals extensively with this global water crisis and looks at various solutions to help alleviate it, taking audiences across the United States, Australia and Israel during its investigation.

According to the film, California is the very epitome of the global water crisis. The Central Valley, which produces nearly 25 per cent of the food consumed in the United States, is battling the U.S. government over production resources. Farming typically takes nearly 80 to 90 per cent of water consumption in most states, with the other 10 to 20 per cent being distributed to other remaining areas, such as commercial or residential areas, or even for power usage. Considering this, in California’s case the combination of climate change, population growth and groundwater depletion spells major trouble.

When Ohio’s Cuyahoga River burst into flames in 1969 (yes, you read that right), the American environmental movement became galvanized. This eventually led to the foundation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the signings of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, in 2005, former U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney helped create the so-called “Halliburton Loophole,” which exempted all the major gas and fracking industries in the U.S. from the Safe Drinking Water act. Naturally, this led to highly contaminated and toxic water levels in many parts of the United States, such as Midland, TX., the childhood home of former president George W. Bush. Today, the rise in cancer among many citizens of Midland is reaching alarming levels. As one commentator sarcastically notes, “most people don’t poison their hometown.”

This is an expertly made film: its slick cinematography, fast-paced editing, superb effects and excellent use of music make it apparent that this is about as high-budget and sophisticated as they come among documentaries. One of most effective scenes occurs early on in the film: unsettling images of impoverished citizens from a Third World country fighting for water distributed by foreign aid workers are pinned to contrast to our Western world with water parks, golf courses, car washes and water fountains. As American scientist Peter Gleick argues, “an infinitely growing population cannot be satisfied with a finite amount of water on this planet.”

The various activists, small-time farmers and environmental scientists highlighted in this film exemplify one of Albert Einstein’s most famous quotes: “those who have the privilege to know have a duty to act.” Hopefully the more we know, the more likely we are to do the right thing.

Last Call at the Oasis screens Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 De Maisonneuve W. As part of World Water Week, this screening is in collaboration with Back the Tap Coalition. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

Categories
Arts

The winter of Russian discontent

Still from Anton Seregin's doc film Winter, Go Away! (2012)
Still from the documentary film Winter, Go Away! (2012)

This week’s installment of Cinema Politica has an appropriate title considering the time of year but, ironically, it has nothing to do with the cold or the icy sidewalks of Montreal’s most bone-chilling season.

Winter, Go Away! (2012), a documentary directed by Anton Seregin, Marina Razbezhkina and Askold Kurov, bears a title that subtly refers to the “winter of our discontent,” felt by many Russian citizens, reluctant to see a third presidential term in 12 years go to Vladimir Putin.

This is an observational documentary, meaning that there’s neither commentary nor music. The filmmakers take a fly-on-the-wall approach. As such, Winter, Go Away! also serves as an exposé of Russia’s shady political dealings.

The directors follow several anti-Putin protesters and other outspoken critics, leading up to the “Rally for Fair Elections” held in Moscow in February 2012, and then culminating with the elections held a month later. On more than one occasion, viewers are brought to understand the burning questions that spur the protestors onward. For instance, during a university lecture he is giving, Ivan Mironov – a writer and activist – asks why anyone would consider voting for Putin, considering his numerous alleged abuses of power. One student simply states: “It doesn’t matter who we vote for, it won’t change a thing.” Taken aback, Mironov replies: “What if it did?” Mironov’s comment makes it clear that questions of this sort are what fuels their hopeful, yet inevitably futile, democratic ambitions.

One of the more amusing scenes in the film occurs when we see a group of dissenters wearing Guy Fawkes masks, quietly travelling by bus and casually reading the morning paper. The filmmakers also encounter the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, an all-female group with political goals whose members hide their faces behind colourful balaclavas. The cameras capture their infamous protest, that of an impromptu performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, a stunt which lead to their arrests but which also garnered them international headlines.

Nonetheless, the film falters in its inability to provide the viewer with enough background information regarding the various players in Russian politics, often leaving the audience confused. Although the subject matter is highly relevant, in light of Russia’s recent state of internal affairs, the documentary’s execution lacks lustre. Without the proper context, the film doesn’t fully resonate emotionally and the viewer is left watching fiery Russians bicker about matters that they don’t fully understand. The filmmakers perhaps make the most grievous assumption in expecting us, as outsiders, to care from the very beginning.

What you’ll find in Winter, Go Away! is fragmented vignettes of brewing political unrest. Be it through electrifying scenes shot from the heart of chanting mass protests or through stolen instances of police brutality, what’s portrayed is the plight of the average Russian activist, restlessly fighting for his political and civil rights, one day at a time.

Winter, Go Away! screens March 18 at 7 pm in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Askold Kurov will be in attendance. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia

Categories
Arts

A more humane method of food production

Press photo for Voices of Transition
Press photo for Voices of Transition

When it comes to food, the term ‘fruits of our labour’ arguably doesn’t often apply to the 21st century citizen. While places such as the Atwater Market showcase local produce during the summer months, it’s safe to assume that most Montrealers purchase their food at major chain supermarkets.

