Author: Romina Florencia Arrieta

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Arts

Socio-economic issues through the lens of an artist

Trying to make sense of an increasingly challenging reality

“Anomie” is defined as the alienation, personal unrest and social instability that comes from a breakdown of standards and values. This theme is present in Concordia studio arts student Emilie Tremblay’s first solo exhibition, Anomie, which took place at the Cégep du Vieux Montréal on Nov. 1.

“It was really exciting to be able to show my work so early on in my development as an artist,” said Tremblay. “It’s very gratifying because I was invited by the Cegep after graduation. It’s heartwarming to see them support and believe in me like that.”

The art pieces presented all discuss social issues in modern day society. Tremblay does not hold back in her work—some pieces are avant-garde and meant to upset the viewer. For instance, Ruptures is a crude insult to the patriarchal values which are omnipresent in our society. The piece presents the outline of several women who are faceless and, therefore, emotionless. According to Tremblay, this lack of personification is meant to symbolize the tendency in current society to mute women’s voices. Women’s rights have been, and continue to be, a political issue and an important international social problem. In a statement issued on March 8, 2010, Dr. Margaret Cahn, director-general of the World Health Organization, argues women are still denied the same opportunities and rights which are recognized by law.

Emily Tremblay, a Concordia student, held her first solo exhibition on Nov. 1 at the Cegep du Vieux-Montréal.

Another prominent work is Stop-Motion, a collection of different door locks stacked together. According to Tremblay, these locks are meant to represent the obstacles, be they social or societal, that minority groups must overcome in order to fulfill their dreams.

“I have an approach that is very critical and engaged in my work, in general. I choose my themes based on what calls to me, in this case, it was a feeling of general uneasiness towards our generation in regards to societal function,” said Tremblay. “I feel this desire to step away from the past and question it, but without bringing any answers. I think as an artist, it’s important to ask questions.”

The exhibition is also composed of pieces which use space efficiently. There is a 3D aspect to the compositions—their perception changes depending on where the viewer is standing. It makes the process of looking at art dynamic, as one can’t help but look at the designs from different angles.

What is striking about Tremblay’s pieces are the simplicity of the art, yet the complexity of the messages presented. Tremblay’s work uses straightforward designs to convey her views and values.

Her pieces are refreshing, accessible and approachable—even to those who are not overly familiar with studio arts. Tremblay’s work can be viewed on Instagram under the handle @epithumia_rose.

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Arts

Drilling holes in the Atlantic Ocean

In Ireland, the fishing industry is constantly at odds with the interests of the oil companies.

New Cinema Politica film takes a look at how the Irish government destroyed its fishing industry

What happens when the ocean becomes a battleground between two interest groups vying for two different resources in the same location? This issue is discussed in the documentary Atlantic—Cinema Politica’s latest film screened at Concordia, where fishermen are at odds with oil companies.

Drilling for oil in the ocean is a dangerous affair that can have catastrophic consequences, as was made evident by the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. The Deepwater spill was the largest oil spill in human history—causing a range of human, economic and environmental crises.

Funded by the Irish Film Board, Atlantic depicts the struggle of Irish fishers in their daily battle with oil companies. To understand the extent of the problem, the filmmakers provide political background to help explain the current state of the country’s fishing industry.

In 1973, Ireland handed over the regulation of its waters to the European Union after becoming a member. Irish fishermen’s original control of 23 per cent of the country’s waters was reduced to a mere four per cent. This sent a wave of frustration through the many communities left entirely dependent on the fishing industry—and the situation was only about to get worse.

The European Union began drilling oil in the fishing ground, something the local fishermen found appalling. It had worked in Norway—the government created Stat Oil, a state-owned, highly regulated company and the country’s successful oil exportation ended up being rather beneficial for its citizens. Such success, however, was the result of the work of great politicians, according to the documentary. This political strength was not present in Ireland.

