The Argument (with annotations)
Dir. Daniel Cockburn
Daniel Cockburn’s latest work is a smart, witty, and at times dizzying, exploration into language and cinema. Featuring clips from numerous films ranging from The Shining to 300, the film is stirring look at how we interpret words and how easily we accept things not actually said. Feeling like a delightful university visual essay at times, Cockburn’s inclusion of onscreen annotations ensures that audience will need multiple viewings just to decipher it all.
Wicked Girl
Dir. Ayce Kartal
Inspired by a true story, Wicked Girl is a haunting animated film that is uneasy to shake from one’s mind. Through the stark and stunning visuals, Kartal’s film tells the story of a young eight-year-old girl and the summer trip to her grandparents’ village in Turkey that will change her life for every. Beautifully constructed and packing a devastating emotional punch, the film’s approach to adolescence, memories and trauma is riveting.
Push It
Dir. Julia Thelin
What starts out a seemingly innocent tale of youthful attraction turns into a scathing commentary on systemic sexism in Julia Thelin’s Push It. In the drama, Hedda (Geneth Gurmu) consistently proves to be more athletic, and frankly smarter, than the boys in her high school gym class. However, she is unable to get past the unwritten rule that gives the males more praise for mediocrity, and the leeway to change the rules to ensure that they are always on top. Timely, thought-provoking, and featuring a strong lead performance, Push It marks Julia Thelin as a director to watch.
Milk
Dir. Heather Young
Chances are good that you have not seen a meditation on motherhood quite like Heather Young’s Milk. Juxtaposing the lengthy documentation of a cow giving birth to a calf with a sullen a dairy farmer coping with the discovery that she is pregnant, Young’s film is short on dialogue but heavy on natural sounds. Providing minimal details about the farmer, Young’s film will be a test of patience for some. While it conveys the sense of wonder and fear associated with childbirth, there is a coldness to Milk that ultimately causes the audience to observe from a distance rather than fully engage with the protagonist.
Screens:
Friday, September 14, 9:30 PM, Scotiabank 14
