"Sharkwater", 2006, Rob Stewart

When many people think of sharks, they think of swimming alone at night while a cello line plays at an increasing speed and intensity. Soulless killers, they say! Row upon row of merciless, gnashing teeth! The very fabric of our darkest nightmares! When Rob Stewart thinks of sharks, he thinks of intelligent and sensitive animals fighting for their very existence as a species against a world that has misjudged them. He sees friends. And in his first feature film, Sharkwater, Rob Stewart does an excellent job of turning the perceptions of his viewers around.

Filmed over the course of Stewart's personal fight to protect these endangered creatures, this documentary pulls very few punches. The scenes of violence against animals is frequent and brutal. It will often leave you wondering how our species could care so little about other species. Whether on his own, or teamed up with organizations such as Greenpeace, Stewart's journey is an arduous one. Every conceivable obstacle is tossed at he and his colleagues thought the course of this film. Violence, legal problems, pirates (!) and even flesh eating disease are all nipping at Stewart's heels. In the end, though, he managed to bring a good deal of attention to an injustice that is being largely ignored in our world today.


Although it is his first documentary, Sharkwater is gorgeously shot. The underwater footage is consistently stunning. It is little wonder that Stewart's previous career had been that of an underwater photographer for some of the world's most prominent natural publications. He plunges with his camera directly into the action. Where most people would never dare explore, Stewart is there, swimming amongst the sharks with absolutely no fear. It is fascinating to watch the sharks swim up to him, curiously, as he reaches out to pet them on the snout. It truly challenges the traditional perception that we have been dealt regarding these creatures.

Sharkwater is not a joyful film. While it is beautiful to see the oceanic world come alive onscreen, the dire message and visceral scenes of animal cruelty are not for the faint of heart. This film will confront you and perhaps make you question where you stand in the sphere of animal rights. That being said, every good documentary should cause the viewer to ask questions, and Sharkwater raises them at every turn.

Windsor film choices announced!

Hey REEL CANADIANS,

We're one week and two days away from our very first REEL CANADA festival of the 2008-09 school year.

The season launches on Thursday November 13th in lovely Windsor, Ontario where eight schools will be participating in the day - all watching the same films and hooking up for webcast Q&As with our special guests. Here's what the students in Windsor selected:

In the morning, a program of short films, including:
- The Big Charade
- The Cat Came Back
- Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl
- Hardwood
- I Met The Walrus (Academy Award nominee)
- Knight of Atomikaron + The Wrong Number (with filmmakers Adam Brodie and Dave Derewlany in attendance - that's them in the photo!!)
- Milo 55160 (with director David Ostry in attendance!!)
- Terminus

In the afternoon, the Windsorites will be watching Fido, a quirky zombie comedy that teaches us all a valuable lesson: just 'cause you might be hungry for brains doesn't mean you can't be a nice guy. Fido was directed by Vancouer-based filmmaker Andrew Currie and stars the hilarious Billy Connolly, along with Canadians Henry Czerny and Carrie-Anne Moss (of The Matrix). Canada has an international reputation for producing awesome horror films, but this light-hearted take on the zombie genre is full of laughs and will win over even the most squeamish among you - we promise!

We're bringing Rob Gray to Windsor with us for a live Q&A at Brennan, one of our host schools. The Q&A will be broadcast via webcast to all the other schools, and students from all eight schools will be able to ask questions and participate. Rob is the talented Production Designer responsible for Fido's fabulous look and slick style.

Check back here next week for reports from Windsor, including photos, interviews with our guests and more!

- kat

"Les Boys", 1997, Louis Saia

Canada's game! A war of sticks & blades! A story of blood, sweat and beers!

"Les Boys" is the quintessential sports movie. Like many other films of it's sort, it follows a ragtag group of shlubs in their struggle to achieve an unlikely goal. While it does fall victim to many of the trappings and clichés of its Hollywood counterparts (the group of hilariously mismatched teammates with questionable athleticism, the "dire situation", the "big game"), "Les Boys" manages to pull itself away from the pack by incorporating a thick and very distinct Quebecois flavour.

Director Louis Saia does a great job of infusing the numerous characters with memorable personalities, which is no easy task with a cast of this size. There is enough time spent with most of the characters, that you have a feel for what makes them tick by the end of the film. It's no small surprise that these characters (and the film itself) became so well-loved in Quebec that they went on to be included in three sequels!

The plot, admittedly, is by-the-numbers sports comedy fare. Pub-owner and team coach, Stan, gets himself into some hot water with local gangster and overall bad apple, Méo. Méo agrees to call the debt off if Stan's team, "Les Boys", can beat his team. However, if "Les Boys" lose, Stan loses his pub. After a sizable amount of introductory and character-based scenes establish "Les Boys" as a group of goofy, predominantly middle aged men, it becomes apparent that they must fight - and win - against Méo's team of obvious ringers and bruisers.

While we have all seen movies with similar (possibly nearly identical) plot lines, "Les Boys" manages to stay charming and entertaining throughout. It also delves into some subject matter that you would rarely see explored in a sports film (certainly not in an American sports film). I won't spoil that for you, though. If you've enjoyed films portraying the battle of the "everyman" against insurmountable odds (for questionable ends) in the past, then I can certainly recommend that you check out "Les Boys". Even if just for some innovative and exotic new insults to throw at your friends while out on the ice.