We're going to the big show!

Most of you already know this but Everything Louder Than Everything Else is an official selection of the 10th Annual Whistler Film Festival!

Rob will attest to the fact that when he called me with the news, I didn't believe him.

We had already received so many rejections to the point where, psychologically, I had hunkered down for the remainder of the soul-depleting news. I simply wasn't ready for GOOD NEWS.

Since we heard the news on Oct 4th, we've been gearing up:
- website: thanks to Bill. he should really think about doing this for a career.
- sound editing and colour correcting: Paul used his amazing post-production ninja skills for which we are super grateful
- application for a grant from Telefilm Canada: lots of paperwork from a Canadian agency? Shocking!
- gorgeous poster and postcards: don't be fooled by Byron's delivery of the line in ELTEE: "you can't thank your parents in the liner notes" as he is a killer illustrator. i was on the verge of tears upon seeing the poster for the first time.

And now our film will screen in a mere 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS! In Whistler!!

What on earth will I wear?

VIFF: an overview

due to work and film stuff, i watched fewer films than i had hoped but i'm still really happy with those that i was able to catch.

# of films watched = 9
# of walk outs = 1

best film
The White Meadows

worst film
Fortune Teller


overall, i thought this was a strong year for VIFF. sure, there are always a significant number of films that don't seem to make it here from TIFF or Cannes but then there are tons of films that premiere here at VIFF and don't make it to TIFF or Cannes. i'm okay with the odds i have with VIFF and had a fabulous time this year.

VIFF: Nostalgia for the Light

rating: 4/5
country: chile
type: documentary

loved:
- how the film compared the similarities between astronomers and the chilean women who continue to look for their relatives who were 'the disappeared' as those who look to the past to understand who they are and where they come from
- the courage of these women who keep going back to the desert to look for mass graves.
- this was a cinematic looking film.

didn't love:
- there was some hippie stardust overlay affect that they applied when the women and the telescopes come together in the last part of the documentary

blurbie:
i loved the educational nature of this documentary. it introduced to me a topic that i knew little about, those that disappeared during the pinochet years. dispite my whine about the stardust overlay, this film was gorgeous from the computer generated universe fly-through to the shots of the telescopes in the middle of the most arid region on earth.

VIFF: Winter Vacation

rating: 4.5/5
country: china
type: narrative fiction

loved:
- the dry humor ala Jim Jarmusch
- conversations were slow paced
- old boring grandpa + active grandchild = hilarity
- teens who say: let's not be too hasty with this disagreement. let's sit down and properly disagree... or something like that

didn't love:
- the pacing was definitely of the SLOW variety but some scenes felt overly slow as if the director stretched applied the extra slow plug-in

blurbie:
it was really neat to see the application of a Jarmusch dry humour film be applied to a rural chinese (siberia, it looks like?) outpost. watching chinese life receive this treatment was a treat!

VIFF: The Woodmans

rating: 2/5 **yes, i changed the rating system! i wasn't pleased with how it was working for me**
country: united states
type: documentary

loved:
- being able to see the daughter's body of photography work and even some of her video projects
- seeing the mother's passion for ceramic art stretch thoroughout her entire life

didn't love:
- i thought the editing made the film feel too long.
- watching someone cry over the death of someone felt a little manipulative; death is sad and we don't need to see someone cry to drive home that fact.

blurbie:
i generally find artists very interesting and was inspired by an entire family that seemed to fully embrace making art as a serious commitment. however the editing felt a little undisciplined which made the movie just ok for me.

VIFF: Tiger Factory

rating: 3/5
country: malaysia
type: drama

loved:
- that it was a film by young, new filmmakers
- that they didn't care that the story was super depressing

didn't love:
- the jittery camera got tiring after a while. what's wrong with a steadicam, i ask!
- i've seen many super depressing asian films and felt that Tiger Factory wasn't offering anything new in this genre.

blurbie:
i kinda thought this was a less cinematic and less layered malaysian version of The White Meadows.

