October 2011 Vol.4 Issue 10
FUTUREALE
Are humans the next species to be extinct?
KOREA
Eat More Spend Less
arts . culture . living
Shark Finning 100 million sharks killed every year
Best Halloween Events of October
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FUTUREALE Arts . Culture . Living
Note From The Editor
Masthead Publisher Omar Murji
Dear loyal readers,
Editor in Chief Shawn Shapiro
With summer drawing to a close, the thought of warm sweaters brings chills to our spines. We have to get ready to brave the cold. With the Fall season comes another exciting Red carpet run at TIFF and developments in the city that will have you hungry for delicious foods, ready to glam up for the hottest party, and be enthused about what’s to come.
Associate Editor-in-Chief Anastasia Rokina Jess Silver
We are thrilled to present you with this month’s edition of Futureale. Expect stories of exciting events in the world of entertainment, a special edition of Flittering Pages with an insider on Canadian author Shilpi Gowda, and more!
Layout Artists Graeme Mollison Rav Rawat
For next month’s Awareness edition we will take you outside of your comfort-zone, questioning many subtleties from the world’s oddities to why shark attacks are on the rise.
GH Interns Sarah Doktor Olena Protsiv Melissa Doyle
May you be inspired and read on, Associate Editors-In Chief Anastasia Rokina and Jess Silver
Online Content Editor Shawn Shapiro Executive Director Omar Murji Contact FutuRéale at: info@futureale.com www.futureale.com ISSN 1916-3215 FUTURÉALE FutuRéale Magazine is published by The Organic Press www.organicpress.ca FutuRéale Magazine is a proud member of the ONAMAP Network www.onamap.ca © 2011 ONAMAP Enterprises
Editorial Interns Lindsay Romeo Olivia D’Orazio Brian McLellan Jess Morton Olga Shugurova Ilana Perry
Editor in Chief Shawn Shapiro
Contributing Writers Cristina De Miranda Lindsay Romeo Jeremy Colangelo Dahne Jobson Anastasia Rokina Marcus Pidek Katherine Miller-Rowan Sharon Mugg Jess Morton Brian McLellan Craig Wilkins Maryam Gordpour Cindy Ng Ham Jess Silver
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CANADIAN FILMAKING 4 Jess Morton
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IS EARTH WORTH SAVING? 5 Cindy Ng Ham THE ELUSIVE HOMELESS 6 Cristina De Miranda SISTERS & BROTHERS 8 Brian McLellan VAMPIRE FILMS 10 Lindsay Romeo
contents
NATURAL SELECTION 12 Jeremy Colangelo NICOLE BROOKS 14 Dahne Jobson SHARK FINNING 16 Anastasia Rokina TOP 5 HALLOWEEN EVENTS 20 Maryam Gordpour LABAKI’S CARAMEL 22 Craig Wilkins ART FOR OUR SAKES 26 Marcus Pidek A HAPPY STOMACH 30 Katherine Miller-Rowan STERILIZED DIVERSITY 31 Sharon Mugg TRICHOTILLOMANIA 32 Anastasia Rokina BREAKING BARRIERS 36 Jess Silver THE REEL WORLD 41 Lindsay Romeo
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Support Canadian Filmmaking and Join ‘First Weekend Club Jess Morton
Canada is recognized around the world for its unique talents that shine through in the Film Industry.” This way
it sounds more concise and professional to a reader. It’s hard to find those up and coming actors, directors, and producers striving to give us great projects among the Hollywood line-up. For audiences craving Canadian film, First Weekend Club is not only your ticket to finding out what these movies are, but to also help push them into the spotlight. This year, First Weekend Club supported a number of Canadian films at TIFF, including Edwin Boyd starring Scott Speedman, Take This Waltz directed by Sarah Polley, Afghan Luke starring Nick Stahl, and Café de Flore directed by Jean Marc Vallée. Founded in February 2003 by Anita Adams First Weekend Club is a non-profit organization that raises awareness and establishes audiences for Canadian cinema. The club does this by hosting events such as premier parties and Q&As with filmmakers and actors during the first weekend of a film’s release. The idea is to get as many people as possible in theatres during that crucial first weekend. Since First Weekend Club is all about great Canadian film the organization goes through an extensive process when choosing which films to support. The process starts with a selection committee that attends film festivals across Canada and its members watch as many films as they can. These individuals then make their recommendations to the First Weekend Club’s Board of Directors. The board then votes on these films and chooses a number of films for First Weekend Club to support. The board consists of experts in the film industry to ensure the best films are selected.
Canadian films that First Weekend Club has previously supported include The Tracy Fragments (2007), C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005), Young People Fucking (2007), Everything’s Gone Green (2007), Pontypool (2009), One Week (2009), Defendor (2009), The Trotsky (2010), Incendies (2010), and The Whistleblower (2011). The First Weekend Club website has an archive of over two hundred films the organization has supported over the years. Each film has its own information page with trailers, synopsis, year of release, cast, and directors. Whether you prefer romances, documentaries, thrillers, dramas, or comedies First Weekend Club is the best place to find Canadian films to add to your personal collection. Although First Weekend Club has its head office in Vancouver those in Toronto can enjoy the benefits of this non-profit organization. Aside from getting invites to events at TIFF held exclusively by the club, members also get access to advanced screenings of new Canadian film, and other events around Toronto aka Hollywood North. To become a member of First Weekend Club visit www.firstweekendclub.ca . Membership is completely free and those who join get regular e-mails on First Weekend Club events.
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Is Earth Beyond Saving? Cindy Ng Ham
W
ith the rise of the Industrial Revolution, possibility for migrations. no one could predict how damaging its Regrettably, some species became extinct because we already depollution was on the environment or its pleted and deprived those animals of their food and supplies, or we alhabitants until it was already too late. All that mattered at that ready killed them by polluting their resources, making their food and time was how quickly and efficiently new goods could be created for human consumption. Mother Nature was out of the question.
For a short time, the Industrial Revolution brought great changes to human life and lifestyles as rural habitants moved to big cities reading and writing gradually became more important and accessible to everyone, and women and children began working. Although the latter did not have a great beginning, it is because of this change that we are able to work today. Unfortunately, after several decades of industrialization, natural resources were exploited for production purposes only and pollution became increasingly dominant. Water, air and soil were sullied by toxic waste and eroded beyond repair. To make matters worse, the environment was not the only thing affected by this immense increase in pollution. Wildlife everywhere was endangered while the human population continued to rise. This augmentation caused the expansion of urban areas, but the desecration of mountains and landscapes. Animals were then forced to flee their homes in order to survive, effectively threatening our species diversity because not only was their gene pool restricted, but there was very little
water poisonous. Other species died by the hands of humans because some animals were territorial and would rather fight against humans for their right of space and food than run away.
It is sad to admit this, but nowadays most people are completely obsessed with making money and they do not realize the consequences of industrialization; or at worst, they do realize it but do not bother to do a thing about it. Biodiversity is important to the world as it connects all living organisms to one another. But if one species is destroyed, may it be a plant or an animal and intentional or not, the whole thing will eventually collapse. Think about it. With construction ever-present in our society and the production happening in large metropolitan cities, sooner or later, the human race will end up suffering and eventually die in its own filth.
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The Elusive Homeless Cristina De Miranda
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n her 18th birthday, Mya was kicked out of the Toronto apartment she shared with her parents. “They had an idea of how I should
live my life,” said Mya, “which wasn’t how I wanted to live it.” Lacking any financial support from her family and fed up with their strictness and abuse, Mya stayed at a friend’s place with only a garbage bag full of clothes in her possession. Within weeks the supportive accommodation became more than what Mya had bargained for. “I had to be her mom’s psychologist, while dealing with my own problems.” A month later, with the subtle hints from her friend’s mom, Mya moved to Covenant House’s Rights of Passage transitional housing, sacrificing pride for her wellbeing. Mya reveals this to be the worst year of her life. “All my support systems were gone. I felt like I couldn’t control my life.” Homelessness is most popularly conceptualized as those who live on the streets, or those who sit on sidewalks panhandling for change. The face of homelessness is a malleable one however, especially in our unstable economic climate, and can often be one that you recognize.
One of the plights of many homeless women is invisibility, for what cannot be seen, appears not to exist and is not absorbed by the public as a social calamity in our communities. There need only be one crisis and suddenly becoming homeless is not a far-off reality. The public’s and government’s awareness is stunted by the invisibility of homeless women. Paradoxically, becoming “invisible” is a survival strategy for the women themselves. The 2007 Street Health Report Research Bulletin #2: Women and Homelessness, defines a less literal variation of homelessness as “hidden.” Hidden homelessness does not mean without roof, but rather, without secure employment, financial stability and a home of one’s own. This is a distinguishing factor between men and women; men are more likely to be ‘visible’ while women often “double up with friends or relatives or move between temporary situations.” Like Mya, many of these women who are unaccounted for in health reports depend on hospitality – a flimsy thing to base one’s welfare on. Still, hospitality provides less hostility than the streets or the foreignness of shelters.
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The City of Toronto’s 2009 Street Needs Assessment Results, a study that aims to help the homeless with the appropriate support, states that “the hidden homeless were left out of the study.” This is a reoccurring statement in several studies, including 2007’s Research Bulletin #2, where this subsidiary of homelessness is overlooked. One way to estimate the count is to look at eviction numbers. A 2005 Wellesley Institute study reports more than 30,000 households faced evictions. Two thirds of that total went to shelters or became part of the elusive hidden homeless. The looming threat of eviction is often a greater [fear for] mother’s, who remain primary caregivers. Jane Haslam from Homeless Prevention Program in York Region says the main characteristic that distinguishes at-risk men from women “are those women maintain the household without the partner.” She estimated that 80% of their clients are single-mothers. In this time of economic recession, many families are near the brink of being evicted or going bankrupt and single-mothers not only must provide from themselves but also for their children (sometimes without child support payments from their spouses). Quantifying the hidden homeless, which includes men, women and youth, is relatively impossible because of the frequency and scattered nature they use to find temporary accommodations. Mobility is a survival strategy for many women and although they exist beyond the statistical radar, the category of “hidden” still accounts for a large amount of homeless people in Canada. Without affordable housing and consistent employment, women will continue to be victims of homelessness and secure their livelihood by staying hidden from the public eye. Four years later, Mya continues struggling to find consistent employment to pay the rent for her one bedroom apartment in Toronto’s west end. Sometimes having only dollars in her bank account, she lives in constant fear of becoming homeless again, hoping the chaos of her world would morph into stability.
