The Georgia Straight - Precious Leader Woman - March 3, 2022

FREE | MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

Volume 56 | Number 2820

SARAH POLLEY

Memoir reveals traumatic times

CHELSEA HABERLIN

Tells stories with social conscience

PRECIOUS LEADER WOMAN Snowboard star Spencer O’Brien explores her Indigenous roots in a Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival documentary

KERRY SANDOMIRSKY • WINTER WAR • DOMEE SHI • ROGUE WAVE

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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NEWS

Sensor records a monster “rogue wave” off Ucluelet

CONTENTS

March 3-10 / 2022

19 COVER

Snowboarding star Spencer O’Brien explores her Indigenous identity in the film Precious Leader Woman.

by Martin Dunphy

By Charlie Smith Cover photo by Sani Alibabic

11

BOOKS

Director Sarah Polley’s memoir, Run Towards the Danger, includes a story about a terrible encounter with former radio host Jian Ghomeshi.

By Radheyan Simonpillai

15

ARTS

Neworld Theatre artistic director Chelsea Haberlin has come a long way since the days of putting on plays in her parents’ basement.

By Steve Newton

It is rare to witness or photograph a genuine rogue wave. This one happened off the coast of France, circa 1940, and the image was taken from an oil tanker in the Bay of Biscay. Photo by NOAA.

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t would have been the ride of a lifetime for any nearby Long Beach surfers—or maybe their last wave ever.

A monster so-called rogue wave recorded off Vancouver Island measured 17.6 metres (58 feet) in height when it was documented by a sensor buoy moored seven kilometers off Ucuelet, B.C., in November 2020.

The wave’s proportional height to the seas around it meant that it was the largestever recorded rogue wave.

Research confirming the rare “once in 1,300 years” behemoth was only published on February 2, 2022, in Scientific Reports, an open-access journal that specializes in peer-reviewed science and engineering papers.

A rogue wave is defined as a wave that is at least twice the height of the waves that came both directly before and after it.

Although taller waves have been noted before, their heights were only twice the height of waves around them—such as the first rogue wave ever recorded, the 25.6-metre “Draupner wave” off Norway in 1995.

The Ucluelet wave, however, was triple the size of the surrounding waves.

“Proportionally, the Ucluelet wave is likely the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded,” Johannes Gemmrich, the research paper’s lead author, said in a February 8 statement. “Only a few rogue waves in high sea states have been observed directly, and nothing of this magnitude. The probability of such an event occurring is once in 1,300 years.”

The buoy that recorded the wave is moored in water 45 metres deep on Amphitrite Bank off the west coast of Vancouver Island, one of a network of 26 such buoys around North America that are owned and managed by Victoria-based MarineLabs and comprise its CoastAware platform.

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The buoys are capable of recording data in 20-minute segments every half-hour.

MarineLabs CEO Scott Beatty said in the February 8 statement that one goal of such information-gathering is to be able to predict such waves in the future.

“The unpredictability of rogue waves, and the sheer power of these ‘walls of water’, can make them incredibly dangerous to marine operations and the public,” Beatty said. “The potential of predicting rogue waves remains an open question, but our data is helping to better understand when, where, and how rogue waves form, and the risks that they pose.”

The authors of the research paper, Gemmrich and Leah Cicon, are both with the University of Victoria. Gemmrich is a physical oceanographer and an expert on surface waves and air-ocean interactions and is working on a project to protect beachgoers by being able to better predict extreme wave events. Cicon is a master’s student studying waves and wave models in order to be able to predict rogue-wave risk for the B.C. coast.

Rogue or extreme waves are a wellknown hazard on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Visitors to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which contains the world-famous Long Beach, are warned to constantly be on the lookout for such waves because of both the extreme hazards they represent and the fact that they can appear out of a relatively calm sea.

During times of large ocean swells, storms, and coincident high tides, park visitors are warned by special extremewave advisories issued by Parks Canada.

In 2018, a UBC biology professor, Denis Lynn, was killed by a rogue wave while collecting shellfish samples on Calvert Island, off the northern tip of Vancouver Island. g

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

e Start Here 10 BOOKS 22 CLASSIFIED ADS 14 CONFESSIONS 6 EDUCATION 13 FOOD 14 LIQUOR 18 MOVIES 21 MUSIC 8 REAL ESTATE 21 SAVAGE LOVE 17 THEATRE e Listings 16 ARTS

Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 56 | Number 2820 #300 - 1375 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6H 0B1 T: 604.730.7000 E: gs.info@straight.com straight.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING: T: 604.730.7020 E: sales@straight.com

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e Online TOP 5

Here’s what people are reading this week on Straight.com.