VIFF: Himalaya, A Path To The Sky

rating: 3/5
country: France
type: documentary

loved:
- having the opportunity to glimpse into the rhythm of life in a Buddhist monastery in the Himalaya
- the interplay between the female documentary filmmaker (who spoke their language) and the monks who were all men.

didn't love:
- there were a number of moments when the documentary filmmaker asked leading questions rather than open-ended questions.
- i thought the editing didn't allow us to really get to know the child monk with the old soul. there were small fragments here and there but i wonder if she wasn't given the type of access to allow that.

blurbie:
the main subject is an 8 yr old boy who, at the age of 3, kept asking to go back to the monastery because he left behind his prayer books. we see him attending philosophy classes, starting a fire using wood and playing with his fellow child monks. we even see him visiting his family. although i felt the film didn't go deep enough into this child's life there was definitely a happy devotion that exuded from him and all the other monks.

here's an excerpt i found on youtube

VIFF: The Fourth Portrait

rating: 4/5
country: taiwan
type: dramatic narrative

loved:
- the acting. the stepdad's scariness was subtle but overwelming. the scene where the mom talks about when her son went missing was brilliant. the funny elderly janitor and the small time crook were also perfectly toned.
- the cinematography was excellent except for the overall colour palette.
- where the story started and where the story ended.
- the baby that never cried. why did we always see the dad caring for the baby and never saw the mom holding the baby?
- lots of great tracking shots

didn't love:
- i found the soundtrack lacking. the music was either too strong for the scene or i kept wondering if the filmmakers actually received permission to use a song that should be quite expensive.
- excessive use of the yellow/green colour palette.
- i thought the brutal and the comedic parts could have been better balanced or better transitioned into each other

blubie:
this film was just excellent. i really lost myself in the story about a boy who's dad dies and he ends up with his mom (who is a prostitute at a brothel) and a sociopath stepdad. the time the boy spends with the school janitor and the not very aggressive thug was the comedic relief that helped us deal with the scary and stressful other parts.

VIFF: The White Meadows

rating: 5/5
country: Iran
type: dramatic narrative

loved:
- cinematography
- the mysterious man who collected tears
- the blinding white salt islands juxtaposed with the black attire of the inhabitants
- characters speaking their sorrows into a glass jar then sealing them up

didn't love:
- i didn't find the main character (mr. tear collector) to be very good. or maybe i'm missing the point. this is a very political film so i could be wrong about this.
- mr. tear collector's poor rowing technique

blurbie:
walking out the theatre, a man announced that: "this is arguably the worst movie i've ever seen." i had the entirely opposite reaction to this film. from the stark white salt islands to the floating bowls of fire, i was mesmerized. altho i had no understanding of this film's political commentary, the concepts of oppression were quite clear. amazing.

VIFF: Fortune Teller

rating: 1/5 - i walked out after 30 mins
country: China
type: documentary

loved:
- nothing


didn't love:
- shot on video, in 3x4!
- bad editing. this did not need to be a 3 hour film.
- how the subjects were filmed and came across


blurbie:
i should have taken the caution in the film guide that this film was by "one of the most controversial documentary filmmakers working in China today". a documentary about the fringes of chinese society shouldn't be glammed up but the first 30 minutes that i could bear to sit through frustrated me with, what i felt to be, a test by the filmmaker of how much i can take. well, i'm not interested in crap cinematography and poor editing and filming people in such a way that made me feel really uncomfortable with what i was watching.

VIFF: Snow White

ok, a new year means a new rating structure.

fuck yeah = awesome
fuck ok = ok
fuck off = walk out or horrible

***Oct 9: I decided to change the rating system and updated all the posts***

let us begin!


Snow White

rating: 4/5
country: France
type: filmed ballet

loved:
- costumed by Jean Paul Gauthier!
- score by Mahler
- modern ballet plus some aerial work
- the love dance that was done to silence
- the massive mirror that actually had other dancers on the other side mirroring the stepmother's movements. fantastique!

didn't love:
- editing
- cinematography

blurbie:
holy cool ballet, batman. the best part was the first entrance of the evil stepmother who had the best moves and did it with tons of evil attitude. too bad i was constantly being pulled out of the experience with jumbled editing and poor framing.


here's an excerpt i found on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5Q3FyqKKc

films! films! films!

i picked up a copy of the full program guide to the Vancouver International Film Festival on Thursday and...