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Sisters & Brothers
Brian McLellan The Film
Premiering at TIFF, Carl Bessai’s Sisters and Brothers is the third of the Family X trilogy, joining Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Daughters. The film features several
Canadian stalwarts, like Ben Ratner (Repeaters), Gabrielle Rose (The Sweet Hereafter and Grace), and Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas), as well as up-and-comers like Dustin Milligan (Shark Night 3D), , and Camille Sullivan (Mothers & Daughters). The film itself was an intense experience for the cast, a film that Ben Ratner calls “a really risky movie.” The movie was entirely improvised, with the actors becoming a part of the writing of the film, collaborating on how the story proceeds. Dustin Milligan, who plays opposite Cory Monteith (Glee), describes the film as a sibling dramedy. “It follows four different sets of siblings,” he said, “and just kind of explores the dynamics between sisters and sisters and sisters and brothers, brothers and brothers, in a time of conflict and tension, and exploring the rivalries that often is present in any sibling dynamic.” While Milligan and Monteith are two brothers who knock heads together, Ben Ratner and Gabrielle Miller play brother and sister. “I play a schizophrenic guy named Jerry,” Ratner said. “The only person I really have in the world is my sister (Miller), who I think gives the greatest performance I’ve seen her give. Most people have seen her in Corner Gas, but she’s a fantastic dramatic actress and always brings drama to the comedy and comedy to the drama. We really come across like a brother and sister who love each other and really need each other. I’m really proud of what we did in the film.” Meanwhile, Gabrielle Rose appears as a troubled mother to two sisters. “My storyline has to do with a mother who is a single mother with an only child,” she said. “A suprise visitor comes to the door. The mother and daughter are having issues in terms of communication. The visitor is the long lost first daughter that she gave up many years ago.”
As for Camille Sullivan, she plays a sister opposite Amanda Crew. “My segment is about two sisters,” she said. “Two half sisters who become estranged because there’s an age difference and the father remarried and began a new family. My character is bitter about it. She feels abandoned. On Improvising the Story Improvising an entire film takes a lot of energy, as Gabrielle Rose knows. “Improvising is not an easy thing to do,” she said. “One of the great things about improv is that you learn its not about what is said-- it’s about what is not said. It’s about knowing when to stay silent.” “Shooting [the film] was total mayhem,” Ratner said. “It was physically dangerous at times -- so fast that sometimes we feel like we’re in physical danger, of having a car accident or breaking a chair over someones head. It was so intense a shoot. very emotionally demanding shoot.” “It was scary,” Camille Sullivan said. “Really scary. I was in Mothers & Daughters, so I got the terrifying bits out of the way. I discussed what our storyline was going to be. We came up with a rough outline and I worked up a backstory, and what I was trying to accomplish and what I felt about our parents. Then you jump in and hopefully [Carl] cuts out everything that is stupid.” Improvising requires a fast paced schedule and constant creativity when it comes to plotting and shooting each segment. “Cory and I actually shot ours in one day,” Dustin Milligan said. For Dustin Milligan, that compact shooting schedule helped keep him and the cast on the ball. “It was better, in a way, that we had less time,” he said, “because it kept us focused on the storyline and how we were feeling presently in the scene. Because [Cory and I] have been friends for ten years, we had a natural banter that made it easier to then jump into these characters and improvise.” “It’s great,” Sullivan added. “It’s really fun to have that much cre-
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ative control over it. What’s great about Carl is he encourages you to take chances. If it’s too much, it gets cut. It’s risky and makes you feel alive as an actor, which is fantastic.” On Carl Bessai “These films are shot in basically ten days,” Ratner said. “You’re improvising your shooting with two, three cameras at a time. You’re running from one location to the other. It’s very fast paced. Carl has more energy than anyone I’ve ever worked with. His enegry and his drive to make films-- The guy makes two films a year... he’s not for everyone. Not every-
one can work comfortably under the pressure.” “I had worked with him on Repeaters last year,” Dustin Milligan said, “and that’s when I really blown away by his work ethic and his style of shooting and how much he likes to get done himself. I think it’s pretty inspiring. This was a different kind of filmmaking, because it wasn’t scripted and it was even more sort of guerilla-style filmmaking. I don’t know. I love the guy. I think he’s really talented and one of Canada’s best contemporary directors.” “He’s got enough energy for about nine people,” said Gabrielle Rose. “Being around
him is exhilirating. He just gets things done where angels fear to tread, and he carries you along on the wave of enthusiam. He’s funny and witty and tremendous. He shoots it all on film, on three cameras -- he holds one of the cameras. He’s a great DOP, so hes right there looking at you through the lens. You really feel held up by him.” Carl Bessai joins the ranks of directors ready and able to showcase Canadian talent. Pacific Northwest Pictures will distribute Sisters & Brothers within Canada, and Myriad Pictures will distribute the film internationally. Be sure to check it out.
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Vampire Films through the Decades: A look at what we find scary then and now. What does this say about us and our society? Lindsay Romeo
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Vampires have been a staple in horror films for de- decisions when trying to fit in with a particular crowd in order to feel a cades. Over the years, the notion of the vampire was modified subject sense of belonging. Although by the end of the film, morality does win,
to the society in which it emerged from. Many people know of the famous adaptation of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. This 1931 film highlights sex as a major fear during that time. Moving forward in time, we have 1987’s The Lost Boys which focuses on fears of societal norms, which is represented by the rebellious vampire. In our contemporary society we have 2008’s Twilight, the vampire in this film shows us our fear of being different from the majority. Each passing era encompasses our repressed fears into the creation of its respected vampire, and whose goal is to surface our fears and dance with them on the screen.
Tod Browning’s Dracula was one of the few films that took advantage of the fears and discomforts of the society in which it materialized from in order to instil dread upon its audience. Browning created a Dracula that was seductive, which was a very different Dracula than the one described in Stoker’s novel whose vampire was not nearly as attractive as Browning’s Dracula. Dracula was conveyed in the film as being a very well dressed upper class figure, whose foreign charm captivated the attention of curious women, and sent them to their dreadful consequential fate. The film demonstrated the dangers of sexuality as the vampire was the embodiment of sex, but was also the carrier of death. The film also reinforced gender stereotypes, because the women are perceived only as objects to be seduced and then killed. The women who had fallen for Dracula’s charm were acting puppet-like under his spell as he controlled their choices, and of course by the end of the film a human man saves the day and takes on the role as the hero, which again shows gender stereotypes. As we fast forward through time, we find ourselves in the midst of the 1980’s where authority figures were seen as the enemy to teenagers, and The Lost Boys knew exactly how to use this tool to their advantage. The vampire pack in this film is the embodiment of the teenager. The vampire is representing the 1980’s teenager who fears societal norms because they cannot seem to fit in with them. The vampires are in a pack where the acceptance of a member is based upon conditions that involve taunting. Even though the human teenager may not agree with what the vampire considers to be fun, such as killing people and sucking their blood, the teenager will try his or her best to put up with it for the sake of fitting in with that crowd. This reflects a lot of the fears that the teenager in our world experiences, who may be faced with some harsh
and the human vampire comes to his senses and chooses moral decisions over being included with the vampire gang. This displays a useful message to the watching audience that perhaps fitting in should not be your prime concern, but that morality should be. The point is that The Lost Boys took advantage of the teenage fear of loneliness and manifested it into a vampire, so that the film can achieve to scare the audience.
So what about us? What vampire film represents us and our generation? Well, our contemporary world has given us Twilight. Although it is hardly a vampire film when you consider all the traits that determine what is and is not a vampire, it is called a vampire film simply because vampires are different from the majority which is what the film wanted to focus on. A major theme associated with vampires is death, yet there is not a single reference to it in the Twilight film. As well, our Twilight vampire does not fulfil any of the facts of what constitutes a vampire, such as being burned by the sun, and having to sleep in the soil in which the vampire died in. Instead, our Twilight vampire twinkles in the sun, and that is one of the reasons he is considered to be an outcast. Getting back to the main point, the Twilight film, although it is clearly not a horror film, is still trying to embody one of our major fears in one way or another. And that fear is the notion of being alone because we are different. This teenage theme is similar to the 1980s theme interestingly enough, although in this case it is the outsider dreamy vampire who notices the lonely outcast girl, and of course falls madly in love with her. The film is letting us know that it is okay to be different, and that you are not alone. The vampire is humanized in this contemporary film, so much so, that its biggest difference to humans seems to be the fact that the sun makes his skin sparkle. It makes us ask the question: Are we really all that different from vampires? In Twilight’s case, no we are not. This is an interesting phenomenon seeing as at the very beginnings of vampires in film the vampire was monster-like, a complete different creature from humans, and as we move forward through the years the vampire becomes more humanized and more like ourselves. This Halloween make sure you check out these three vampire films as you take a history lesson by learning about the fears and the anxieties of the society in which the film came from. You will see the notion of the vampire changing, and you will realize that the character of a vampire is not stagnant but in fact is in flux , just as us humans are in our society.
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Natural Selection Jeremy Colangelo
“T
he music today is terrible,” goes the ad- their markets proscribe – which is why it is not surprising that both have monition. “Back in the day, music had a heart, been financially successful.
music actually said something. Now it’s all garbage.” I have heard arguments like this coming from many very intelligent people – people who look at the music playing on the radio and topping the sales charts and sneer with – not unjustified – indignation. To a certain extent they do have a point: there is quite a lot of bad music on the radio, music that says nothing important, that takes no artistic risks, that seems to wallow in its own facile mediocrity. On that point I agree unconditionally. There is an issue, however, with the premise that music “back then” was universally better. Let us look at an example: No matter what I do, no matter what I say No matter how I try, I just can’t turn the other way When I’m with someone new, I always think of you Guess my heart has a mind of its own
These lyrics come from “My Heart has a Mind of its Own” by Connie Francis, which was number 17 on the “Billboard Year-End Top 100” the year it came out. It is a basic unrequited love song with generally bland and uninspired lyrics and very little in terms of new ideas. Now let us look at a similar song, “Only Girl” by Rihanna: I want you to live me, like I’m a hot ride Be thinkin’ of me, doin’ what you like So boy forget about the world ‘cause it’s gon’ be me and you tonight I’m gonna make you beg for it, then imma make you swallow your pride Both of these are basically love songs, covering subject matter that other artists have worked with for centuries, and neither song really offers anything new. They take no risks, falling exactly into the tired tropes
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Of course, the attentive reader might be asking “if Connie Francis’s song did so well, why haven’t I heard about her before?” She is not really what you would call “obscure.” She was at one point the most successful female singer in the business, and her life was at one point going to be the subject of a Hollywood film (though the project was dropped in 2009). If you have not heard of her, it is not so much because she was obscure, but because she has not released a single since 1982. The song I quoted above, released at the peak of her career, was from 1960 – exactly 50 years before the 2010 release of “Only Girl.” I will, of course, concede that many readers are probably familiar with Francis’s work, and might say that I am not giving her very much credit. However, she has still failed to remain relevant. She released a top selling song, a song that reached thousands of people and made her famous enough that she could be considered an appropriate subject for a major film, and yet her social importance in 2011 is very close to zero. Why has she faded so extensively when The Beatles, who would sign their first major record deal only two years later, remain bywords for everything good that popular music can be? The answer is actually very simple. Thousands of songs are released every year, and most of them are terrible. Some of you might be familiar with the concept of Sturgeon’s Law, which observes that “roughly 90 per cent of everything is crap.” Most songs peak soon after their release, having a burst of popularity before growing stale and falling to obscurity. Some songs, however, survive, and continue to be popular for years after they came out. These survivors eventually come to represent their eras – becoming examples of “sixties music” or “classical music” or what have you. The trash, meanwhile, is left where it belongs.
