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THis Month...
Executive Director Omar Murji Editor-in-Chief Jess Morton
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Editor’s note… October is a month to think outside the box. With summer gone and winter on its way, there’s plenty to celebrate along with Thanksgiving and Halloween. The weather in Vancouver is still warm enough to enjoy the Farmers’ Markets, Vancouver International Film Festival, and the last days of the PNE. This month’s cover story on Canadian film Down River is filmed and produced right in Vancouver. What would make you want to see a Canadian film? Familiar names? Recognizable locations? Or a narrative that doesn’t try reiterate familiar Hollywood genres?
Jess Morton Editor-in-Chief Canada is largely influenced by the United FutuReale Vancouver
Layout Designer Shyni Yoon Contributing Writers Jess Morton Ria Renouf Stepanie Young Setareh Motevalli Published by The Organic Press Publishing Company WWW. Organicpress.ca
Pround Memeber of ONAMAP Network: www.onamap.ca Visit us at : www.Futureale.com
States, especially in Vancouver where Hollywood is just a quick flight away.
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Boo!
It’s Halloween by Setareh Motevalli
It’s almost that time of year! Where children dress up as princesses, animals, their favourite action heroes, or as witches, ghosts, and goblins, knocking on doors, and cheerfully shouting: “TRICK OR TREAT”.
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t’s the time of year where candies are being purchased, and pumpkins are being carved and spooky decorations are surrounding homes: it’s Halloween on the thirty-first of October, the last day of the Celtic calendar.
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s one of the oldest celebrations in the world, Halloween is usually regarded as time for celebration and partying; however, many do find the holiday to be surrounded with superstitions and goblins, ghosts, and other evil spirits to make their presence known. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would wear costumes, and lit bonfires to scare off ghosts. Little information is known about Samhain; however, Halloween also has roots dating back to the eighth century, where Pope Gregory III placed November first as All Saints’ Day, and thus the day before was claimed as All Hallows’ Eve, eventually becoming Halloween.
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ating back to two thousand years ago, the origins of Halloween vary, but it has maintained consistent. Some consider Halloween as part of a pagan tradition, while others believe it to be a Christian holiday. Today, Halloween is merely a celebrated excuse to dress up, and receive treats, as well as trick people with interesting schemes and costumes. From carving traditional Jack-o-Lanterns to elaborate designs on pumpkins, Halloween has become the day to celebrate a unique holiday much different than Christmas.
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I Left my Heart in San Francisco
By Ria Renouf
I know that Halloween is coming up, but I had the good fortune of being able to go to San Francisco from August 31st to September 4th, which was thoroughly enjoyable. So, instead of a story on ghosts and goblins, I thought I would share with you all what a handful of days in this beautiful city were like! 4
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f course, my trip started at Vancouver International Airport. I was supposed to leave at 9:30 in the morning, but unfortunately the flight was pushed back approximately two hours. This is something to be aware of when travelling to San Francisco – from time to time there are delays when flying in, mainly because of the fog that settles around the San Francisco airport area. If you wish to have a particular number of full days there, you may want to budget an extra day for flying so that you are not disappointed and end up losing half a day!
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n that night I decided to walk further (probably another twenty minutes) and reached the Embarcadero, a popular walking promenade that stretches along the coast line. While many people complain about the hills, it is actually not that awful to walk from the Chinatown area to the Embarcadero, especially if you have a map with you (ours was provided to us by our hotel for free) and you are savvy at reading a map. Regardless, walk or bike one way, and you’ll reach the Golden Gate Bridge. Walk or bike the other way, and you’ll reach the Bay Bridge. That night, I ended up going the way of the Bay Bridge. There was plenty to see on the walk down: sea life, people laughing and walking, rollerblading,
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and plenty of cars not only from California, but other States, too! As night fell, the day skies gave way to a beautiful sunset, painting the sky in lovely shades of pale blue, yellow, red and orange. A San Francisco sunset really is like no other!
an Francisco has a very nice, welcoming airport, so it was wonderful to land. I stayed at the Hotel Metropolis, which, while it is a nice hotel, is in a somewhat dreary part of the San Francisco neighbourhood, as there are a few rough people in that area. This was probably the only part of my trip that I would say was a downside. However, if you let them be, they generally do not bother you. Aside from that, the hotel was very close to everything – the main street (Market Street), a number of places to eat (diners and restaurants galore!) and definitely places to shop. Try and stay as close to the Union Square/ Market Street/Powell Street areas as you can, because transit is quite accessible (and so are the cable cars!). n my first night I walked around the Union Square area and the Chinatown area. Union Square is quite lively and busy during the day, with a lot of people being picked up and dropped off in that area (a lot of tour bus companies tend to choose Union Square as one of their main stopping points since the area is quite renowned). At night, you can catch people break dancing, chatting at park tables or even playing chess on life-sized gaming boards. When going into Chinatown, you’ll realize there are no shortages of souvenirs in the shops. San Francisco boasts the largest Chinatown in North America, which is true: their Chinatown goes on for what feels like miles!