- i read through each and every film description
- stickies were adhered to 22 films
- films were entered into a spreadsheet
- films were prioritized
- 13 films will be viewed, hopefully


LEGEND
green = priority films
light purple = weekends
aqua marine = selected daytime screenings
red = thanksgiving dinners
orange = selected evening screenings


THE 13 FILMS I AM PLANNING ON WATCHING
Fortune Teller
Winter Vacation
Echoes of the Rainbow
The Tiger Factory
The Fourth Portrait
The White Meadow
Aurora
Cold Weather
Little Rock
Nostalgia for the Light
Himalaya, A Path to the Sky
Snow White
The Woodmans


Anyone else going to VIFF? there are some real gems i can't wait to see.

some breathing space

i'm coming out of an intense few weeks:
- daily trips to richmond to check in on my dad post-surgery
- preparing for a party on canada day
- watching about 40 films for the film festival
- my mom arriving for an 8 week visit


1.
and now that i'm on the other side of that (well, except for my mom's visit), i can safely declare that i've gained about 20 pounds and desperately need to increase my physical activity.

i've been researching yoga studios and will be purchasing a week's worth of passes at bikram's yoga on commercial drive then deciding if i like that or the more sedate hatha yoga.

coincidentally, i came across an interview on National Geographic Adventure with the researcher who is looking at those communities with people who tend to live long lives.

the article is very interesting and encouraged me even more to return to yoga.


2.
ELTEE is currently being edited by the very capable KT. can't wait to see his first cut.


3.
this has been a bonanza summer for plant growth on my patio. i'm pretty excited to taste my first tomato and zucchini. however, due to the greying of the skies yesterday and today, i wasn't able to take a picture of said LUSH GROWTH.

SFIAAFF: file under misc (or god she's ranting again)

besides experiencing the lovely sensation of being handed a BAG OF SWAG (see picture with contents displayed thusly) here are some other tidbits from my trip to san francisco:


\\ asian americans
there are lots of 3+ generations of asian americans and they are highly visible. whereas in canada, this group is invisible. this is fascinating to me because the asian americans seemed fully integrated into the SF art scene and, thereby, into the history of the SF art scene.

i'm sure there are asians in canada who have spent many years in the art scene but they are invisible or, at the very least, not representing at the vancouver asian film festival.

it was a shock to me and i felt somewhat envious of all those potential mentors in the asian american community.


\\ architecture
did SF go thru a serious art deco phase? man, there's lots of it. not my favourite style but at least it's a style.

whereas in vancouver, i find the architecture utterly uninspiring (there are exceptions of course) as a result of an attempt to mimic certain styles (especially the colonial and arts & crafts styles) but in a watered down and mutated manner. SO UGLY.


\\ airplane etiquette
when did it become ok for the person in the aisle seat to simply swivel their legs to the aisle as they expect you to shuffle to the window seat? OMFG, this happened on both flights.

and you can't even blame demographics.

the first offender was a caucasian mother in her late 40s and the second idiot was an asian male in his late 20s. this is not cool, people.


\\ we are canadians
here's the count of canadians at SFIAAFF:
- 4 from VAFF
- 1 from Toronto ReelAsian Film Fest
- 1 filmmaker from Vancouver
- 1 filmmaker from Toronto (but she doesn't really count because she was barely in SF and didn't talk to the rest of us)

anyways, the 6 of us hung out quite a lot at the parties and get-togethers.

so one time, when just the 3 of us showed up at a low attended party, we were greeted with "THE CANADIANS ARE HERE!"

fortunately, it was a friendly greeting.