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Before Russian invasion of Ukraine, a political scientist blamed West for the crisis.

Small detached Vancouver home sells after being listed for price of townhouse.

IPCC report warns of chikungunya virus coming to B.C. this century.

Ex-Russian president warns France that economic wars can turn into real wars.

Renters must work 48 more hours per month to keep housing costs affordable.

DISTRIBUTION: 604.730.7032

EDITOR Charlie Smith GENERAL MANAGER Sandra Oswald SECTION EDITORS Mike Usinger (ESports/Liquor/Music) Steve Newton SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy STAFF WRITERS Carlito Pablo (Real Estate) SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT Jeff Li

@GeorgiaStraight

ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER Janet McDonald GRAPHIC DESIGNER Miguel Hernandez PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Mike Correia ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Glenn Cohen, Luci Richards, Catherine Tickle, Robyn Marsh, David Pearlman (On-Leave) MANAGER, BRANDED CONTENT AND MARKETING LEAD Rachel Moore CREDIT MANAGER Shannon Li ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Tamara Robinson

Becoming a Modo member is an incredibly easy way for you to make your life more sustainable

For every Modo that goes into service, there are between nine and 13 private cars that are taken off city streets, which creates more room for cyclists and residents and fewer greenhouse gases.

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(This story is sponsored by Modo.)

hen it comes to reducing your carbon footprint, recycling empty soup cans and taking shorter showers make only a small—but still significant— difference. Those eager to protect the environment by opting for more climatefriendly choices need to consider new, sustainable ways of getting around.

In Canada, the transportation sector is the second-largest contributor to our country’s greenhouse gas emissions. This is one of the reasons why Modo, a member-owned car-share cooperative available to residents of Metro Vancouver, was launched back in 1997. Affordability, convenience, and inclusivity are also top of mind for the local company.

For folks yet to join Modo, the co-op offers round-trip service (otherwise known as two-way car-sharing), which can supplement cycling, walking, or the use of public transit. It can also help members shed their own vehicles, ridding them of the hassles associated with car ownership.

Modo has an impressive fleet, including cars, trucks, wheelchair-accessible vans, convertibles, and SUVs. It’s easy for members to book a vehicle that’s suitable for whatever they need to do—whether that’s a road trip,

running errands, or picking up a new couch.

While Modo has been gradually introducing electric and hybrid vehicles to its members, the company recently announced that it will be transitioning to a zero–tailpipe emission fleet by 2030.

“Our purpose is to connect people in our communities with places in a way that’s affordable, convenient, inclusive, and sustainable. It’s at the core of everything we do,” says Jane Hope, director of marketing and communications at Modo.

“Two-way car-sharing has been proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 to 50 percent. This is exactly why we’re moving toward a more sustainable fleet.”

For every Modo, nine to 13 private cars are removed from our city’s streets. This frees up more space for cyclists and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. It also lessens the number of cars parked along neighbourhood streets, creating more space for residents to enjoy.

“It’s crucial that the people living in Vancouver start sourcing out more ecofriendly transportation options,” says Hope. “We’re so gifted that our city has a wonderful multimodal network of transit and excellent bike lanes. Shifting to a car-free lifestyle is not only benefitting you personally but it’s also benefitting the

entire city. It makes the community more inclusive and a better place to live. We desperately need to change the approach to how we live in Vancouver, in a way that’s sustainable for everyone.”

Because of our city’s growing population, the number of vehicles is also rising at an astonishing rate—the average household in Vancouver owns 1.6 cars.

“We’re living in an area that is densifying quickly, so we no longer have the luxury of individually driving internal-combustion vehicles. There’s nowhere to park or store them, and as the population increases, we’re finding ourselves in the position of increasing greenhouse gas emissions substantially,” says Erin Sullivan, director of fleet operations at Modo. “As a collective society, we have to make the decision to look at more sustainable modes of transportation. Whether it’s driving an electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle or using active modes of transportation like walking, cycling, and taking public transit.”

Since joining Modo, roughly a third of its members have been able to get rid of a car—or two.

“We are at the precipice of a fairly substantial overhaul in the way that we all move around and the way we view refuelling a car, be it by gas, hydrogen, or by electricity,” declares Sullivan.

In addition to being an ecofriendly transportation option, car-sharing can enhance your life in several other ways. Aside from saving you from the overwhelming upfront cost of purchasing a vehicle, Modo members can save hundreds of dollars each month on gas and insurance.