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he evening skies signal the beginning of a night life that you will never forget! One of the best places to go for nightlife? Little Italy in North Beach! The people are generous, the food is amazing and there is plenty to see and do, with a number of cafes and restaurants open until late. Many of the restaurants also have ample indoor and outdoor seating options. I had the good fortune of going to a Trattoria called Pinocchio’s, a very Italian bistro right along Christopher Columbus Street. I ordered a three-course meal comprised of fresh bruschetta (an Italian appetizer traditionally
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comprised of bread and a fresh vegetable salsa), an inhouse made ravioli with Italian sausage in white cream sauce, and for dessert...the classic Tiramisu! The server was lovely (he even sang to my boyfriend and I!) and gave us a number of wonderful tips for dining around San Francisco.
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he following day I was able to ride the cable car. You HAVE to ride the cable car at least twice when you are in San Francisco, and I recommend you ride both times standing. One time should be to take photos and videos, while the second time should be for sheer enjoyment. The cable cars go along a handful of streets, and some of them ride so close to each other that you can actually high five people that are going in the opposite direction! Just a warning: you do need to buy your tickets at a ticket booth, so buy your tickets ahead of time. Buy them a day or two ahead if you can – the tickets usually do not expire until the end of the year, so if you don’t use them, you can retain them for another time. I ended up waiting twenty minutes in line to buy a ticket, only to find out I had to then wait an hour in line to ride the cable car – and the line ups are longer on beautiful sunny days! However, the long wait is worth it. If you don’t want to wait in line, and you can get up early enough, the first cable car runs at 6:00 in the morning. Those cars are often empty and are wonderful to ride, too!
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f you ride the Powell and Hyde or Powell and Market Street cars, you can get to Fisherman’s Wharf. This is probably the most action-packed wharf I have ever seen in my life! There is plenty to do and plenty to enjoy. Each pier is numbered, and can easily be identified by some large building, historic or otherwise. While there are some interesting piers that are simple and utilize the natural beauty of the water (or a preserved historical building), the most exciting and entertaining pier to be at is Pier 39. Full of restaurants, shopping and entertainment, it is difficult to get bored there! There is also a beautiful aquarium and access to a number of cruises that travel the Bay both day and night. One cruise we were unable to get onto was the Alcatraz tour cruise; it had been sold out even before we arrived to San Francisco. If you want to go on a tour of Alcatraz, you will need to book your tickets in advance; a week is alright but a month would be best because they sell out fast – just imagine: over one
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million people go to Alcatraz every year, with most of them touring in the summer months!
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he busiest street of all, however, would have to be the one on Lombard. The world famous “Crookedest Street” was packed at all hours of the day, with many people scrambling to get photos of this scenic road wonder. In the early 1900’s, as people moved into the area, the street became a phenomenon because of its winding path, its proximity to houses and its beautiful view of the city. Years later, local residents decided to add flowers and manicure the area to brighten it up, inadvertently turning it into one of the most visited streets in San Francisco.
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f the entire trip, I would have to say the strangest part of it all was the lack of Interac and debit transactions unavailable in most businesses. If you are a debit/Interac spender, be prepared for some disappointments. As avid debit card users, we were shocked to find a multitude of clothing shops and restaurants in San Francisco only accepted cash and credit cards. Some even looked at us oddly when we made the request to pay with debit, only to then tell us to visit an ATM, because debit transactions were not accepted in store. In other words, prepare ahead and visit either your local bank to purchase your American dollars (before you travel down there) or, you can also visit an ATM, which is generally pretty easy to find – but could come with extra charges.
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ith friendly people, a laid back vibe, and beautiful scenery, San Francisco is definitely one place to add onto your list of ‘places to go’ if you’ve yet to do so!
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Interview with Ben Ratner On the Making of
Down River
By Jess Morton
Ben Ratner’s second feature film Down River stars Helen Shaver, Gabrielle Miller, Jennifer Spence, and Colleen Rennison. Filmed and produced in Vancouver, Down River will be released this December.
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probably five women. There’s just not as much opportunity for them, there’s not as many roles, and they’re judged in different ways. It’s just harder to be a female actor. In teaching class I’ve come to see and admire how hard they have to work, and how tenacious they have to be. I think some of it came from just watching students over the years, and seeing how much passion, faith, and fight they need to survive.”
