The first film on the Meadowvale agenda is titled Terminus, by Trevor Cawood. It’s a quirky little short, only about 8 minutes in length, about a man who encounters a dancing man made entirely out of concrete. The man (human) attempts to rid himself of this new acquaintance, achieving his goals in a most unusual way towards the end. The computer graphics are second to none in this short, and it has lit a bit of a fire inside me to spend more time watching short films – they are totally worth it!
After the film, facilitator Rob Kennedy led the room in a discussion about Canada’s role as a global leader in the animation industry. Terminus also served as the inspiration for an on stage Concrete-Man dance off, the winner of which won himself a pair of tasty Cineplex tickets.
Next in line for the viewing is the Hubert Davis' feature documentary, Invisible City. A film about the hardships of living in Regent Park during a time of major community transformation. It focuses on the lives of two young men named Kendell and Mikey, as they try to stay focused on school despite peer pressure, and social prejudice, in one of the city’s most turbulent areas.
After the film, the students and teachers discussed the unique environment surrounding their school that includes both community housing as well as upper-middle class establishments. It can be easy to take for granted opportunities to see the world with a more balanced view, and the Meadowvale students launched into an insightful discussion about the environmental elements that can set people apart, and just as easily bring them together.
In the afternoon, we screened another short film, Arrowhead, directed by Peter Lynch and starring the incomparable Don McKellar. Don takes us on a journey around a suburban park recounting tales from his youth, and the discovery of a full mastodon skeleton. This film is always a hit with students, and Meadowvale did not disagree.
After screening the “mocumentary” Arrowhead, we discuss what elements are necessary for a true documentary, and if, in fact, The Jersey Shore qualifies. You decide... (and let us know).
Our second full-length feature is The Trotsky, written and directed by Jacob Tierney. It is one of my new favourite films, and I urge all of you to grab it from your local video stores and embrace the hilarity. It’s the story of a young high school student in Montreal named Leon (played by Jay Baruchel), who is thoroughly convinced that he is the reincarnation of Soviet revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky.
After staging a hunger strike at his father’s factory, Leon is tossed out of his private school and thrust into the public school system, where he makes new friends as well as enemies. Though a comedy at its core, The Trotsky takes a good look at the difference of boredom vs. apathy in the high school environment, and always leaves me wanting to start a revolution.
Last but most certainly not least, we end the day with another one of my REEL CANADA favourites, Backjumping. Jay Dahl takes us on an epic adventure past extreme waterfall diving, beyond aggressive Frisbee, up and over extreme Jam Ball, and into the realm of Backjumping. It’s a sport that involves a hockey helmet, a roll of duct tape and a lot of guts.
We end the day with our mission fully accomplished! I believe we’ve started something here at Meadowvale S.S. - Maybe we’ve inspired a new wave of documentary filmmakers, budding revolutionaries, extreme backjumpers, and most definitely some Canadian film lovers. Either way Canadian film is hitting the streets hard, and students are taking notice.
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