If you’re still not sold, imagine never having to set foot into an automotive repair shop ever again. This alone is enough to make someone have a healthier, more positive relationship with driving.

“With Modo, you’re not responsible for maintenance or having somewhere to keep it parked. You also have the freedom to have the right car for you at the right time, which really depends on what you’re doing,” says Hope. “The vehicles are fully serviced, you won’t need worry about gas or insurance—we cover all of that. Our members find car-sharing empowering, and it helps them get things done without any added stress.”

Modo is always looking to create partnerships with organizations that believe car-sharing is a solution to sustainability and have access to electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. g Visit www.modo.coop/join-modo/ to sign up and get $50 in free drive time with code GSTRAIGHT.

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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EDUCATION

SFU PhD alumna strives to close the gaps when it comes to mathematics education for women

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(This story is sponsored by Simon Fraser University.)

r. Sheree Rodney has had a passion for school and teaching since childhood. However, her interest in mathematics education became apparent while pursuing teacher training studies. At the time, there were very few teacher candidates with an interest in mathematics. She saw that as a gap and an opportunity to make a difference.

Dr. Rodney completed a PhD in Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University.

She credits this with providing her opportunities to explore contemporary developments in learning theories and technologies relevant to the teaching and learning of mathematics. But she deems her most valuable experiences to be the connections she made with people from diverse backgrounds who were willing to share experiences and engage in discussions. The mentorship she received from faculty members Prof. Nathalie Sinclair and Prof. David Pimm, whom she describes as exceptional role models, played an instrumental role in her academic success and will always hold a special place in her heart.

Since completing her PhD, Dr. Rodney has moved on to postdoctoral work, where she engages in research with an interest in digital literacy, social justice, curiosity, and mathematics. She is a cofounder of Global Education Perspective, an online platform providing international exposure to

A career in…STEM…is a humbling and rewarding experience.

– Dr. Sheree Rodney

Dr. Sheree Rodney believes that one of the biggest barriers facing women working in nontraditional careers is stereotyping.

pre- and in-service teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. She also remains integrally involved in professional development training for teachers in her home country, Jamaica, and is in the embryonic stage of developing a mentorship program for girls in

STEM in Jamaica and Canada.

When asked about women in STEM, Dr. Rodney confides that she struggled with confidence as a student. The most challenging encounters she had involved the stereotyping of ability and perceived ideas about career choices.

“It’s a well-known fact that society positions women in ‘nontraditional’ career fields because of the perception that males are superior in knowledge and skills,” she shares.

In order to attract more women to STEM careers, Dr. Rodney believes schools and universities must provide equal opportunities and support for girls.

“A career in a STEM field is a humbling and rewarding experience, especially when you can see the impact of your work,” she says. “For this reason, I would encourage more women to get involved in STEM careers.” g

VCC’s family-friendly vibe spurs student’s success (This story is sponsored by Vancouver Community College.)

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s a mature student and parent, Amelia Godwin appreciated how her educational needs were accommodated at Vancouver Community College.

“Smaller classrooms and tutors were a huge draw toward the school,” Godwin said. “I was a mature student entering into the college so I was highly concerned with my knowledge gaps, feeling like a number, or not being able to find a support group.”

She began in September 2016 by enrolling in the University Transfer Sciences program at VCC with the goal of becoming a dental hygienist. Godwin later transferred to the Associate of Science program, graduating last June.

Much to her delight, VCC created such an accepting environment that she was able to bring her daughter with her as she used the learning services, libraries, printers, and other campus facilities. She also noted that tutors at the learning centre showed incredible patience in answering her questions.

“It felt bittersweet when I slowly needed them less,” Godwin said. “It felt like they 6

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Smaller classrooms and tutors were a huge draw toward the school.

– Amelia Godwin

Associate of Science student Amelia Godwin was the recepient of the VCC Pathway to Health Sciences Award in 2021, which was the same year that she graduated from the college.

were teaching me how to use new legs until I finally gathered my strength or—in this case—educational independence.”

The help she received and the overall accessibility “precipitated a significant difference in my grades”.

“The professors, admissions advisors, and tutors ensured my personal and academic success,” she said.

In fact, she was so successful that she was awarded the 2021 VCC Pathway to

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

Health Sciences Award.

“More importantly, they taught me how to advocate for others and succeed in alternative environments and I am eternally grateful,” Godwin added.

She’s now enrolled at Brock University, studying for an undergraduate degree in biological sciences. In addition, Godwin is enrolled in the practical nursing program at Niagara College. Her goal is to become a physician assistant.

Her experiences with VCC’s approaches to accessibility have inspired her to initiate changes at her current schools.