Written, produced and directed by Nils Aguilar, Voices of Transition showcases different and more homegrown examples of food production. In “agribusiness,” there’s a systematic tendency that says “bigger is better”; more machines, more production, more distribution and, ultimately, higher profits. However, this approach has had severely destructive effects on not only the people who consume or once produced the food (such as small-time farmers), it hurts our precious planet. In fact, it is estimated that agriculture accounts for nearly 40% of global warming.

Spanning across parts of France, England and Cuba, this film also investigates the increasingly complicated subject of food production; who makes it, how they make it, how much do they make and waste, and what are the socio-economic and environmental implications of large-scale, global food overproduction and distribution. In Europe, for example, the majority of agriculture subsidies go towards some of the most environmentally unfriendly corporations.

However, many are resisting such wide-scale practices by not only boycotting major supermarkets, but also by simply growing their own food. The eccentric Mike Feingold, a British permaculturist, is shown making his own apple juice and cider. His beliefs lie in “earth care, people care and fair share,” which ultimately brings together environmental, ecological, and societal needs. Feingold is a citizen of Totnes, England, one of a growing number of so-called “transition” towns in which the issues of housing, food production, transportation, and energy are creatively tackled by its citizens in unison, as a community. They attempt to remain resilient against any economic unpredictabilities.

The film encourages such examples of local-based food products and production, in which the fate of every citizen is tied to each other’s input and output, placing a great deal of importance on communal harmony. At the very least, inhabitants living in transition areas learn new skills, such as the means to grow their own vegetables.

The film includes a few breathtaking scenes, such as the south of France in all of its picturesque beauty: rows of redbrick townhouses, ancient chapels and endless miles of golden wheat fields where cattle and horses roam. However, many of these very same farmers have been driven out of business while others have been forced to change their business practices to something less than moral in order to comply with multinational agricultural biotechnology corporations such as Monsanto.

By the second half, this film takes a more optimistic turn, exploring how communities meet their own needs, not by building fences, but by sharing space and working together. Total self-sufficiency isn’t the goal. After all, we live in an interdependent planet; self-reliance is the ultimate objective. The film essentially asks whether the world will continue to march on the same destructive path or create a new, more efficient system built on self-preservation.

Voices of Transition screens Monday Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia

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Arts

It’s bigger than hip hop

Yanick Létourneau’s film United States of Africa (2012). Photo by Yanick Létourneau
United States of Africa (2012). Photo by Yanick Létourneau

“Yes we can . . . ” and “I have a dream . . . ” These famous words echo through the opening scenes of Yanick Létourneau’s film United States of Africa (2012). The Concordia University graduate’s latest documentary explores the stagnant and corrupt socio-political climate of Africa and the dissatisfaction felt by many of its inhabitants. The film follows hip hop artist Didier Awadi, who has set out on a mission to educate African youth, both at home and abroad, of the growing problems facing their continent. Along the way he recruits a talented host of politically-active and socially-conscientious musicians to help spread his message.

Awadi travels around Africa, Paris and New York, recording songs for his upcoming album Presidents d’Afrique. He features artists such as Smockey (Burkina Faso) and the young Zuluboy. For Awadi, hip-hop is merely the medium, education is the message. He intends to offer a constructive critique of his society and its crooked politics, while above all making “conscious music.”

The lands of Africa are rich in natural resources such as oil, diamonds, gold and minerals, thus they continually attract foreign interests. Former colonial powers circle like sharks, and many former nationalist leaders who have upset the status quo are simply eliminated. Assassinations include those of revolutionary leaders Patrice Lumumba; the first elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, and Thomas Sankara; the young, charismatic Prime Minister of Burkina Faso. Both called for a unified Africa free from outside influence. Their coup d’états were allegedly orchestrated by the powers that be, namely France, Belgium and the United States. When Awadi travels to New York City to record a song with M-1, from the influential hip-hop group Dead Prez, it seems almost too fitting.

According to the film, such assassinations have allowed the wrong men to rule, leading to devastating effects on the economy, the unequal balance of power and the low standards of living in most parts of Africa. Smockey argues that “this poverty is maintained because it serves the interest of some and it provides access to a certain form of power.”

From the onset of the film, it’s quite apparent that Létourneau is a highly creative and stylish visual storyteller. With Awadi as his steady narrator, the director frames some wonderful shots of the joys, anguish and everything else in between residing in restless Africa. He also incorporates concert footage along with black and white historical speeches to add flavour to the film.

United States of Africa screens Monday Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Yanick Létourneau will be in attendance. This screening is co-presented in collaboration with Black History Month and with the support of the Concordia University Alumni Association. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

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Arts

The disease that demolishes porn stars

Press photo for Inside Lara Roxx
Press photo for Inside Lara Roxx

Porn undeniably holds a sense of fantasy. For many, it’s an escape and a welcomed distraction. Yet, like most industries, there’s also a destructive side to it.