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g This process of selection gives the modern listener an inflated sense of the past’s music quality. When you compare a song that has remained popular for half a century to whatever happens to be on the radio this week, it seems pretty obvious which one is likely to win. There is good music being written and released right now, but the tripe buries it. Time will float these songs to the top of the pile, perhaps even rescuing gems now too buried to find, but anyone wishing to hear the gems before then will have to dig through cruft of the music industry first – and, really, who has the patience for it? Selection can even occur within a single group. Take The Beatles again they have produced some of the most important songs of their era, becoming some of the few artists to be both creatively daring and financially successful. However, a look at the lyrics for 1964’s “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – their first number one on the Billboard charts – would say differently: Oh, please, say to me You´ll let me be your man and please, say to me You’ll let me hold your hand Now let me hold your hand I wanna hold your hand Where is the vibrant imagery? Where is the biting social commentary? What we have here is merely another love song – a catchy and entertaining love song, true, but still a piece of work of far less artistic daring than what you find in Sergeant Pepper or The White Album. While one can make the argument that it was only after the unprecedented success of their early work that The Beatles were able to write with their later impunity, it still remains true that a good portion of their work has been selected out, and several songs which remain canonical are only so because it was The Beatles who made them. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is a less artistically ambitious song than much of their later work, and would never be used to exemplify the group. It is not a bad song – of course – it merely has the misfortune of forever being compared to “I am the Walrus.” Selection is a natural result of time. The farther in the future we go, the more refined the list of examples will become, reducing the 90/10 split that “Sturgeon’s Law” describes down to only a small cluster of brilliant work. The good news is that the same forces that affected the sixties affects us now. So to all the connoisseurs who listen to the radio with indignation, who fume at the banal extrusions of processed sound that clog the air, I say relax. Time will clear out the uselessness, just like is has a million times before.
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NICOLE
a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g
FILM� MAKER
BROOKS
Black and Blue Signature Marketing Presents: Lights Camera Action!
Dahne Jobson Toronto-based filmmaker Nicole Brooks, known for her documentary, A Linc in Time, featuring the life and times of the first black Member of Parliament and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (19851991) Lincoln Alexander, is a featured filmmaker at the 2011 Caribbean Tales Film Festival, a showcase for Afro-Caribbean films. Brooks’ short film, Ase, will be screened on September 17 as part of the Festival’s shorts programme. Ase will precede the evening’s feature film, Mas Man by director Dalton Narine from 5 pm -7:30pm at the Studio Theatre at Harbourfront Centre. For more information about screenings at the Caribbean Tales Film Festival, visit www.caribbeantales-events.com. The multi-talented filmmaker has long-standing
roots in the entertainment industry. She includes playwright, jazz vocalist, theatrical performer, choral backup for world renowned entertainer Paul Anka, and community activist in her repertoire of talent. Brooks’ film style combines her altruism, strong sense of culture and community activism into compelling visual tapestries. Brooks relates her latest experiences with Black and Blue’s Film Editor, Dahne Jobson. B&B: Ase (pronounced Ash-AY) is a word from the Yoruba culture (one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa) which means ‘Life Force’ or ‘Power’. What was it about Ase that proved to be your inspiration to create your short film? Brooks: The title ‘Ase’ is a tribute to these slaves and the life force or power they had within themselves to endure the hardship of being displaced and being a slave. Finding peace and solace in their tradition is ABSOLUTELY beautiful.
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B&B: As an auteur of factual productions, such as your acclaimed documentary A Linc in Time, what message are looking to convey to your audience? Brooks: Currently as a filmmaker, I’m on a mission to merge the performing arts and film together. I also have a love affair with understanding the indigenous practices of our ancestors and ‘the old ways’. So my work right now reflects all of the above. The message I guess my message to the audience, which hasn’t changed at all from A Linc in Time principally would be ‘know thyself ’. B&B: What were the challenges you faced as a filmmaker to produce Ase? Brooks: Making a film is challenging--period. Each film presents, of course, unique challenges. For this film, outside of finding the funding (which is always the greatest challenge!) locking down the location was surprisingly hard. I faced a lot of racism. Once we explained the nature of what we were shooting on a beach, for example, we were denied due to the fear of the content (Black People drumming at night?! Hell no!). We ended up having to be extremely strategic and basically after learning our lesson a few times, we coined the project as a music video to get the location. Lord have mercy! B&B: As a producer and director, countless hours are spent researching subject matter. What did you learn/experience that you didn’t uncover in your research? Brooks: Overall, the research was very enriching in the learning of our ancestors and their ingenious way of how they preserved a piece of themselves in a foreign land. I learned a lot about the Yoruba tradition and of course learning the various meanings of each deity and how each deity informed the movement of each part of the dance. However, nothing prepares you when you experience it live! We shot it outside on a beach during the night. There was something magical about it. You really felt the presence of the ancestors in the midst of the filming. B&B: Are there plans to produce a feature length film based on Ase? Brooks: Ase is a six minute (short) that will be seen on BravoFact! A longer 34 minute version, titled The Orisha Suite will be making its
world premiere in the Trinidad & Tobago International Film Festival September 21, 2011. B&B: The Caribbean Tales Film Festival, founded by the renown filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon (A Winter’s Tale), is a showcase for filmmakers from the African and Caribbean Diaspora. What have your experiences been like, having your film shown at a festival of this nature? Brooks: Frances-Anne Solomon is an amazing filmmaker in her own right and one of my mentors. It is a privilege and honour to have my film be a part of her festival and ultimately her movement to promote films from the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora. Being in a film festival like this means overall that you don’t have to explain the content because it is inherently our culture and hence, Frances-Anne is proud to showcase it. Executive Producer/Producer: Nicole Brooks Director: Nicole Brooks Cast: COBA, Collective of Black Artists Choreographer: Bakari Lindsay Cinematographer: Ricardo Diaz Based on the original choreography for stage: Danse Bele 1995 choreographed by Bakari Lindsay Ase - Synopsis: Ase is a short dance film that celebrates the lives of enslaved Africans who, after being stolen from their homeland and are forced into slavery, were able to preserve some of their culture and ritual practices into the enforced lifestyle and practices by their colonial masters. We join these slaves at a time where they have been released from their daily work and gather to prepare and participate in Sunday worship at night on the ocean shore in solidarity for their Ancestors and for the Orishas (revered deities in the Yoruba religion). Ase gives us a glimpse into this awe-inspiring service and in turn pay homage to those slaves who managed through terrible adversity to conserve a piece of their heritage and identity through song and dance
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Shark Finning a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g
Anastasia Rokina
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hark finning kills 100 million sharks every year; an astounding ratio in comparison to the mere 9 births (per shark) a year during that same time.
Defenseless shark getting fins cut off.
Long lines kill an estimated 5 million sharks a year.
Discarded shark body on ocean floor.
Shark finning consists of capturing sharks via fishing lines, cutting off their fins and tail, and discarding their bodies back into the water. Unable to swim, they either drown from the lack of passing water in their gills, or they sink to the bottom of the ocean where they are eaten alive by other sea life. The implications are incredible. But what may seem like only an astounding number of inhumane kills is more than the dying of a species. It’s an endangerment and constant increasing of health risks, both to other sea life and ourselves. With the shrinking shark populations, the prevalence of sickness in the oceans is increasing. The primary diet for many endangered shark species are fish that are sick, dead or dying. Without these animals, we risk dramatic increases in disease, both in the water and in our communities. Fish consumption is among the highest grossing market for food products. All it takes is one spreading contagion to make its way to our kitchens and we face a global crisis. The most common misconception contributing to the demise of hundreds of shark species is the myth that sharks cannot get cancer. Although they have a stronger
defense system against the disease, many sharks have been recorded to have had cancerous tumors. So why doesn’t this make the headlines? Because the fad outweighs the facts. The industry profit is in the billions, and companies will not risk millions of jobs or drops in sales. Seemingly ironic, most consumers are oblivious to the fact that sharks have the
highest concentration of mercury of any living animal in the ocean. As they are the top of the food chain, these predators ingest fish that have had a lifelong span of eating and absorbing other smaller fish, accumulating mercury in their systems. Given this, a shark’s insatiable appetite only serves to worsen it’s health factor. High levels of mercury are toxic and can cause damage to the central nervous system. This alone carries serious implications. Alongside affected sperm count, mercury also harms fetuses and can cause mental disability. It has even been suggested that the presence of mercury in the body (during pregnancy) is linked to autism.
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Decreasing shark populations are already effecting the delicate balance in the marine ecosystem. The decline in octopus-eating shark species has created an overpopulation in octopus. This overpopulation is outweighing the food source; lobsters. As a result, lobsters are on the decline on a global scale. Indirectly, the nearing extinction of several sharks is already putting at risk thousands of other species. Food sources and populations must remain more or less stable to ensure survival. Increasing and decreasing populations (especially at these rates) would create inter-specie competition for any available food sources (as their main prey has either died out or there isn’t enough for their growing population). Eventually, the lesser equipped species would die out and food sources would continue to diminish. This imbalance would eventually wipe out half of all marine life. The biggest contributor to human mercury exposure is the consumption of shark fin. Countries such as Japan have had cases in which mercury levels 20 times the standard allowable amount have been detected. Shark-fame and urban myths combine A study conducted by Hong Kong University and WildAid2 was conclusive in its findings that nearly half of all shark fins contained mercury levels higher than the allowable percentage, a standard set by the WHO (World Health Organization). We shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss this as a natural occurrence however. Although mercury is an organic compound, it is released as a gas into our atmosphere via man-made sources. This mercury eventually condenses and makes its way to our oceans as rain. As it accumulates on the ocean floor, it’s converted by bacteria into the harmful methylmercury we find in our fish today.
to create an invigorating fascination both for our misconceptions and our diets. Unfortunately, this has only led to dangerously low shark populations and dangerously high mercury levels. So what’s the next step?