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he drama follows three young women: actress Fawn (Miller), painter Aki (Spence), and singer Haper (Rennison), who meet Pearl (Shaver) a caring older woman who guides and motivates them. When Pearl suddenly passes away, the three must face their fears without the mentor they’ve come to rely on.
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atner went on to explain how each character – the painter, the singer, and the actor – had a facet of himself, and a portion of the actress that played them. Fawn, the actress, came from Ratner’s countless years in the industry, and from Grabrielle Miller’s real-life knowledge. “Gabrielle Miller is one of better-known actors in Canada. She certainly lived that.”
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en Rater took the concept of ‘write about what you know’ when writing the screenplay for Down River. Ratner utilized this tactic on several levels, especially when writing about the three characters Fawn, Aki, and Harper and their careers, but the whole story started with Ratner’s close friend Babs Chula, who passed away in 2010. “She was a dear friend of mine, and a mentor to me and countless other young actors and artists. The film and the character [Pearl] were very much inspired by her. I was trying to find a way to kind of purge myself, or have some sort of catharsis. I wrote in that direction for a long time, but things never really took proper shape until I realized that the film was about overcoming fear.”
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he film sets itself apart by focusing on the lives of women in the arts. Ratner admits that the idea did start with Babs, who was a leader of women, but it also stems from his own mentoring experiences. Along with being a longtime writer/ actor/director in the industry, Ben Ratner also spent eighteen years as an acting teacher. “I found that for every one guy that comes to class, there’s
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arper, the singer, came from Ratner’s pre-acting days. Back in the 80’s Ratner had been a part of a band that almost broke through to fame. “That’s where the idea of wanting to write about this character Colleen Rennison played. Its very close to what Colleen is going through now. She has a band called No Sinner that is starting to do very well.”
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ki, the painter, was the only character that was moreso based on hobby, rather than profession. “I paint abstract oil paintings. The paintings that Aki paints in the film are actually paintings that I’ve painted over the years. My research went into how someone goes from a hobbyist into a painter who actually sells work, and has work in galleries as apposed to keeping everything in the studio or in friends’ houses.” Ratner further explains that he
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took specific aspects of Jennifer Spence’s personality – along with Gabrielle Miller and Colleen Rennison – and exaggerated it to create their characters.
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his sense of blurring fact and fiction paired with the story of struggle and mentorship unintentionally transferred over to the making of film itself. In contrast to his first film Moving Malcolm (2003), which was made on a budget of one million, Down River survived on a budget of only $50,000. “So a lot of people were working for free, and a lot of the crew were very young newcomers. They were students of our Director of Photography Larry Lynn, or students of mine, or just various people who had come to us. That’s very in the spirit of the film, because so much of the film is about mentorship.” Despite the inexperience of the young crew, Ratner felt he ended up with great people, as they were very familiar with the new HD cameras.
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s the film was funded on such a small budget, the more experienced of the crew ended up taking the jobs of six or seven people. “Our producers on the film, James Brown and Andrew Halliwell; normally you have your producer, co-producer, associate producer, production manager, production coordinator, locations scout, locations manager, and these guys were doing all those jobs.” Ratner pointed out that the film proved itself as a vast project to take on, as several scenes were shot on location, scenes with several extras, and scenes outside – including Stanley Park. In a way this spirit of people coming together, working for free, and pooling their resources, meant that they really believed in the project. One of Ratner’s goals is more about having the same production value as any other film. Ratner wants to make Down River a movie that people will want to watch based on its merit, not its lack of funding.
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ith all the challenges and stresses that Ratner had to face in making a movie driven by passion, rather than economics, the result echoed through everyone involved. The actors would come in take the lines from the script, and pushed it further than Ratner had originally thought. This reaffirmed to Ratner that the script worked.
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his script generated a different type of filmmaking, as the majority of the people weren’t there for a paycheck, because there was no paycheck. These people participated because they believed in the script, and what it meant. Ben Ratner saw it throughout the filming process. “Watching the passion of the crew, and how they begin to feel apart of the film, how they begin to feel a sense of belonging, and a sense of collaboration. That goes from the Director of Photography, Larry Lynn, who was married to Babs. Shooting a film that was inspired by his deceased wife was a very profound experience for him. And that goes all the way back to the production assistants who were standing outside keeping an eye on the gear while we’re shooting. Those kids, to see them become emotionally attached to the project, and sort of riding the wave of the project and the passion of everyone’s combined effort. That’s very gratifying, because it doesn’t happen that often in this business.”