In Ireland, the fishing industry is constantly at odds with the interests of the oil companies.

For one, the Irish government was not part of the decision-making process about drilling in its waters. In fact, the oil companies were the ones implementing the rules. This happened to be the case, because the Irish government wanted to export large quantities of oil in order to strengthen its economy thus they let the oil companies do what they wanted. The tax rates imposed on the oil businesses by the Irish government, more specifically Ray Burke, were the second most generous in the world. Given that these companies were not state-owned, oil exportation revenues did not profit the Irish economy, but instead were kept by the privately-owned companies. The politician responsible for this extremely loose regulation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ray Burke, was jailed in 2004 for tax fraud and corruption.

Furthermore, oil companies must generate underwater explosions every 10 seconds to locate the oil’s position. The operations are deafening and disruptive to mammals and fish who use sound waves to navigate, causing behavioural changes and loss of hearing. The fish population has substantially decreased since the start of these activities, putting strain on the ocean’s ecosystem and Ireland’s already struggling fishermen as shown in the documentary.

Atlantic is a beautiful documentary which showcases the ongoing battle between the fishermen and oil industries. With both after different resources in the area, tensions and disagreements were inevitable. The documentary leaves the viewer flabbergasted by both the imagery and the  lack of judgement of the politicians involved.

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Arts

The jumpscare craze: Why we aren’t scared anymore

Jump scares have become an overused technique in horror films hoping to cause a fright without actually terrifying anyone.

A look at a trend affecting the quality of modern horror releases

If you ‘ve seen any horror films released within the last decade, it’s likely you have experienced a jump scare. The term “jump scare” is used to describe the introduction of a sudden image on the screen, usually accompanied by a loud noise, with the purpose of scaring the audience. This gimmick can be observed in the majority of current cinema, particularly the horror genre, according to YouTube movie critic Jack Nugent.  Movies like Paranormal Activity are notorious for their overuse of this technique—to the point of annoying the viewer.  However, the film still managed to gross over $100 million on a $15 million budget, according to IMDB. Its success sparked a handful of other low-budget copycats like the 2011 Canadian horror film, Grave Encounters trying to capitalize on the jump scare technique. Despite saturating the market with this tactic, horror movies like The Conjuring and Sinister, that rely on cheap thrills are still performing rather well, according to moviepilot.com. The introduction of the jump scare generated a revival of the horror genre.

Scary movies tend to bring in a bigger audience—usually teenagers seeking thrills. According to Livescience, the typical horror viewer is a male between the ages of 15-45.  Films like The Purge Anarchy are destined to be experienced in a packed theater anyway, since part of the fun is hearing the audience react to the on-screen action, according to Forbes writer Scott Mendelson. The thrill of watching a scary movie is the experience itself—which surpasses the act of merely seeing a film, said Dr. Mark Griffiths in Psychology Today.  As horror movie watchers tend to be rather young, an R-rated horror movie will lose any potential spectators who are not old enough to buy a ticket. For instance, Forbes writer Scott Mendelson pointed out that Eli Roth’s cannibal thriller, The Green Inferno, was an abysmal box-office flop because the studio did not want to embark on an expensive marketing campaign for an R-rated horror movie, decreasing the chances of making a profit from the film.

Mohamad Hassan Bassal, a member of the Concordia Film Union, argued that jump scares are an easy and cheap way to scare the faintest of heart. It is an inconsequential technique which will not leave the viewer terrified after watching the film. It is a quick and inoffensive rush. The omnipresence of the jump scare does not allow for the quality of scare classic horror movies to be delivered. The reason why films like The Shining or The Exorcist are truly scary is their use of atmosphere and suspense. Despite these movies being beloved by critics, “there isn’t a lot of interest in the more suspense-driven horror style,” according to Bassal. Movie producers seem to be more focused on creating franchises like Paranormal Activity.