“You don’t have to go the extra mile to make a difference” says antifinning supporter Stacie. “Avoiding supporting fin-based industries is enough. The first step is informing the public. Once that’s done, we won’t need anti-finning movements” she explains. “The facts speak for themselves.” It’s reasonable to assume, however, that the fear derived from anything shark related somewhat neutralizes the objection against what may reduce their prevalence in our oceans. “Sharks are not really interested in humans beyond the causal look or investigation” explains Patric Douglas, CEO of Shark divers. With almost 20 years of shark experience under his weight belt, his observations have shown him that humans are but a mere oddity in their daily lives. “They have set routines and they follow them almost religiously” he explains. “We are a distraction to an average sharks life.” The mass hysteria, according to him, is a result of exaggerated media. “Where we draw the line is the Hollywood representation of sharks as mindless killers, or worse yet, sharks with an agenda” he says. “Sharks have no agenda, they have evolved to be top ocean predators, and in that role they occasionally come in contact with humans in a predatory
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g moment.” He acknowledges, however, that when it comes to sharks, Hollywood did have one positive contribution. “The movie JAWS kicked off what has been a deep and lasting fascination with sharks.” No publicity is bad publicity, and this universal spark of interest triggered a global awareness of the endangered animals. “They are perfectly evolved animals, they deserve our respect and our help.” Unfortunately, when it comes to shark conservation, the ultimate goal comes down to money. “We are in the middle of a great shark conservation revolution here which is amazing to watch. One country after another has declared their waters as Shark Sanctuaries. This is good news, but the next step will be enforcement as almost none of the countries pledged have any money to actually protect the animals they have just declared out of bounds to regional and international fishing fleets.”
Mercury poisoning in little boy
So what’s the next step? “Money will ultimately conserve sharks, providing the boats, the park staff, and drive to push back against the fishing interests” he explains. “The public has the purse strings.” It seems that our donations will ultimately make the difference between shark conservation and failure to launch. He warns, however, that many companies and charities target this issue for personal interest. “Are they doing boots on the ground work? Or are they just media sites who re-post shark conservation news and show up at dive shows selling plush toys? We have to ensure that the effort actually saves and conserves the animals.”
Shark Fin Soup
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g We asked the expert for his professional opinion on shark behaviors, based on his many years of experience. Surprisingly, our misconceptions mislead us once again. “The White shark is the master of cool. They spend 98% of their time just cruising around and checking things out” he explains. “For calm, these animals are it.” If not the feared Great White, then who are we to be more afraid of? “The Silky shark,” he says, “it is a highly agitated animal.” Looks like we need to re-evaluate our attitudes.
Photo thanks to Sharkdiver.com
otes coy r o e w at h by t lled ered th er this i k ish cov and eth ked ater dis ed wh f dimin om c a n tt on l re c gn o as a stio e w estigati ts que or a si ing mo h s le) om s as inv ntis line ia. An k. Scie id peop are bec es? d c a n t e tity c e s de h va Sco r y atta ally avo uman iden ark ncid a i n e m d o sh N nh ato ell tak ate usu mis rease in is itch Park in f a pred (who acks o Isol f : s M o tt k r t s l d c l ttac hy a t in foo esu ult o imal aylo ona rk a e a r e recen hether of T ds Nati the res the an as to w r e a s Sha s w ck , th lan e ca was e in tion r atta wever ress or 9, th n High ntal. It l chang xplana k r 0 dive g a o 0 s o h o 2 e e H y r s a t . a r d p t e n n I os in Br t acci havio s be a r y) s’’ s e i o ape riou aters. le. M weapon change e p s o in C h was n e of a b ould th e b pe h hw ry c t can -Sheik oid ers wit utiona few v s dea eviden rces. C a e the r ks o div evol nc rm el u r e d s a o u n a s h a s n a ge w ood eq st ing , use lar f lief, applie this is a me? ons pt’s Sh e c w g b o e n i th eca bla y gr Egy ally ular her n? then cks in pidl rhaps b pop ich usu f whet g be to mo , a t r o n t s a e o y in h ni t pe nm k att trar e (w tion rfish latio cy, bu viro ’s shar u n Con defens e ques ld ove p e n po de ou heir year s th elfrld’s of ten o ith t to last or s ks beg carce. C w e w s c the cau sing nse atta ming s that not be mes respo t o c n i c a f g y in be the earl e be awy ider rease y n. en w Hamal s h n co ea “ W Elinc also could the oc m a t s s s u o s Ho int em ack er w ark att e going v e h How es of s ople ar c n pe a f inst bers o FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING num
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Top 5 Halloween Events
a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g
Halloween is finally around the corner and you know. Maryam Gordpour oronto has a lot of events to fulfil your Halloween desires, there are old school venues that everyone enjoys every year and some upbeat events that always seems more enchanting. Hallow-
T
een events everyone should be checking out are The Revue Cinema, Toronto’s Underground Cinema, Wonderland Fear fest, Screemers at Cne, Screamers at Niagara Falls, The Devil’s Ball and different club events. Dressing up with a bunch of your friends may sound like it’s 1992’ but it’s one of those moments where it never dies or gets old. Wonderland’s fear fest has already started, if you didn’t go to wonderland during the summer, might as well get your last chance this month before waiting for it til’ next year. The same attractions such as the Psycho Circus, Clowns at midnight, Club Blood, Miner’s Revenge and Mother’s noose are all still available for a thrilling night with friends or family. There is a new attraction called Terror London, and all together there are eleven attractions to check out. The tickets are on sale
on the website for $31.99, very affordable and remember you might as well get your final funnel cakes before you hibernate without them all winter. Dress up in your scariest costume and see who will be laughing at the end of the night. There are five different haunted houses on the Clitfon Hill, at Niagara falls that is a must see for the Halloween weekend. The famous Screamers house of Horrors is the most popular haunted house, I have yet to forget my own experience many years ago. Screamers has been in business for as long as I can remember, and it holds a lot of scary and humorous adventures. The tickets are going for 14.99 and it is definitely one of those “things” your suppose to do at least once on Halloween. If you can’t take the heat try The house of Frankenstein, Dracula’s Haunted Castle, The Haunted House and Nightmares Fear Factory. If the burden of travelling to a haunted house is too much this year, tell Screemers at the Toronto exhibition. The theme is pretty much the same thing, there are seven different attractions- one of the new attractions for this year is
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g called curtain chaos; sounds like a haunted maze and losing your way on a dark Halloween night may be just what the Dracula has prescribed. When your tired of running around check out the Licensed Vampire Lounge for some drinks. The lounge is created for the city slickers in Toronto that love to fantasize about the elements of a different world, dare to dream this month and buckle up for an outrageous ride. Finding the haunted houses too played out? Check out the must attend club events of the year! Yorkville avenue, Halloween Friday club is one of the most talked about clubbing experience. Doors open at 10pm and tickets are $15 in advance! You can’t go wrong at Yorkville. Halloween Club Crawl starts from 6pm it’s promoted by students and it’s for students. Last year they set a high record of over 10,000 students from all over Canada. The party bus will take students to four different clubs and when you purchase your pass you won’t even stand in line! V. I.P treatment and no cover charges, there will be contests, spring break trip prizes. If you don’t think that’s a sweet deal you always get drink specials at certain locations. The experience is very uplifting and crazy good, you’ll meet a lot of other students and have the time of your life. It all starts at the Madison Avenue pub on Saturday 29th, count your friends in for this event. Whoever loves to dress up, would love the Final Destination Halloween Costume party, it is one of the biggest Halloween Costume events in Toronto. If your really creative with your costumes there will be only good outcomes! The event is a ticketed event, most of the clubs on Halloween weekend are, music at the hottest event will be old school, Mash ups, Reggae and Rnb. There are a lot of different package deals that will be worth your time, but mostly the modern upbeat music will take you to a world of darkness and mystery just like what Halloween is all about.
Anyone into a real interesting thrill for the night? One of the hottest yet unusual events is the Devils ball. Sounds pretty creepy and thrilling. The event is located on the Cne Fair grounds which makes it even more unique and exhilarating. The event is twenty-five dollars a ticket and details are very limited because the Ball is very prestigious and mysterious. The darkness of not knowing who your dancing with, or who everyone is because of each character they represent makes it seem like you can live a fantasy for one night. Check it out if you dare! Some people like to kick it at home with some buddies and not have it be just another ordinary day. If your one of those people, don’t raise your hand -just listen. Movie events get really spicy in October with crazy horror movies like Bettlejuice, Blair witch project and many more old school horror films that no one can shake up to forget even years later. Well, I have news for you all! Toronto’s Underground Cinema has scary old movies for the month of October. Classical thrillers are this months must see events. Get a group of your closest pals or a mysterious date and dare to have fun with locals in Toronto. The Revue Cinema also has a wide selection of scary movies in October that will blow your socks off. Halloween is one of those celebrations that has lots of different various stories that make your experience a creepy, scary and thrilling adventure. Dressing up is not only for kids anymore, by time you realize how much the events bring you back to being a more expressive and artistic individual. Try some new things this year, dare to be different, be someone your not just for a weekend and salvage the freedom of your youth at any age. Celebrate with friends and family and have an awesome Halloween!
Event Locators Wonderland’s Fear Fest 9580 Jane St., Vaughan Screamers 5930 Victoria Ave, Niagara Falls Screemers 210 Princes’ Boulevard, Toronto in the Scream Elizabeth Building Yorkville Halloween Friday Club 88 Yorkville Ave, Toronto Halloween Club Crawl 14 Madison Ave, Toronto Final Destination Halloween Costume Party 291 King St. West, Downtown (Dazzling Lounge) Devil’s Ball 200 Princes’ Blvd, Toronto Toronto’s Underground Cinema 186 Spadina Ave, Toronto Revue Cinema 400 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto
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Caramel Hits Theatres Craig Wilkins
I had only two films that Sunday, but somehow they both stand out At 9AM on the tenth anniversary of September 11th as stories of what makes the fest such a special event. I’m sure you’ve I was sitting in the AMC theatre waiting for Nadine heard the buzz about Martha Marcy May Marlene. It wowed audiences at Labaki’s follow up to Caramel to begin. There was a short Sundance, and then at Cannes and from the talk about town this week, film about the events of 9-11 and everyone in the theatre was talking about where they were and how the world has changed. We were feeling maudlin and I was fully expecting an emotionally draining day, especially having chosen a film dealing with death and Christian/Muslim relations in a small Lebanese village.