http://www.downrivermovie.com/
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Let’s Eat Some
By Stephanie Young
Creepy Crawlers
Bugs are unwanted, considered vermin, and are often described as just plain gross. But to more than half of the world’s population bugs provide nutritious meals on a daily basis. Many North Americans openly shy away from the idea of consuming insects. And the truth remains many of these unsought additives aren’t so bad. There are many dietary and environmental benefits to eating bugs. Read on to find out how you might be adding a little more crunch in your next meal…and even why you might want to. 10
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ealth Canada provides guidelines outlining how much microbiological and extraneous matter can be present in a product before it is deemed a potential safety issue. “Extraneous matter”, you ask? That can include whole or parts of insects. If you’re a fan of processed currants or raisins don’t be alarmed if you find a critter in your snack. Acceptable levels in a 225g serving is stated at 10 whole or equivalent forms of insects. Before you decide to scrap the wrinkly fruits altogether, keep in mind these guidelines are protocols for determining food safety. You probably won’t find a bit of bug in your little red box of raisins, but for many menus around the world, finding bugs in your food is a good thing.
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t is believed that humans have been eating insects for ten thousand years. Initially watching what the animals around them were consuming, and following suit on the edibles. Today, over 1000 insects have since been identified as safe to eat and cultures all over the world dine on critter cuisine. In Japan, fly larvae is sautéed in sugar and soy sauce, fried tarantulas are commonly found on the menu in Cambodia, and since the 1940s the agave worm has been an addition to Mezcal, a popular brand of alcohol in Mexico.
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nsects can be added to just about any food to increase protein levels. Some of the stranger options out there include tequila lollipops with a buggy centre. Caterpillars and scorpions are among some of the insects added to the alcoholic treat.
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njoying a plate of spaghetti? Try adding cooked mealworms. Have a side of fries? Drizzle on baked mealworms. These insects are not actually worms at all but larvae of the mealworm beetle and are often incorporated into entrees and desserts. A tip for cooking these commonly used bugs is to let them go without food for 24-hours. This way they won’t taste like what they have been eating and are able to absorb the flavours and spices added to your meal.
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hese bugs are made evident, but just as bug particles can be found in your chocolate bar or raisins, bugs are often used for colouring everyday foods. Carmine, often mentioned in the ingredients as Natural Red 4, is essentially crushed beetles. Beginning out as the cochineal insect, these beetles are made into a fine powder before being used for their red colouring effects. Carmine can be found in many strawberry, cherry or raspberry flavoured yogurts, drinks and candies.
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lthough many cringe at the thought of both knowingly and unknowingly eating bugs, creepy crawlies have quite a few beneficial factors you may not have considered. ÊÊ They are high in protein, low in fat—one ounce of certain grasshoppers contain three times as much protein as that compared to beef. ÊÊ Smaller impact on the environment—insects require less water and food than traditional food sources such as beef. This means less necessary land used for grazing and growing crops destined for animal feed. ÊÊ Less greenhouse gases—insects produce far less methane and nitrous oxide than livestock. ÊÊ More food faster—because their reproduction times are much shorter we can easily harvest large numbers of bugs for consumption in shorter periods of time. ÊÊ Buy local—because less land is needed, bugs can be grown locally. Reducing transportation costs and fewer negative impacts on the environment often means a smaller price tag and definitely means less CO2 emissions.
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alloween is right around the corner and what better time to try something creepy! If you don’t feel the benefits of eating bugs outweigh the ‘gross factor’ then just bake up this simple recipe from Insects Are Food for the spooky day. Hey, you might even like it because everyone likes banana bread!
Banana Worm Bread • • • • • • • • •
½ cup shortening ¾ cup sugar 2 bananas, mashed 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup chopped nuts 2 eggs ¼ cup dry-roasted mealworms
Mix together all ingredients. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350°F for about one hour. Enjoy!
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Photo credits Cover
• Ben and Jen appears in courtesy of James Brown©2012
Jack-o-Lanterns appear in courtesy of stock.
Xchng©2012
I left my heart in San Francisco • All images appear courtesy of Ria Renouf ©2012
Table of Contents • dry toasted meadworms appear in courtesy of made-in-china.com ©2012 • Alcatraz appear courtesy of Ria Renouf ©2012 • Candle lights appear in courtesy of stock. Xchng©2012
Interview with Ben Ratner title photo appears courtesy of Dean Buscher • Helen Shaver as “Pearl” in a club appears in courtesy of Dean Busher ©2012 • Harper and Molly appears in courtesy of Dean Busher ©2012 • Jen Spence as “Aki” appears in courtesy of Marshall Axani ©2012
Let’s eat some creepy crawlers • Spider appear in courtesy of stock.Xchng©2012 • earth warms appear in courtesy of stock. Xchng©2012 • Scorpions appear in courtesy of stock.Xchng©2012 • dry toasted meadworms appear in courtesy of made-in-china.com ©2012
Boo! It’s Halloween •
Candle lights appear in courtesy of stock.Xchng©2012
Back cover • Candle lights appear in courtesy of stock. Xchng©2012
In partnership with
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