Cinema Canada (Nov 1977)

viewer finds the activities valid or not is his problem. Live and Learn is similar to Natural Habitat by American filmmaker Ralph Arlyck. Arlyck assembles the same kind of images and says that his film is not an essay about alienation, but more a kind of ballet about the crazy things we do every day. At the end of Arlyck’s film, the viewer sees a group of black children who ask the cameraman what he’s doing. Arlyck replies, ‘I’m a filmmaker.” One girl moves toward the camera and questions, ‘““That’s your job?” The filmmaker says, ‘“Yes.”’ Then, in an unbelieving down tone, the girl reacts with a drawl, “Shit...” To make a good film about people, a filmmaker has to be perceptive. Harriet Pacaud has made a good film about people and has avoided being self-indulgent, which became the weakness of the film Under the Lights by Alan Goluboff (Ryerson). His film included interesting interviews with Toronto area film distributers, filmmakers and film watchers, but then it became less strong as he turned the camera on himself and made rather commonplace comments concerning his feelings about going to movies. Pizza to Go by George Mihalka and Rodney Gibbons (Concordia) should have received an award for locations and lighting. They used at least 25 original settings, including a real old-time jail, a mexican tavern and one of the best looking men’s washrooms seen since Polanski’s When Angels Fall. And the lighting was superb. Rodney attended Vilmos Zigmond’s workshop in Maine last year and his lighting in the film was immaculate. Pizza to Go included commercials that resembled bright-lit television commercials and foggy cloak and dagger scenes which exemplified shady intrigue. Unfortunately, the acting and vocal intonations were far below the achievements of the other technical aspects. The script for Bed Movies by Anthony Southgate (University of British Columbia) was so true that at times it hurt. It could have been entitled Scenes from a Marriage. A few new camera angles would have aided the performance. Peter Pan Lunch by David Chud (Sheridan) was a good student movie. The characters were interesting, although the film didn’t seem to go anywhere; but perhaps it wasn’t intended to go anywhere. Nine Minutes by Paul Vitols (Carson Graham Secondary School) dealt with nuclear warfare. Paul is a high school student and made a good film for a beginning filmmaker, although his subject matter has already been examined at length. His female actress showed a good deal of potential. My Pulse Wants to Become Song by Shan Wong (Concordia) was both imaginative and well composed. Dance films are prevalent, but the mixing of the arts (dance and film) is not an easy one. Both Ed Emshwiller (Chrysalis) and Maya Deren (A Study in Choreography for Camera) are outstanding examples; most others fail. Wong’s film holds up. Although a trifle long, his selection of movement and music shows that he has an artistic understanding for filming dance. But why was his film listed under the documentary category? The festival reeked of television animation: U.S. Prime, Allyn Terry (Sheridan) and Weather Building, Ross McLaren (Ontario College of Art). One would think that the festival pre-selection jury had never seen this type of experiment. Animation used to be a highlight of the student festival with excellent films from the Musée des BeauxArts de Montréal. Sheridan College has always produced outstanding work, such as Da Da Da, a group effort of two years ago. What happened to animation this year? A Night in the Movies by Jim Bescott (Vancouver School of Art) was the only contender this year. Down Among the Deadmen by Mark Fernley (Concordia) should have won the award for the most unusual film of the THE WINNERS Prix Norman McLaren A Day Much Like the Others by Sturla Gunnarsson (University of British Columbia) Best Fiction and Best Directory Vision House by Rafal Zielinski (Concordia) Best Documentary L’age dort by Denis Boivin (Université Laval) Best Animation A Night in the Movies by Jim Bescott (Vancouver School of Art) Best Experimental Category dropped in lieu of Entertainment Best Cinematography The Prophet Nostradamus by Steve Dowell (York) Best Entertainment and Best Editing Live and Learn by Harriet Pacaud (Algonquin) Best Dialogue Bed Movies by Anthony Southgate (University of British Columbia) November 1977/35