“I am establishing an accessibility policy called the ‘3 Os of Education Determinance’ (obstacles, opportunity, and obtainability),” Godwin revealed. “Through this policy, I am actively advocating for other parents to have access to libraries, tutors, and other on-campus amenities with their littles in arm—I personally know the difference it makes to a family.” g To learn more about the University Transfer programs at VCC, visit www.vcc.ca/ programscourses/university-transfer/.

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

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REAL ESTATE

Homes you can’t move into until the owners die

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by Carlito Pablo

homeowner in North Vancouver has listed his property for $1.6 million.

However, the man does not plan to leave when his house sells. The owner wants to continue living at his 1281 McBride Street home until he dies. Or until he moves to a seniors’ facility for good.

How is this possible?

The Macdonald Realty listing explains that this can be done through a “life estate” registered on the property’s title.

What is a life estate?

Vancouver lawyer Trevor Todd specializes in estate litigation. Todd’s website has a page explaining the concept, noting that life estates, also known as life interests, are a “well-established part of estate planning”.

“The owner of a life estate (‘the life tenant’) has the right to occupy, use and deal with real and/or personal property for his or her lifetime,” the page explains.

“When the life tenant dies,” it continues, “the remaining interest in the property then passes to the next person entitled, historically named the ‘remainderman’.”

After the life tenant dies, the remainderman “enjoys full ownership of the property”.

“During his or her lifetime, a life tenant

Perhaps this is what the market has come to: buy now and move in later…

– realtor David Hutchinson

This home at 1281 McBride Street In North Vancouver is on the market for $1.6 million, but it is being sold as a “life estate”, which means the owner gets to live there until they die or move out.

enjoys the right to possession and management of the property,” the site states.

As well, a life tenant “must treat the property in such a manner that it is not damaged and does not deteriorate, beyond reasonable wear and tear”.

Life estates may be created through a number of means. One is through a will.

Another is with a land transfer.

“Historically men of means, by their

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wills, left their wives life estates in their property,” the site notes.

The listing for the North Vancouver home indicates that the seller is 73 years old and plans to remain a resident and pay rent of $2,000 per month.

He will also be “responsible for all repair & maintenance of the home, insurance costs and the utilities portion (2021 = $1,827.40) of property taxes”.

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“Life estate will be released for owner for possession upon seller’s death or upon moving out of the home permanently (to a care facility for example),” the Macdonald Realty listing states.

Financing may be challenging.

“Note, lenders will not provide a mortgage with a Life Estate on title. Seller may finance over 10 years only for qualified buyer,” the listing notes.

The text points out that 1281 McBride Street is listed below market value.

The property has a 2022 assessment of $1,438,900. The four-bedroom and twobath rancher sits on a huge lot with a frontage of 68 feet and depth of 108 feet.

Vancouver realtor David Hutchinson brought the North Vancouver listing to the Straight’s attention.

The Sutton Group–West Coast Realty agent has been working with a couple looking to buy their first home, and they asked him if the life-estate offering was a good deal.

“Perhaps this is what the market has come to: buy now and move in later, possibly much later,” Hutchinson said.

His clients didn’t buy the property.

“I think they could consider this property if the seller allowed them to live in the property also,” Hutchinson said, in jest.

“Or at least have weekend sleepovers.”

Listing agent Julia Stauffer, of Macdonald Realty, told the Straight that her client has received legal advice about the life-estate option, which she said “gives him the most security in being able to stay”.

“It’s him trying to be creative in something that he’s looking to do,” the realtor said, noting that her client has owned 1281 McBride Street for about 20 years.

And the owner is, generally, healthy.

“He’s not infirm in any way,” Stauffer said.

The agent noted that the listing presents a “very long-term option for an investor. It comes down to someone either having the capital and be willing to invest or to accept my vendor’s financing, which is quite steep,” she said.

Stauffer said that the seller is offering reasonable interest. However, since it’s going to be a 10-year term, the financing makes for an “expensive proposition”.

“He’s doing what he wants to do and I’m supporting him,” Stauffer said about her seller. g

Federal Government To Reverse GIS Clawback with One-Time Payment

Since before the election, New Democrats have been hearing from seniors who have been seriously hurt by the Liberal government’s unacceptable decision to claw back the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) from seniors who received emergency pandemic supports such as CERB. The NDP brought the issue directly to the attention of the Ministers before the election, sadly they just ignored it. For months, we continued to call for the government to fix this injustice immediately by excluding pandemic benefit benefits in the calculation of GIS eligibility.