Aside from superhero movies—which are breaking box-office records one after the other—PG-13 horror films are the biggest money-makers right now, according to entertainment outlet The Wrap. Don’t be surprised if there is another onslaught of jump scares in this year’s horror releases.

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Arts

Live-action Disney films: A worse idea than you can imagine

Graphic by Florence Yee

A study on the reasons Disney is remaking its beloved animated movies

If you’ve been following entertainment news recently, you might have heard Disney is planning on releasing live-action retellings of its classic animated movies. The first film in this genre was Alice in Wonderland, a 2010 remake which grossed over $1 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Although the Jungle Book exceeded the studio’s forecasted expectations, the recent onslaught of adaptations announced within the last week has left some people dumfounded.

There are now 12 live-action Disney films in the works, including some childhood favorites like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.  Even a Chip ‘n’ Dale adaptation was announced earlier this month, according to mashable.com. In my opinion, these remakes are a ridiculous idea with the sole purpose of increasing the production company’s bottom line. Why is Disney rushing out all of these remakes instead of developing new ideas?

For starters, according to Business Insider, Disney is a risk-averse company, and every time they take a chance with a challenging project, they fail miserably. For example, their attempt at entering the video game business—which, according to the same source, resulted in hundreds of jobs lost and the closing of six video game studios. According to Forbes, movies like Mars Needs Moms and John Carter lost the company upwards of $500 million. It is becoming incredibly difficult to attract audiences with new ideas in a world filled with derivative works, or works based on something that already exists, like a book. Moviegoers want to go see a film they know they are going to enjoy, not risk spending two hours grinding their teeth, Business Insider states.

It is also important to mention that Disney, like any other company, has to have a constant stream of output. The many animators hired by the company can’t remain idle—it would bankrupt the studio. Hence, any project, no matter how absurd, might start production if the executive team believes in its money-making power, as said in Creativity Inc., by Pixar president Edwin Catmull and Amy Wallace.

According to the same book, by adapting their previous works, Disney believes they will attract millennials who have been increasingly avoiding movie theaters. According to an article in The Atlantic, people between the ages of 15 and 30 grew up watching The Lion King on VHS and will go see its adaptation regardless of its quality. This is worrisome as the increase in ticket sales might cause Disney to believe that they no longer need to come up with new ideas—they can just continue to allow one remake after another.

This is not the first time Disney has opted to recycle stories rather than develop something new. The studio has been releasing sequels to their animated films since the late 90s and early 2000s, from Cinderella 3 to Aladdin: The Return of Jafar. At least the company had the decency to release those films straight to video instead of giving them worldwide theatrical releases.

According to Catherine Russell, chair of Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, filmmaking is constantly evolving. Due to its constant transformation, the movie industry should be dominated by adventurous producers, not money-hungry executives.

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Arts

Migrant workers in Canada: the new second-class citizens

Migrant Dreams looks at the inhumane way workers from abroad are treated in Canada

On Oct. 17, Cinema Politica will be screening Migrant Dreams, a documentary exploring the situation of migrant workers in Canada. The topic of immigration has been discussed at length in Canada due to the large number of immigrants accepted into the country. However, there is a difference between immigrants and migrant workers. Immigrants come here for permanent residence, whereas migrant workers come to Canada for seasonal employment. The topic of migrant workers is studied in Migrant Dreams (2016), a documentary directed by Min Sook Lee.

The documentary is set in Leamington, Ont., a common destination for migrant workers as there are several farming companies located in the area. The process begins with so-called agents, individuals hired as middlemen who look for workers to bring to Canada, recruiting foreign workers and having them sign a contract to work as seasonal farmers. These contracts are written in English, a language spoken by only a select few of the applicants who hail from countries like Indonesia, Guatemala and Jamaica.

In Leamington, Ont., migrant workers are threatened with deportation if they do not comply with the demands of their supervisors.