SFIAAFF: in pictures

all shot on my iphone so easy on the judgment ~


cool mural of obama
@ the minna gallery



randall (vancouver filmmaker) and kathy (vaff director of programming)
@ filmmaker's brunch in the tomo hotel's outdoor dome



golden beet carpaccio with roasted paprika coulis and truffle tapenade @ Bushi-Tei



what i left the hotel staff when i checked out
coupons / recycling / goodies



"silver screen" by andy warhol
@ the san francisco museum of modern art



free photoshop workshop
@ the apple store in downtown san francisco



swoop table
@ CB2

SFIAAFF: Day 5

1. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- matisse, pollock, william kentridge
- my creative batteries are recharged

2. visit to CB2 re: desk
- it's really cute in person
- time to set some financial goals to meet before i pick this up

3. misc
- a quick 30mins visit to the haight-ashbury neighbourhood which is kinda like commercial drive
- a stop into the apple store
- some thai noodle soup

4. flight home
- arrived back home at 10pm
- glad to be back


eyes closed at midnight

SFIAAFF: Day 4

1. filmmakers' brunch
- lots of bleary eyed folk standing/swaying around tables of muffins, breads, fruit, and domaldes
- met some filmmakers and gave them my card and told them a bit about vaff
- had to leave early to make it to a film

2. Screening: Patsy Mink
- documentary about the first asian american woman to make it to the senate
- she was denied entry into law schools in the 1950s because she was a woman

3. dinner by myself
- i had the best food experience at bushi-tei (1638 post street, across from the kabuki hotel)
- day boat scallops, golden beet carpaccio with a truffle tapenade, and a smooth delicious pinot gris from france
- food heaven

4. Screening: Ocean of Pearls
- a south asian tale about not compromising your morals and ethics to get ahead

5. Screening: Tales of Departures (8 shorts)
- a really well programmed selection of shorts

6. Party at Li Po bar in chinatown
- this is a super old chinese restaurant that's been converted into a great bar
- more drinking, some dancing in the basement, and some second hand smoking
- i managed to score a ride back to the hotel from the festival director


unconscious at 2am

SFIAAFF: Day 3

1. Panel on multiracial-multimedia
- interesting dialog that would never happen in canada

2. Farmers Market
- while looking for an ATM that I could take money out of, I came across the Fillmore farmers market
- they had the usual vendors plus a naural dried fruit vendor. I picked up some dried grapes and plums
- next to the farmers market a jazz band made up of guys in their late 50s where playing some tight, sway-inducing tunes.
- a woman wearing tiger prints, approx in her 50s, stopped (along with her dog) and she danced without concern.
- While sitting on a bench and taking in the sincerity of this scene, a big steady gust of wind blew thru and I tilted my head back to let the wind clear my thoughts and refresh my mind

3. Nap
- a nap was definitely in the cards for me

4. Sreening: Dirty Hands
- a doc about artist David Choe shot over 8 years
- the scenes where David is creating his art is amazing

5. Party at Poleng Lounge
- drank and danced


head hits pillow at 3am

SFIAAFF: Day 2

1. Meeting with other Asian film festival programmers
- there were 12 other Asian film fests in attendance
- talked about declining budgets, the use of social media and coalition type activities.
- really neat to connect with other festivals

2. Screening of: Tokyo Sonata
- I was absolutely devestated by this film and cried during the ending
- watch it if it comes to town

3. Horrible food experiences
- breakfast at this ex-Denny's diner was just terrible: greasy with a heaping side of bad service.
- late lunch at this ramen house with broth lacking depth.

4. Party at a gallery with djs and live hip hop rapping
- loud
- had a beat and you could dance to it stuff

5. After party in a hotel room
- dude with guitar playing covers and ppl snapping their fingers cause we didn't want the cops called on us
- 20 ppl sitting in a room laughing quietly and humming along to tunes
- dude with iPhone looking up lyrics to sing along to

Finally asleep at 5am

SFIAAFF: Day 1

it's, like, 2am, and i'm not sure i'll be able to keep this up but here we go....

1. opening night film: my dear enemy by Lee Yoon-ki
- this is the same director that made this charming girl
- this charming girl is on my top 10 list of films so i was pretty excited to see his new film.

2. gala reception at the asian american art museum
- cornered director lee and gushed about how this charming girl was amazing then gushed to his producer about how korean cinema is so exciting with such directors as Lee, Kim Ki Duk and Hong Sang So
- drank free booze, ate free cheese and red bean popsicles, and walked through the exhibits

3. after party at a bar called jade
- hung out with other festival programmers and tried to stay awake
- i'm glad the first event isn't until 11am cuz i'll be sleeping in

oh yeah, it's sunny, humid and 10 degrees here. i hear vancouver's getting more snow this weekend. that must suck.