Instead, a miracle. Where Do We Go Now was not only the best movie I’ve seen all year, but also filled with more hope, love, and intelligence than any movie in recent memory. By no means a conventional answer to the age old problem of how different people can get along in close quarters, this Romeo and Juliet of the Middle East complete with song and dance, and beautifully witty dialogue left me feeling hopeful. In the Q&A after the film Labaki told us the movie had sprung from her recent motherhood and a desire to construct an ideal world for her child, if only on film. Working with non-professional actors in a village still scarred from violence, the film combines a fairy tale cinema fantastique with an almost documentary style realism that could never be captured on a Hollywood soundstage and gives the film a unique look and feel. Filming on a tiny budget in a country with no real film industry, adapting a script written at her kitchen table, and a score written by her husband, “Where Do We Go Now” is a true labour of love and it shows in every single frame of the film. A true indie masterpiece, I would not be surprised if we see its name come Oscar time. Of the 29 films I saw at this year’s fest, it was the only one to receive a standing ovation, bringing back memories of Hotel Rwanda. And I’ve just learned that it also received the coveted Peoples Choice Award for best movie at this year’s festival. Congratulations Nadine (having met her at the fest we’re now on a first name basis-not really).
Toronto as well. While I didn’t love it as much as many, I admit it’s an incredibly well made movie about a fascinating subject. Elizabeth Olsen is a young woman fleeing a mind control and sex and violence filled cult after a particularly nasty experience. With amazing performances from Olsen, John Hawks (Winter’s Bone) as the cult’s leader, and Sarah Paulson (The Notorious Bettie Page) as her older sister and a fantastic script it is a throwback to the great indie films of the 70’s. By no means an easy movie to watch, for the indie movie fan this is our Winter’s Bone of 2011.
But as good as the movie is, what I will always remember is a very humble James Franco walking in from the back room, stopping a foot in front of me and then looking for a place to sit, out in the audience with the rest of us. And after the movie, while festers were rushing off to their next movie, there was Franco standing in the middle of a crowd of people, arms around two fans, laughing and posing for pictures. When someone tells me that spending the twenty bucks to see a movie that might very well be playing in a few short months is a waste of money I’ll bite my tongue and try to remember the last time I saw the host of the past years Oscars casually hamming it up with the crowd. Because, sitting in a theatre and listening to a director discuss his film, or seeing a star is a big part of attending a film festival. These little special moments, especially when they happen outside of the Galas, really make the festival an experience and not simply a collection of films. Having John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols snarl at the audience, telling us “these guys up here are my friends and they’ve made a fantastic film. You’re gonna love it and if you don’t you’re all a bunch of effin **nts!” And then being a part of the 10:30 PM audience for Sons of Norway on a Friday night at the Scotiabank losing its mind, screaming
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and applauding. That is just too cool, so worth the few extra bucks. And when the movie is an amazing Norwegian rebellion flick filled with punk rock music, nudists, and bananas, well, where else are you going to see something like that, even with the Bell Lightbox up and running. A perfect indie film, from my favourite indie director and a woman I believe is about to break out to a wider audience was “Your Sister’s Sister”. Lynn Shelton has been slowly working her way up the ranks of American independent film from her very first win at Slamdance to last years coveted John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award win for Humpday. She was introduced as “arguably the most talented independent director in American cinema today” and her film erased “arguably” from the equation. Your Sister’s Sister is the movie Woody Allen was making in the early 70’s. Not quite Annie Hall, but not far off either. I am predicting a best original script Oscar nomination and a lot of water cooler talk
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among the hip young indie crowd in the weeks following its regular theatre release.
no longer wanted for exchange or store credit. Cheeky English humour at its best.
A slightly larger movie, The Awakening starring Rebecca Hall (Vicky Christina Barcelona) also made my list of great moments at TIFF 2011. I saw it at 9AM on a Saturday at the Scotiabank the morning after its Gala screening. I didn’t expect to see the director. This wasn’t the Elgin, and it was 9AM. But, as director Nick Murphy pointed out to the projectionist before the screening, if they (the audience) can do it, so can he. A good old fashioned English ghost story, moody, creepy, and unsettling. Not really an early morning movie, but I loved it anyway. Murphy, whose father had worked in the timber industry and was a regular visitor to Canada, the Toronto festival was a real treat, known overseas as a festival for the festival goers, he was proud to bring his movie. Besides, he wanted to prove that there was more to England than Royals and rioters. And, by the way, had we heard of the second wave of rioting? It occurred just a couple weeks after the first wave as looters returned the things they
For film fans, yes, that was Pemberly from Pride and Prejudice. The look of the film was achieved by souring certain colours, especially the yellows and oranges, giving it a poorly processed Poloroid look. Set just after WWI, after the great war and flu epidemic had taken over one million English citizens, the empty chairs and beds, and photos of people no longer there all served to give the film a feeling of the missing. A great lover of English period pieces, and huge fan of Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank) I caught a screening of her new film, Wuthering Heights. As much as she loves her 4:3 scale I didn’t feel it was the right choice, especially for the sweeping outdoor scenes, of which there were many. As a short woman she doesn’t like what she calls The Wimbleton Effect having to constantly look from one side of the screen to the next. The film itself was brilliant, but very indie. Nothing is easy to watch in this film,
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from the change of main characters half way through to the decision to bypass the love story most of the classic adaptations have taken and go back to the novel to show a story of obsession spiralling out of control. But, for fans of the novel, and fans of indie cinema, this was an interesting and rewarding adaptation of the Bronte classic, and made me want to go back and read the book yet again.
does crazy better, the story of a young woman who has hallucinations. She sees double, what is real, what is not, in a world that is filled with violence and madness she just wants to protect her son, assuming her son is real, I was never sure. There were images in the film that are still burned into my brain, and I’ve had a nightmare or two since watching it. It reminded me a lot of early David Lynch, but strange.
Because I love the crazy stuff you get at TIFF, just a quick word about three of the, shall we say, less conventional unconventional. Juan of the Dead was a Cuban zombie movie, pure fun, and honestly shouldn’t need any more hype than that. Cuban zombie movie! You’re Next was a home invasion movie with a twist from the writer/director team that brought A Horrible Way to Die to the fest last year. Apparently the boys, and trust me, they are just boys, spent the week last year at Midnight Madness and went home determined to come up with a movie for the program, which they did. “Kotoko” was hands down the craziest movie I’ve seen all year. Japanese, and who
Other movies that you should keep in mind, Superclassico, from Ole Christian Madison (Flame and Citron), starring my favourite European actress, the incomparable Paprika Steen. It is quite simply the funniest movie I’ve seen since the first Naked Gun and I’m not sure, but I think it might have been a drama. The Day was a little Canadian post apocalyptic road movie, a low budget cousin to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. The script was very well written and the trio of young stars; Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings), Ashley Bell (Last Exorcism), and Shannon Sossaman (Knight’s Tale) had real chemistry. It was a
great end of the world road movie with lots of beheadings!
One other Canadian movie you should keep in mind is Pink Ribbons Inc. It’s from the Canadian Film Board, so you’ll be hearing a lot about it in the coming months. It’s an expose of the breast cancer charity teaming up with big business controversy. Unlike Michael Moore who would have picked a side and run, Lea Poole (Lost and Delirious) lets the truth unfold onscreen and the true horror is that these are all good people with good intentions, but somehow everything has become corrupted. It might change the way you think about charity and comsetics forever. Another wonderful TIFF, filled with great movies, once in a lifetime experiences and even a genuine surprise or two. Only 11 months till TIFF 2012!
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Art For Our Sakes WAYS OF THE PAST
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Marcus Pidek ewellery favoured by queens. Queen Boudicca, in
particular, who fought against the Roman invasion in England. She wore a torc – an open ended neck piece made of various metals, including silver and gold, with often elaborate cast end pieces in the shape of a half ball, an animal head or a Celtic knot. Try and find a torc now. Good luck. Ohh wait, I just lied.
clubbers, ball room dancers, bridal parties and guests. I’m in the planning stage, with another artisan, of opening a store in Yorkville. My pieces create so much positive energy. Owners love that they get so many compliments. I’m contributing to their happiness because they know it’s different. They feel positive and meet people because it’s something to talk about.”
Meet Andrea Pope. For eighteen years she has been selling several lines of torcs plus unique one of a kind creations, some with stones, pearls and glass. And you’ll find her at the One-Of-A-Kind Show before Christmas as well as other shows as far as Calgary and Vancouver. Women love her single pieces and sets and often collect various looks for different events. Incredibly, the first year she showed her torcs at the One-Of-A-Kind Show, women grabbed them so fast that her first ninety minutes of sales paid for the considerable booth fee. Find any exhibitor anywhere who wouldn’t like to be that hot.
There’s that much to talk about? “Absolutely. This is Meet Me Jewellery. It’s all about starting a conversation. It gets people together. They start with a smile and a compliment. Ladies love playing dress up. The effects are extremely attention getting.”
Andrea’s torcs are unique because they are asymmetrical and flexible. “These are all strictly fashion jewellery, hand made in sizes and in five colours – silver, gold, antique silver and gold and gun metal black.” “They’re still fresh and new in many markets. In Vancouver they were HUGE! In five days my twenty five feet of walls of jewellery shrunk to a six foot wall of stock.” So – what are your customers like? “I have two kinds of customers – women going to events and women who are the event. It’s a huge market –
And though they are light weight, the way they spread out in their different flowing patterns makes a beautiful use of negative space by appearing to cover a lot of the wearer’s neck and upper chest without looking heavy. “To the contrary, the look enhances a lady’s individuality and turns heads because the designs are extremely noticeable.” “My job is to assist people to have fun. We want to feel inspired to communicate and play. Image is all about playing dress up. It’s for fun – going to events and having fun. What I do brings you attention, I make you visible. Anybody wearing my jewellery is visible and present – right here.” What’s it like to try one on? “Initially there’s some adjusting to shape and form it to the neck and collarbone. Afterwards, you only need to open it sideways and the shape doesn’t change.”