Once the workers arrive in Leamington, they are faced with the harsh reality of life as a migrant worker. They are bullied by their recruiters who demand up to 30 per cent of their weekly paycheck to cover their transportation and rent fees—unaware that these requests are illegal.

The documentary showcases the workers’ abysmal living conditions, including footage of 26 people sharing what seems to be a garage equipped with only three bathrooms. Some of the dorms are infested with cockroaches, and the employees are under constant surveillance by their employers.

However, not all the workers remain silent as their employers benefit from the workers’ naivety and desperation. In the documentary, Umi, a migrant worker from Indonesia, explains how she stood up to her boss and recruiter by renting her own apartment. Although she is now living in better conditions, she is still a victim of extortion. Her hours were reduced to discourage other workers from undertaking similar actions, and her employer still holds the threat of deportation over her head. Her apartment was even been raided by people who were looking for her passport.  Regardless, Umi is forced to continue working for this company, because Canadian law prevents migrant workers from seeking other employment once they’re in the country. Sadly, Umi is just one among thousands of migrant workers being exploited.

This documentary seeks to educate viewers and raise awareness about the extortion of migrant workers. Organizations, such as  Justice for Migrant Workers, promote farm workers’ rights and freedoms, but documentaries like Migrant Dreams are crucial for inciting political and social change as they discuss a topic too often overlooked by mainstream media.

Migrant Dreams will screen at Cinema Politica on Oct. 17 at  7 p.m.

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Arts

Blockbusters 2016: The worst in recent memory

Graphic by Thom Bell

Looking at the economic factor behind the silver screen and this year’s biggest flops

It is officially October, and with the arrival of the cold weather comes the reflection on this summer’s  of the blockbuster season. This year has proven that big-budget movies are not always guaranteed box-office successes. It has been a bitter pill to swallow, but rising ticket prices are driving most people away from the theaters, with movie attendance dropping by 10 per cent this past summer—according to Business Insider.

Over the last decade, Hollywood has been primarily misled by the potential success of sequels, reboots and remakes. Promising movies with bloated budgets that become huge financial disappointments have become the norm in recent years. The most recent of these failures was the Ben-Hur remake, which had an abysmal opening weekend. According to Forbes Magazine the film brought in a mere $11.4 million dollars, while the film had a production budget of $100 million dollars.   One of the reasons these movies fail to meet the production company executive’s profit expectations is they often go over budget. Business Insider reports that some movies are so poorly managed they can exceed estimated production costs by over $100 million. How can this be possible?

According to Anton Shevchenko, professor of operational management at Concordia, a movie is like any other project. It is a set of processes and tasks all undertaken in order to reach a goal. In the case of the movie industry, the goal is to reach an audience and reap enough profits to make the film’s production worthwhile. Studios typically hire a set of financial analysts to determine whether or not the studio should take on a project, and give a tentative budget for production.

If the crew chosen for the production process is unable to work together and drags out the production process, a once-promising movie can become a financial nightmare. For example, according to writer Ryan Lambie, in an article for denofgeek.com, director Michael Cimino went 200 per cent over his budget during the realization of Heaven’s Gate (1980). Cimino built a gigantic set, just to tear it down for no apparent reason without the studio’s approval. The film became one of the most expensive box-office flops of all time.

The Telegraph reported that Michael Mann’s Blackhat, starring Chris Hemsworth, was the biggest flop of 2015. Bringing in only $4.4 million at the box office, the film had a $70 million dollar budget, and only made about a quarter on its budget back after its release.

Box-office failures are worrisome, as they can lead to severe financial pressure placed on studios. According to Business Insider, Warner Brothers fired 10 per cent of its workforce after Man of Steel failed to meet attendance expectations and that the worst part is that the studios don’t seem to realize what they are doing wrong— the majority of movies scheduled for release in summer 2017 have a budget of over a $100 million.

