The Vancouver Jewish Film Festival Mini-Fest goes from March 28th to 30th. Kate Lerman attends and reviews...
In its 21st year, the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival has been moved from the Spring, to the Fall. The First Annual Mini-Fest was created as a transition for the change.
CJSF volunteer, Kate Lerman, attended the new Gus Van Sant film "Milk," a bio-pic about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected into office in the United States...
Like probably many people, I began to know Patti Smith by the songs off her 1978 album, Easter. Not being from my generation, I’ve only known her work for a couple of years, but she’s had a cult like following for a lot longer then that. Her name is always mentioned with a mysterious, implicit humbleness.
I was ready to learn why. Being honest, I didn’t know much more about her music other then the song “Rock N Roll Nigger”, and from the song intro, that she is an American artist. Anything this controversial asks for an explanation.
Director Carl Laudan screened his film, Sheltered Life, at theatre Pacific Cinematheque as a Canadian feature in the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Sheltered Life focuses on the serendipitous relationships that Josephine Nash, a Suburban school girl and, her mother Candice, develop when they check-in to a women’s shelter in anonymous, small town, Canada. Under one roof, the two find friendship and support in the disjointed network of a refuge.
As part of CJSF's coverage of the Vancouver International Film Festival, volunteer Alisha Edgelow reviews Fierce Light, a film worth seeing when it returns to Vancouver...
“A film really isn’t born until its viewed with its audience”
These were the words of acclaimed filmmaker Velcrow Ripper just moments before the premiere of his film, Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action; indeed this feat was accomplished with a thrilling standing ovation from a packed theatre, leaving me with chills up my spine and a tear in my eye.
“Hunger” played as part of the Cinema of our Time Series at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Many movies about the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland have been made. Few have been as visceral and harrowing as “Hunger”, the debut film from artist Steve McQueen.
“The Rest is Silence” played as part of the Cinema of our Time Series at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival.
The last few years have seen a sort of Romanian film renaissance. Films like “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” and “4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days” have stirred up interest in the emerging Romanian cinema. So, naturally, I was intrigued by the new comedy “The Rest is Silence” from Romanian director and writer Nae Caranfil.
“Lemon Tree” played as part of the Cinema of our Time Series at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival.
“Lemon Tree” is the latest film from award-winning director Eran Riklis, his first since 2004’s critically-lauded film, “The Syrian Bride”.
“Waltz with Bashir” played as part of the Special Presentations Series at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival.
The most difficult film for me to view at the Fest at perhaps in the last couple of years was “Waltz with Bashir”.
An animated Israeli documentary that is also autobiographical, the film follows its director, Ari Folman, who has for decades been haunted by his experience in the first Israeli-Lebanon War.
“Happy-Go-Lucky” played as part of the Cinema of Our Time Series at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Most of the films I caught at the 2008 Vancouver Film Fest had political and social justice undertones; important, interesting, but ultimately really serious, and often just plain depressing stuff.
So to start off my Film Fest experience with the UK film “Happy-Go-Lucky” was startling, because it couldn’t have been more different than the others I would soon view.