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“I do weddings.” We were talking about popular events. “My circlets are head pieces that can convert to chokers after the wedding so the piece can continue to be an interesting part of a woman’s jewellery collection. For the mother of the bride I make something unique for the special day. Bridal gifts for the bride’s maids can come in a variety that works well as a group.”
the white paper.” Which begs the next question. “I use acid free Robert Bateman paper. I love the texture. It’s just enough so you get that shiny tone but you don’t lose it. The smoother ones look like plastic. You need a little graininess. A little texture feels more realistic – for skin or any textures like fur or hair.”
“I have many styles that I developed into separate lines. The Viney is made with what I call finger weaving. The Geometric has flowing lines. The Flame series has pairs of ends joined together to create points woven over each other. The Whirlpool turns in on itself and comes with and without stones.” I noticed armbands. “They’re for women who want to show off their muscle tone. The sets also include earrings in the various styles. I have one type of earring which comes up over the ear, very dramatic. I make ties, too, a friend wore one with a suit. He looked good.” “One design I enjoy is the Runes. They are attached to the ends of the streamers with symbols on the front and words of their meaning on the back sides. They are Wisdom, New Life and Energy. Some clients feel good with these positive symbols on their skin.” www.sculpturewear.com sculpture.wear@sympatico.ca One thing I really love about Jennifer Pimentel’s art is that she is so mobile. She can leave home now, this minute, for any place in the world without luggage or equipment, pick up a pencil when she gets there and draw something beautiful. She gave me a larger business card with her drawing of a boy by a lake. And he has blonde hair. It must be a lot easier to draw dark hair. “Yes, you have to be able to use
“I like drawing charming homes and I do a lot of commissions of people’s homes. So I maintain a balance between art as my passion and as a business.” We’re sitting in Jennifer’s gallery behind her house in Huntsville. It’s got a great ambience – soft light, lots of charm and nice use of space with a professional feel. As she relaxes in a comfy chair I apologize for interrupting her day off. “It’s OK, this is nice, too.” She very graciously lets me off the hook. Jennifer’s path to this lovely cottage area was not in a straight line. She studied graphic design at George Brown College. “I was an art director for a graphic design firm for five years. I was successful but I just felt like it was robbing me from what I really wanted to do. It’s difficult to pursue your passion when you’re exhausted. In graphic design I felt
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g like I wasn’t contributing – only to the firm. My drawings and commissions contribute to someone’s soul when I draw someone’s child, a parent who passed away or a pet of fifteen years. I feel like I make an emotional difference in this world. The best part is their reaction when I create something for them.” It’s easy to notice that Jennifer loves animals and is quite adept at giving them life. “I love pets and the wild ones. With domestic animals I want to show their trust. I had cats, growing up, and trust is so natural. They sleep on my lap. The relationship is pretty remarkable. The eye contact when they look at you is amazing. I’m also amazed by wildlife. Their survival skills are incredible. For me, they’re a symbol of what we are losing – our ability to survive.” Why the pencil? “Drafting was my favorite subject in high school. I still use the same grade of pencil lead, I never use any other. It’s very organized, so precise. I love the black and white. There’s something very romantic about light and shadow, with a lot of precision. My drafting teacher also taught ballroom dancing so we learned the two together. He was so great.” And no pull to the abstract? “Not in pencil, ever. Sometimes I experiment with abstract in acrylics but they’re mostly realistic paintings.”
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So who are you, really? “I feel like I’m always evolving, like a meditation. I find that after leaving Toronto and moving up here to this environment in nature, my art form is starting to suit my pulse. My rhythm suits my environment, therefore my life is in sync, now, with the art that I am creating, the commissions aside. It’s more of a lifestyle, now, not as much a struggle. My paintings have changed quite a bit. I’m dreaming more of what I want to do – images that somehow have an effect on me, that create an emotion.” “I love drawing eyes because it brings the drawing to life and you can relate to the image.” Do you have a message? “Yes, for aspiring artists, who I think are most people – even the definite non-artistic wish they were artistic. It’s almost like – I would love to see more people confident enough to find their release or meditative state in something they create. I think it’s very healthy. Everyone has talent. It’s only the other people who say whether it’s good or bad.” www.shadyzign.com jennie@ shadyzign.com The author welcomes your comments at m1111@rogers.com
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A Happy Stomach on a Budget A scrumptious trip to Korea for under $10! Katherine Miller-Rowan
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rom upscale Yorkville, to the Students of the Annex, to Korea town, Bloor is a vibrant and diverse street that takes you on a cultural journey. The restau-
rants of the famous street are certainly representative of its diversity. With the cold months just ahead of us, I thought it’d be a good idea to share with you one of my favorite spots on Bloor. This is where someone can enjoy tasty, nutritional and low-budget Korean food that will certainly keep you warm. Located at 615 Bloor Street West, Thumbs Up is a delicious and affordable eatery that has what it takes to make a culinary adventure a success. Plus, bargain hunters will be pleased with Thumbs Up as it is the kind of mom-and-pop restaurant where good service and excellent food quality are served for under $10! The menu at Thumbs Up is made up of a choice of about 30 dishes that vary from rice and stir-fry noodle dishes, vegetables and rice, and the famous pork bone soup (Gamjatang). I had the vegetables and rice, and the portion was perfect for my big appetite. My friend tried the famous pork bone soup and gave it a thumb up! Just after we placed our order we
were served appetizers; string bean salad and glazed potatoes. The beans were full of flavor and perfectly crisp. The potatoes were delightful and rightly moist. Almost immediately after finishing the appetizers, we got our main meals, which were served in large portions. Our plates were filled with rich flavors and the combination of spices made the servings delicious. As side dishes, we ordered the seafood pancake and Korean dumplings; both of them were perfectly prepared and tasted excellent! The servers (who hardly spoke English) also brought us Soya sauce, chives, and sesame seeds, which were used as seasoning ingredients for our dishes. The mix of condiments was the perfect addition to the flavor of both dishes we ordered. There was a relaxing ambiance in this wellsituated location, and if you like small and cozy restaurants: This is your pick! With seating for only about 20 individuals, and mix-and-match furniture pieces, you are guaranteed a friendly, intimate, and delicious experience! Asian food is being cooked in many places, but only the true chefs that have true Korean origins will know how to cook the real deal. Thumbs Up has managed to keep the authenticity of tradi-
tional Korean food within its establishment. What about dessert? If you’re still hungry after your Korean feast, you can just walk over to Hodo Kwaja located at 656 Bloor Street (just across the street from Thumbs Up). The small establishment is a good option for dessert especially for its famous walnut cakes. You can buy half a dozen of small cakes for almost nothing (1.50$ for 6). The Walnut cakes are a fine mix of creamy and fluffy. They come in two different flavors: red bean and sweet potato. My favorite was the red bean walnut cake as they were not too sweet but still perfectly satisfying. One of the best things about getting dessert at Hodo Kwaja, is that if you’re lucky enough you’ll get to see the treats being prepared from the authentic machine that is in the window of the eatery. The machine is pretty cool to watch as you get to see the full preparation of the walnut cakes. The staff at Hodo Kwaja was friendly and took the time to explain to me how the machine works. If you find yourself on Bloor Street near Christie Park make sure to check out these two restaurants that will give the perfect taste of the Korean culture while leaving plenty of space in your wallet for another night out!
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Sharon Mugg
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hould Cultural Studies have a place in our uni- to engage in the challenging and gritty task of cross-cultural relations. versities? In the proudly diverse city of Toronto such a
question is almost an insult. Of course we should study other cultures! We pride ourselves that university is no longer just a place to study dead white men. We pat ourselves on the backs for being such a “progressive” society. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not interested in disputing the importance of Cultural Studies or the virtue of tolerance. I simply worry that complacency and a false sense of moral superiority has fallen upon us because tolerance has become stylish.
Just last year one of my professors (an older white man, I might add) off-handedly remarked that the new generation has gotten past racism. The class was rather shocked that he would make such a statement, but I’m betting that we privately agreed with him more than we would care to admit. Of course, none of us would be willing to claim that our generation as a whole is past racism, but who among us would claim to be racist? Racism is something we delegate to the uneducated and the oldfashioned. It is not seen as something in which we ourselves participate. In our fashionably tolerant society, Cultural Studies becomes just one of many activities in which we participate in order to feel diverse, even if we aren’t– allowing us to say, along with my professor, that we are past racism. It’s safe and easy. We can get this feeling of diversity just by sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture about another culture. No need to talk to anyone from that culture. No need for a diverse student body within the classroom. Just a lecture and a textbook: End of story. It is a great way to let ourselves off the hook so that we never have
Similarly, our good friend, Christian Lander, writes in his blog, “Stuff White People Like”: “An interesting fact about white people is that they firmly believe that all of the world’s problems can be solved through “awareness.” Meaning the process of making other people aware of problems, and then magically someone else like the government will fix it. This belief allows them to feel that sweet self-satisfaction without actually having to solve anything or face any difficult challenges.” It would seem that our society is great at coming up with easy ways to feel good about ourselves. Cultural Studies may be no exception. The walls of the institution provide a barrier between us and those we study about. These classes may even heighten the gulf between us and them because they hold up other cultures as an object to be studied – a sort of novelty, worthy of our curiosity.
I don’t have a vendetta against Cultural Studies nor am I advocating that such classes should be removed from university curriculum. I merely want to point out that taking a Cultural Studies class or even majoring in Cultural Studies does not suffice to make us culturally sensitive. True diversity is messy. Cross-cultural relating involves miscommunication, discomfort, and a gracious and forgiving attitude because it requires participation in one another’s lives. These are things that no Cultural Studies class can offer.
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TRICHOTILLOMANIA Anastasia Rokina Trichotillomania is a word not often recognized. Hundreds of thousands of doctors and psychiatrists are still not familiar with the term. Hundreds of millions, however, suffer in secret as this disorder guilts them into secrecy from corners all over the world. Trichotillomania is an impulse-control disorder that is characterized by the inexplicable urge to pull out one’s own hair. It is the hairequivalent of skin picking. Still a mystery today, this disorder has baffled thousands throughout history, whose impulsive behaviors served only to perplex medical experts. Theories have attempted to draw explanations as to why this disorder exists, and if not to that satisfaction, at least to an understanding as to why and how it is triggered. The first ever diagnosis made was in 1889, and since then, research has been growing insatiably. It has been suggested that trichotillomania is triggered in part due to “unconscious conflict” caused by a form of child abuse; hairpulling being a subconscious coping method.
