If there’s a unifying theme in programme 4, it’s the dichotomy of human experience. You can have the same job as somebody, the same parents, or even be in love with someone, and yet still experience the world in a completely different way.
In Broken Face, a war veteran is “reintegrated into society” with a job in lighthouse alongside a man who hasn’t left lighthouse in over 30 years. At first, the dark, brooding story is hard to take seriously with the (very well crafted) marionettes playing the characters, but director of photography Vincent Biron does a fine job of integrating them with the rest of the film’s impressive art design. A combination of both practical and computer generated images make for a visually impressive piece.
There’s something missing from Sahar, a film about a disobedient daughter and the brother who gets caught between her and her parents. Some of the events are shown in a non-linear fashion, but the most important events aren’t shown at all. The narrative choices add confusion while taking away from a point I assume the director was trying to make.
Have you ever wished you could be in two places at once? A scientist in Entangled invents a way to do just this, resulting in branching lives sharing a single consciousness. Director Tony Elliot, who is one of the writers on Orphan Black, spins a different kind of clone yarn in a film where good editing and lo-fi effects make up for a sometimes silly script.
The following shorts were not available at press time:
A Tomb with a View documents the world’s tallest cemetery, a structure in São Paulo that lifts the departed closer to heaven rather than burying them in the earth.
Three teenagers discover unique abilities following a near death experience in What Doesn’t Kill You.
Centring an Arctic dweller using traditional methods to hunt, Kajutaijuq: The Spirit that Comes In will no doubt evoke comparison to Nanook of the North, but instead of documenting him, director Scott Brachmayer places his subject into a thrilling folk tale. (Noah R. Taylor)
Screens
Monday, September 8th, 6:15pm, Scotiabank 14
Tuesday, September 9th, 9:15am TIFF Bell Lightbox 4
Thanks to SPiN TORONTO for sponsoring our TIFF 2014 coverage.
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