Graphic by Thom Bell

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Arts

The revolution you didn’t hear about gets its screen time

At a time of questionable politics, music and rap bring a country together to oust a president-for-life

The Revolution Won’t Be Televised takes a look at how a president-for-life was brought down by democracy

The last five years have been politically eventful, starting in late 2011 with the unraveling of the highly mediatized Arab Spring. Every year since has seen its own political movement emerge, notably the Black Lives Matter and the Occupy movements of 2012. In the midst of those political events was a revolution in Senegal, one that was overlooked by the Western media. Senegalese producer Rama Thiaw took matters into her own hands by making a documentary about the political turmoil in her home country.

The Revolution Won’t Be Televised was screened on Sept. 19 at the season opening of Cinema Politica.

It tells the story of the Senegalese rap group Keur Gui that lead a political revolution in their home country. The groups’ members, Thiat (Cheikh Oumar Cyrille Touré), DJ Gardiaga and Kilifeu (Mbess Seck), were tired of the social injustice, the political corruptness, the endless cycle of poverty and the police brutality that plagued their country. Together, they created an association named “Y en a marre,” which roughly translates to “enough is enough.” Outraged, they planned peaceful demonstrations against the upcoming election campaign of President Abdoulaye Wade, a man who had enslaved his people for 12 years without any political opposition. The Revolution Won’t be Televised documents Keur Giu’s actions during the election and its aftermath.

At a time of questionable politics, music and rap bring a country together to oust a president-for-life.

What is highly refreshing about this documentary is its message and overall tone. It’s surprising lightheartedness showcases how commitment and self-sacrifice can reap social change. The interactions between the rappers are funny and quirky, and it is interesting to see a political revolution driven by music. The rappers are inspirational characters, speaking to their peers about how important it is to register and vote. Fans are asked to show them their voting cards during concerts and the group implores them to not sell their cards, a practice that is crippling their political system.

It’s also worth noting how these men completely transform once they are on stage. They become incredibly energetic, and Thiat becomes a Super Saiyan from Dragon Ball Z, based on the look of his hair. Their rapping style is aggressive and conveys the anger they feel towards their government leaders. As shown in the documentary, it is no wonder people took to the street after listening to their songs. Their lyrics are politically charged, including such statements as, “We are the victims of the crisis and true discrimination/I am fed up of this corrupt justice system.” These lyrics come from their song “Coup 2 Geule.”

During protests, the rappers would frequently tell their supporters to project a good image and to respect the policemen by saying “these men are men like us.” Thiat also values education and there is a scene in the documentary of him speaking to a classroom full of university students about the importance of being educated. The trio had no interest in becoming politicians—they just wanted people to not be cynical anymore and to start speaking out against injustice. Defying all expectations, their movement successfully managed to oust the president by encouraging the masses to register and vote.

What is shocking is the lack of media attention this revolution received. When asked about the lack of coverage by the international press, Thiaw said it might be due to the fact France did not want a “black spring” on their hands, and thus overlooked the revolution in Senegal. It is worth noting that Senegal was colonized by the French and gained its independence in the 1960s. According to the BBC, as a rather young country, Senegal has had its share of political unrest, but has been one of the most stable countries in Africa.

Thiaw edited the whole film by herself—the herculean task took her two years. She also did the whole post-production on her own, and the entire film crew was young and inexperienced. This lack of technical knowledge is visible in some scenes but does not take away from the impact the movie has on its viewer. Much like the rap trio presented in her documentary, Thiaw is someone whose determination is admirable. It took Thiaw and her crew six years to make the documentary, and they struggled to find funding since: “[the] cinema industry does not trust women when it comes to technical jobs,” Thiaw said.

Cinema Politica will present 13 politically-charged documentaries throughout the fall semester, and often holds subsequent Q&A sessions with the filmmakers. Cinema Politica’s upcoming documentary is called Seed: The Untold Story on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m in the Hall building (room 110). The film looks promising, it tells the tale of the seed industry and how Monsanto’s monopoly has forever changed the face of farming.

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