Medical trials have been done in assessing the correlation between hair-pulling and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), however Trichsters did not respond to OCD medication. Strangely enough, it has been proven that ingestion of certain foods could increase or decrease the frequency and severity of the urges a Trichster experiences; anti-oxidants being an alleviator of the symptoms. This later lead to the belief that perhaps urges were the result of an allergic reaction, but anti-allergy medicines proved to be of no help. Various research has deemed hair-pulling as “an aggressive reaction against feelings of grief or rage or even against feelings of being deserted or unloved.” It has even been suggested that Trichotillomania is a result of introverted sexual desires; its relation being to “erotic wishes or unresolved life conflicts...that hair pulling releases unsatisfied sexual tension or substitutes for masturbation.” Fred Penzel Ph D., psychologist and professor at Oxford University, suggested that hair-pulling is a regulating mechanism that helps balance an otherwise improperly functioning sensory system.
“It is my belief that in those who suffer from TTM and similar behaviors, the mechanisms that are supposed to balance internal levels of stress within the nervous system do not appear to be working properly. This is most likely the result of an underlying genetic predisposition, and one that acts through the serotonin and sometimes the dopamine systems of the brain. It has always been my observation that people pull when they are either overstimulated (due to stress or either positive or negative excitement) or understimulated (due to being bored or physically inactive). It would appear that pulling might therefore be an external attempt on the part of a genetically prone individual to regulate an internal state of sensory imbalance.” The isolation that comes with Trichotillomania is largely, if not entirely, due to social and societal paradigms. For this reason, it continues its unfamiliarity with most. Connotations derived from media outlets such as books and films render hair loss either a sign of freakishness or a symptom of extreme mental illness. Movies depicting horrifying ghost stories or pitiful mental ward patients add to the oddity by clogging drains with handfuls of hair, or leav-
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g HelpMe2Stop is a non-profit organization dedicated to helpmy own hair’?” ing those who struggle with hair loss; the majority being Trichsters. “After advertising that we offer hair loss solutions, I got a call from a prospect who told me she has Trichotillomania” says It’s known to accelerate most comCharlene Blacer, executive of board of trustees. “I have seen first-hand the clients who started out with as monly during the pre-teen years, little as 25% hair on their head. It has grown back and now they have 100% of it” she explains. “Hair is somealthough there have been cases as thing that doesn’t grow overnight, so to have this instant gratification is something even we as women want to look young as the tender age of 18 months; forward to seeing in the mirror.” a position equally as vulnerable to the parent as it is to the child. Having HelpMe2Stop is dedicated to giving hope to those who struggle with hair loss, and in particular, those with treated patients as young as 14 years of trichotillomania. “The majority of [trichsters] need some type of barrier. I prefer to use a solution that has age, licensed psychotherapist Karen a larger barrier and then after monthly monitoring of their hair regrowth, we can then transition them Pickett from the OCD Center in Los to a smaller barrier. The barrier gets smaller and smaller. The end goal is helping them wean out of barriers Angeles, also known for her appearcompletely and many of our clients have had success in as little as 12 months.” ances on A&E’s show Obsessed, has experience treating patients who Seemingly, the barrier’s aid in covering patches also serves a greater purpose. It acts both as a cover and a suffer from the disorder. conscious indicator of when and where one is urged to pull. Monthly appointments positively reaffirm progress and allow for any negative responses (episodes) to be subsided with the opportunity to conceal further hair She explains that a parent’s role in loss. the recovery process is vital. “Parents tend to feel responsible or that they have “Since my start in 2004, though, I have not had any male Trichsters.” ‘done something wrong’ to cause their kids’ ing trichotillomania” she explains. “It’s hard for parents posto see their children suffer if they don’t understand what is going on.” sessed victims with awkward bald spots. Often parents attempt to better the situation on their own terms, but according to Karen, this only worsens the condition. “[Parents] often Moreover, billion dollar industries are built on hair alone. Hair products are amongst the most selling of beauty inadvertently make the problem worse by getting angry at their child products on the market. Jobs are created for the sole purpose of hair and telling them to ‘stop it’. The parents’ anger tends to increase the maintenance. Grooming rituals have been observed in hundreds of ani- child’s stress which often leads to more pulling.” mal species, more fervently within our own genus. Children, contrary to popular belief, are not always the most diffiWith this, Trichotillomania fractures many global and cultural be- cult to treat. Many adults quit therapy only a few sessions in. “There is liefs of beauty. The shame of it being self-induced is why millions upon no quick fix” says Karen, who has had frustrated clients walk out and discontinue therapy. The most difficult step in recovery, however, is not millions upon millions of sufferers blanket themselves in secret. resisting the urges. “It’s about accepting the ups and downs of recovery A Trichotillomania sufferer, who shall remain anonymous, shared – that pulling, after a week of not pulling, for instance, does not mean failure. It is a normal part of the recovery process.” her story after hiding for nearly 15 years. “What most people don’t understand is that we constantly live in fear of being discovered. It becomes incredibly difficult to have intimate relationships. We begin to isolate ourselves. Many activities like swimming or sports become impossible because at any moment, people can see that you have bald patches or missing eyelashes. Then they start asking questions and it’s humiliating. How do you tell someone ‘I pull out
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It can be safely assumed that social isolation is more common among women since societal pressures for female beauty are constant and ever-growing. “It is widely known that women tend to seek treatment more often than men. Men can usually hide their pulling more easily than women – it’s much more socially acceptable for a man to shave his head than it is for a woman to do so.”
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Reassuringly, there is still hope. “There isn’t a cure for trichotillomania” says Karen, “but when pullers pull less or stop pulling for extended periods of time, the urges and impulses significantly decrease.” She encourages that with the proper tools, it does get better. “A person with trich doesn’t have to ‘white-knuckle it’ through the rest of their life fighting strong urges to pull. The urges definitely decrease in intensity when a person knows and uses effective strategies to reduce or stop pulling for extended periods of time.” So what are these effective strategies? “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Habit Reversal Training (HRT).” Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) explores the connection between thoughts and compulsive behaviors, observing triggers and symptoms leading up to the impulsive response. In order to do this, patients talk their way through their behaviors, or in this case, through their pulling process. Habit Reversal Training is used for various impulse-control disorders as well. It consists of training a patient to be aware of the impulsive behavior and develop a method of coping that is channeled away from the compulsive response. With these two strategies, a patient will talk their way through their hair-pulling, explaining and describing all associated feelings and thoughts. With the help of a psychotherapist, Throughout history, references have been made in ancient they can use the proper tools to learn how to texts dating back to the Egyptian Pharaoh Era. There have been mentions in the works of recognize when this behavior is about to take place. With this, the trigger can be re- Shakespeare to the philosophical discourses of Epictetus. Trichotillomania is even written of in the directed, eventually building a new habit most historical document in the world; the Bible. that isn’t as destructive or obvious. “At this news I tore my garment and my cloak; I tore hair from my head and beard and sat down, quite Millions of trichsters are unaware overcome.” (Ezra 9:3). that hair-pulling can stop. It isn’t a lifelong “Indeed I think that the men who pluck out their hairs do what they do without knowing what disorder, and although it cannot be ‘cured’, much like OCD, it can be controlled and even- they do.” (“The Discourses” by Epictetus (101 AD), Book 3, Chapter 1) tually put aside. “I am still struggling every“... but whensoever to the ships he glanced and to the host of Achaians, then rent he many a clean lock day” says our anonymous hair-puller. forth from his head, to Zeus that is above, and gently moaned his noble heart.” (Homer’s The Illiad (c.750 Psychotherapist Karen Pickett only has BC) one thing to say. “There is help.” Hippocrates himself acknowledged the urge when crowded in difficulties. “...Next we must note whether he plucks his hair, scratches or weeps.”