Produced and directed by Mia Donovan, Inside Lara Roxx recounts the story of a young woman from Quebec who sought money, sex, and fame in L.A., only to be left with infamy and an incurable, deadly disease.

In April 2004, a male porn star by the name of Darren James tested positive for HIV. Production in L.A. was temporarily shut down. Three women who had performed scenes with him also tested positive for HIV. Lara Roxx was one of them. She was 21-years-old.

Donovan follows Lara during a five year span, 2005-10, recording her various highs and lows as she deals with her disease. The film begins in a psychological ward where Lara is being treated and follows her back to L.A. where she recounts the details of her foray into porn and ultimately into contracting HIV. Lara alternates between stints in the hospital and living in squalor in a run-down Montreal crack house. Early on in the film, her mother shows the viewer childhood photos and old home videos, contrasting sharply with the stark reality Lara is currently living.

The director travels with Lara to various locations, such as a porn convention in Las Vegas, which she attends in order to raise awareness of the dangers of HIV within the adult entertainment industry. There, she’s joined by famous porn actor Ron Jeremy, who shares some insightful knowledge on sexual education. She also meets Rebekka Armstrong, a former Playmate and an HIV/AIDS advocate, who painfully admits that she was once “completely debilitated by the disease.”

Lara doesn’t initially trust the filmmaker, questioning her motives and friendship. In fact, it’s easy to see why she would be wary and skeptical towards new-found friends.

By capturing her story on camera, the director may be implicitly turning Lara into a poster child for adult entertainment industry-related HIV, a symbol of awareness for the deadly disease. However, the film takes an unexpected turn of events during the final two acts, when Lara is forced to confront her own personal demons.

At times, this film feels uneven. Months go by without a single word between the documentarian and her subject. Yet the filmmaker persists, becoming an active participant in her first feature-length documentary, urging Lara to seek medical help. Moreover, the film also illustrates Lara’s identity crisis, “I don’t know who I am,” she states midway through to the film.

Donovan has a sharp eye for creating wonderful shots, from the dim-lit, run-down streets of Montreal to a picturesque, sunlit beach in California. However, the scenes in L.A. in which Lara visits fellow female porn actresses seem slightly scripted and choreographed. It should also be noted that the film contains graphic nudity. Clips from Lara’s infamous porn film with Darren James are included, creating a highly unsettling effect. In one of the film’s more poignant scenes, Lara confesses, “I love life and it breaks my heart if I don’t respect it. It’s like an indirect suicide. But I never did respect myself.”

Inside Lara Roxx screens Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Mia Donovan and Lara Roxx will be in attendance. This screening is co-presented with the HIV/AIDS Lecture Series. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

Categories
Arts

No house to call home

The People of the Kattawapiskak River / Press photo
The People of the Kattawapiskak River / Press photo

Last week we looked into the dire conditions of post-earthquake Haiti, in which its citizens were not only left homeless, but have since been forced to live in ill-maintained campsites.

This week, we turn our attention to another housing issue, albeit on a smaller scale but one much closer to home. At times, we must remind ourselves that the word “impoverished” isn’t strictly reserved for those living in the third world, it can occur right here in our own backyard.

The People of the Kattawapiskak River (2012) is produced, written, narrated and directed by Alanis Obomsawin, in association with the National Film Board of Canada. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, she has produced over 30 works in a career spanning more than 40 years.

The opening credits illustrate a small town in the midst of a harsh winter. Despite the numerous houses, shacks, cabins and trailers, there’s a deep sense of isolation which seems to define the town itself. During a chilly, late afternoon sunset, a group of children play pond hockey, their laughter ringing loud in the otherwise empty stretch of snow-covered terrain. This quintessentially Canadian image of children playing hockey recurs throughout the film.

The dreadful housing conditions in the town of Attawapiskat have led to unacceptable standards of living, especially when compared to the rest of Canada. Most of the houses were built in the ‘60s and ‘70s and they’re in need of major renovations. Today, there are over 1,700 people living on the reserve, yet as a result of a rapidly growing population, inadequate housing solutions and a lack of funding, there are approximately 1,000 people in need of a home. Sadly, many end up living in overcrowded sheds or tents without electricity, water or heating. In fact, in some cases, 20 to 30 people live in a one family home. These conditions resemble a minimum-security prison. The Kattawapiskak region is located 700 km north of Timmins, Ont. and during the coldest months of the year, the winds reach from -40 C to -50 C.

The director alternates between interviews with residents, news footage and historical lessons. Despite the upsetting conditions of a town in such an unforgiving land, Obomsawin manages to capture the harsh beauties of the region. One of the film’s few cheerful moments occurs in the town’s recreation centre, a place where both the young and the old come to forget their countless troubles, if only for a few hours a week. Normand Guilbeault, a jazz musician from Montreal, provides the slightly ominous music heard throughout the film, employing a double-bass and the steady, rhythmic beat of native drums.

The People of the Kattawapiskak River screens Monday Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West. Director Alanis Obomsawin will be in attendance. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia

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