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BOverstepping reaking barriers, Limits:
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Torontonians need a lesson in Accessibility Jess Silver
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t’s normal for one not to think about whether the place they will go to fix up their make-up is spacious enough, or if the curb that your Nike sole touched when you were jogging made your foot jolt because it was uneven—these are the types of things that you do, do not require much thought so long as you can find time to do them. They are basic instances that one does not
need to think about that is, if you are not dealing with a physical challenge as part of who you are. Most people are able to avert their eyes from adversity because they are caught living a lie thinking that aversion will save them from an unfortunate circumstance, such as being confined to a wheelchair. In essence, this aversion and belief that it is not concerning to all, breeds ignorance and creates a social response that is discouraging for those who are faced with a challenge albeit visible or not. Toronto is a metropolis, a center for the business and art world to coexist in, a place for people to exchange information and forge relationships shy of any limits. The problem is that creating this limitless environment proves more difficult than simply saying it and Torontonian’s seem to have missed that lesson when it appeared in their Civics and Political Science classes. It is a matter of breaking barriers, of allocating importance to the issue of accessibility and opening all doors no matter the hurdle. It is difficult for people to realize that change occurs in small steps, manageable time frames to ensure a more open environment for everyone. Accessibility is one of those multifaceted issues of social concern that affects people’s quality of life in every way. What many don’t realize however is that it is a far reaching matter and the fact that there
are so many deficiencies when it comes to breaking the barriers in a metropolis like Toronto, makes it hard for social improvement to take place. Each year the Federal Government’s budget for the fiscal year determines the amount of capital that is invested in order to improve such aspects of society as infrastructure. A government report stipulating capital budgeting states, “Specific definitions of capital can vary significantly depending on the purpose. Some definitions focus narrowly on physical infrastructure, such as highways and buildings; others focus more broadly and include intangibles, such as investment in education and social services. Such differentiation greatly affects the scope of what is considered capital”. When discussing issues related to accessibility, it is important to recognize that this far-reaching social concern affects varying aspects of one’s daily life. Each year, the government allocates specific amounts of capital towards infrastructural change and improvement of commercial buildings. The discrepancy that exists within society when it comes to improving the conditions of such places as restaurants and public buildings is apparent due to the fact that many people do not consider the economic barriers that exist which make it difficult to ameliorate the appearance of many buildings and make them accessible. In a recent article entitled A voice of our own from the Council of Canadians with disabilities, an annual report looked at the issue of accessibility and the communal efforts that were exhibited in order to improve social conditions and to make places more friendly for those who have challenges whether they are physical or of a different nature. A key aspect that is important to understand when analyzing such reports on the part of the government is that as the years go by, the jargon that is used to describe the struggle of those who face challenges as part of daily life is beginning to change. People have realized slowly that disabilities are part of human nature and for this reason certain adaptations to facets of society need to accommodate to those with challenges. The
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a r t s . c u l t u r e. l i v i n g CCD human rights committee took on a research project that assessed how well certain social organizations meet the needs of those with challenges. As far reaching as the issue of accessibility is within society, the project chaired by the CCD examined province-wide four areas that the government allocated as crucial to enforcing change. The four areas were workplaces e-learning, retail and public service. Just one example of where a dispute arose between the community of persons with disabilities and the CRTC commission is when the CRTC decided that 5% of their deferral income would be used to improve access for those with disabilities to telecommunications and media. This set a precedent as it illustrated that improving the conditions for persons with disabilities is usually approached as a second rate priority. In addition to access to leisurely and recreational services, the report examined the way in which transportation and the lack of accessibility that exists when it comes to federally regulated systems is a source of discrimination towards those with challenges of varying nature. An interesting point in an open letter to the minister of transport stated, “ the minister must ensure that the transport development Center has the capacity and direction to engage in research related to identifying means of advancing accessibility and a universal design in all federally regulated modes of transportation and service delivery.” Although this letter was drafted three years ago, it is possible to see when roaming the streets of Toronto for example that when it comes to ensuring that places of public interest are remodeled to suit everyone’s needs and standards, not much has been done. From personal experience, I can say that it proves very frustrating when I go downtown and cannot take advantage of many restaurants or public venues due to inaccessibility. It is understood that places are old when discussing infrastructure downtown, and to remodel
them is very expensive, but not being able to go certain places because of they cannot accommodate my physical needs is unfair and discriminatory. According to Statistics Canada about 1.85 million people in Ontario have a disability which could either be a physical challenge or one exhibited in other ways. In 2005, the Ontario government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians Disability Act (AODA). The act’s purpose is to achieve accessibility on all fronts for persons with disabilities by the proposed year of 2025. It is stated in the Building Code that public sector organizations must comply to Ontario’s law ensuring accessibility for all persons in Ontario by January 1st, 2010 and all other organizations by January 1st, 2012, this according to a report published by canadabusiness.ca through Canada.gc.ca Just as there are two ways to approach every debate and issue of social concern, the same applies here. It is not to say that Canada and Ontario specifically has not done its share to improve conditions as they were prior to the millennium because many things have in fact changed for the better. Steven Fletcher is Canada’s first Conservative MP who is a quadriplegic hoping to shed light on the fact that people with disabilities are citizens just like any other person. They should be given equal opportunities and rights to actively participate in society like everyone else. “If my personal situation creates awareness and improves the situation for, really, what will be millions of others, wow, what an honor”, said 39-year old Fletcher. Encountering countless challenges since an accident in 1996 left him confined to a wheelchair and paralyzed below the neck, he is never afraid to discuss the hurdles that he faces on a daily basis. In an article published by the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians it was stated, “he had tried to visit a parliamentary restaurant a few years ago but his big
motorized wheelchair did not fit in the elevator.” He later joked saying, “Architecture’s just like politics, the details will kill you.” “Things will have to change, and fast.” The hope is that having more individuals who experience adversity hold prominent positions and jobs in our society, will increase awareness. Not only is it integral to increase awareness of certain deficiencies that exist in terms of one’s ability to access certain local places of interest due to them being inaccessible, but also it is most important that others realize that individuals with challenges should be given the same rights as any other person. If they cannot enjoy a night out on the town because of accessibility issues, they have the right to be angry and fight for access. It is not right to place individuals at a disadvantage because of the difficulties they face and these discriminatory instances are all over the map. For example, an individual with a physical challenge is forced to buy only designated seats to a concert or theatre production in the section reserved for wheelchair seating, now the problem arises when these tickets are sold out and then the individual cannot go to the event. The tickets are also very expensive and what occurs if they are not sold to those who require the reserved seating is they are sold to able-bodied citizens. This is just one example of a facet in which those who face adversity are further discriminated against. In New York City the famed TKTS discount ticket booths do not sell wheelchair accessible rush seats to shows, which means that an individual with a disability cannot buy a cheaper ticket, and if they cannot afford more expensive ones, they lose out. The attitude of bystanders who are not understanding of the struggle that a physical challenge creates is lackadaisical and disgusting. People need to be more open to adversity and realize that the problem is not only in the discrepancy that arises between infrastructural costs and access, but also in the approach to creating a more socially accepting landscape.
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There have been numerous initiatives started to increase awareness and to help with the necessary psychological restructuring but as Steven Fletcher noted, it will take a long time for it to be completely redefined. One of the campaigns first launched in response to spinal cord injury and disability advocate, Rick Hansen who continually fights for awareness, is the DAW (Disability Awareness Week). The week was instituted as a Canadawide project in order to familiarize society with disabilities as part of our world and what it will take to improve research specifically concerning Spinal Cord injuries and ABI’s (Acquired Brain Injuries). Hansen, whose face has become endemic to advocacy for disability rights, continues fight for his cause and help in the funding for revolutionary research. His 25,000 -mile trek across 34 countries from 1985-1987 first raised $26 million dollars and since the Man in Motion has corralled his way to raising $245 million over the last quarter of a century. What is integral to his insurmountable success in both world research and advocacy is his international collaborative efforts with varying facilities. He says, “Partnering with world-class research facilities in order to develop collaboration around clinical trials, research and in implementation of the best practices is a tangible step in accelerating progress towards a cure for paralysis from spinal cord injuries”. The mantra that he set for himself of “Anything is possible” after a car crash left him paralyzed at the age of 15, is still as if not more, important to his life’s mission. Rick, like Steven Fletcher believes in moving past the dark guise of adversity and fighting for possibility. For both the fight against adversity is not won through
aversion and shunning of powerful voices, but is beat by not letting the challenge beat you. Toronto as one of the largest metropolis’ in Canada must encourage people with challenges to actively participate in society but the only way action can be realized is by not barring those with disabilities from getting into places and instead, leveling the playing field. The fact is that a nation-wide awareness initiative does not suffice and campaigns such as The MS Chair Challenge is not enough to increase awareness. The only way that changes can be made is if businesses along with citizens realize as the commercial for Canada’s Private Broadcasters says that, We are all Able. When the time comes, and hands and heads synchronically nod in agreement that simply acknowledging a problem is not enough, then barriers will be broken and everyone will be playing in the same court called life. It is not a game with 5 simple rules rather it is a battle beyond what many feel are inconcurable limits. But to say inconcurable is like saying something is indefinable, and nothing stands indefinable as long as one has the lexicon and will to determine its meaning. If Torontonians can come as far as recognizing the wrong, then it is time to take measurable steps to level our free and beautiful city for everyone to enjoy. Having a handicapped accessible sign visible in the door of a store or restaurant does not qualify. The building should be accessible from the first ‘E’ of entry to the last ‘E’ of ‘Goodbye’. If you cannot see a customer in because the door is too narrow, there’s a lip, or the store’s change room for those in a wheelchair is cluttered, it’s time to rethink that latest draft for a business venture that you have just conjured up. FUTURÉALE ARTS | CULTURE | LIVING
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THE REELWORLD INDIE FILM LOUNGE EXPIRIENCE: First time director Kathy Shultz, with the National Film Board of Canada, creates a magical children’s story about sea turtles. Lindsay Romeo
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had the pleasure of speaking with director Kathy was well worth it. In order for stop motion to be successful there needs Shultz at the ReelWorld Indie Film Lounge. She to be a crew of people working on the project. As well, it is quite expen-
is almost done directing her first film with the National Film Board of Canada. The film is called The Sea Turtle Story, and it is truly an inspirational piece. The film is not yet out, but it will be in the near future. Her work is a magical educational experience that will surely brighten the eyes of watching children. The following is the information I gathered from the stories she told.
As I mentioned earlier, this was the first time she had ever directed. She has always been a part of the film industry, but as mostly a puppet and set builder. The beginnings of this project started with an adventurous trip she took to India and Thailand. Researching about sea turtles by going to Asia and being involved with the learning experience and seeing the turtles for herself is the best way to do research Shultz explains. So her work is truly authentic since the roots of her work are in real life. Shultz loves being a director; she said that she had finally found her calling. She had never really dreamed or planned on being a director, but with her highly artistic abilities she was able to direct a beautiful non-fiction film filled with magic. This film is sure to grab children’s attention. Her original idea was to create a book for children about animals. Specifically in this case, she wanted a children’s book about sea turtles. She wanted to create a magical world for children while they learn about sea turtles. There was a woman she talked to while she was in India about her idea to make a children’s book, and it was the woman who suggested making her magical story into a film. Shultz thought it was a great idea, and so she pitched her sea turtle story to the NFB, and they loved it. Shultz based her educational story on the foundation of biology. The conservation of sea turtles is the message she would like to get across to her audience. Shultz would like to educate, not preach, and she does this creatively through her animated masterpiece. The film was filmed using a technique called stop motion. She explained how hard it was to achieve this effect, but the artistic outcome
sive considering all the physical materials that are needed to build the physical sets and characters.
Basically stop motion is when the camera is constantly started and stopped to create movement, and is commonly used for 3D animation. This technique is used to create movement among actual objects, so as an audience you feel more involved with the story since in feels real with its tactile and life-like qualities. Magic can also be easily created using stop motion. Since the technique is filming actual physical objects, glitter would be effective when producing a sense of magic because of its sparkling qualities. Shultz constructed surrealism in The Sea Turtle Story by adding glitters to the set. With the digital phenomenon in our contemporary world, this stop motion technique is becoming less popular because computers can do this similar effect. But we must remember, as Shultz strongly tells us, stop motion is a beautiful art form and it always will be, so we should value it as such. There are flaws with the stop motion technique which contribute to its life-like qualities. Stop motion is truly a beautiful art. The Sea Turtle Story is not as much culturally focused like many of NFB’s films, but is more about educating children on themes surrounding saving animals. The Sea Turtle Story tell children stories about the life cycle, specifically that of the sea turtle. This animated documentary is not your typical documentary where many children may seem uninterested; “The Sea Turtle Story” will take children on a magical journey full of beauty that will leave them wanting more. Her next film is going to be culturally focused. Her next masterpiece is about the spirit bear, and her stories are going to be on the First Nation’s peoples of Canada. Like many NFB films, this will creatively express the Canadian experience. We have a lot to look forward to with the work of Kathy Shultz, so make sure you check out The Sea Turtle Story because its beauty is worth the wait.
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