As MP I have raised this directly with the Minister, in the media including at a press conference in October with affected senior citizens and advocates, and repeatedly in Parliament.

In its November Fall Economic Update, the Liberals committed to a one-time emergency payment, but few details about the payment were released and seniors were told that they would have to wait up to six months, until at least May 2022, before this payment could be provided. That long delay has caused significant harm to Canada’s most vulnerable seniors.

I am so glad to report that the NDP’s work to advance the voices of the most vulnerable low-income seniors have won the day.

Through negotiations, the Liberal government has also finally agreed to speed up payments for seniors. Specifically, the timeline for the one-time payment will be moved up to April 19.

Here are the details regarding the One-Time Grant for GIS recipients who received pandemic benefits.

- Eligible seniors will receive a payment equal to the annualized reduction of their GIS/Allowance payment.

This is a major victory for the most vulnerable senior citizens and I believe that this relief will literally save lives.

I want to take a moment to thank the many seniors and advocates, like the 411 Seniors’ Society and the Kettle, who have been in touch with my office to speak up about the shameful decision that the Liberal government made to cut the GIS support. It should never have happened.

- Payments will be issued on April 19, 2022 and there is no need to apply. Service Canada will automatically identify the eligible recipients and make the payment via direct deposit to the vast majority of individuals or by cheque if they have not signed up for direct deposit.

New Democrat advocacy for low-income seniors will not stop here. One lesson that the government should have learned from the pandemic is that low-income seniors, those who rely on the GIS, cannot make ends meet. That is why they have to supplement their income with additional work in retirement. To that end, I will keep pushing for the NDP’s proposal for a guaranteed livable basic income so that seniors will never have to suffer the indignity they had to endure during the pandemic.

JENNY KWAN, MP Constituency Office 2572 E Hastings St, Vancouver (appointments mandatory during pandemic) | Email: Jenny.Kwan@parl.gc.ca | Tel: 604-775-5800 MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

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BOOKS

Outgunned Finland showed valour can beat bully

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by Charlie Smith

s brave Ukrainians take up arms against the invading Russian colossus, it’s hard to conceive of Vladimir Putin losing.

With 900,000 troops, vastly superior air power, and nuclear weapons, Russia’s military might appears to be overwhelming. Ukraine has just over 200,000 soldiers and more than 100,000 border guards and National Guard members—a fraction of what Russia can muster if it started calling up reservists.

Ukraine’s military expenditures in 2020 were just a tenth of Russia’s, according to Reuters. The international news agency cited one report that Russia has more than three times as many battle tanks.

But there was another military conflict

with one of Russia’s smaller neighbours more than 80 years ago in which David actually managed to beat back Goliath.

That was the Winter War, also known as the First Soviet-Finnish War. It resulted from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin ordering troops to invade after the Finns refused to accede to demands from Moscow.

“At the time that war broke out on November 30, 1939, the details of this absurd mismatch were as follows,” wrote Jared Diamond in his 2019 bestseller, Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis. “The Soviet Union had a population of 170 million, compared to Finland’s population of 3,700,000. The Soviet Union attacked Finland with ‘only’ four of its armies, totaling

BROADWAY PLAN Review the Draft Broadway Plan Over the past few years, we’ve been working with citizens in the community and across the city on the Broadway Plan, which will integrate new housing, jobs and amenities with the Broadway Subway over the next 30 years.

The Draft Broadway Plan is now ready for review. You’re invited to learn more about proposals to address the need for more job space; greater affordability in housing and helping current tenants stay in the neighbourhood; new and improved ways for people to move along the corridor; improved parks and public spaces; and new and renewed public amenities.

Share your thoughts before the plan goes to Council for consideration in May 2022.

• Learn more: Get detailed information on the Draft Plan and planning process at shapeyourcity.ca/broadway-plan • Take the survey: Provide feedback through the online survey which is open until March 21, 2022.

• Talk to the team: Check the website for ways to talk to members of the Broadway Plan team in person, online or by phone.

Visit: vancouver.ca Phone: 3-1-1 TTY: 7-1-1

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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

During the 1939 Soviet invasion of Finland, 120,000 Finnish soldiers held off a half-million Soviet soldiers to the point where Stalin had to negotiate. Photo courtesy Military Museum of Finland.

500,000 men, and keeping many other armies in reserve for other military purposes.”

Finland mounted a defence with its entire army of nine divisions and 120,000 men, wrote Diamond, a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“The Soviet Union supported its attacking infantry with thousands of tanks, modern war planes, and modern artillery; Finland was almost without tanks, modern war planes, modern artillery, anti-tank guns, and anti-aircraft defences,” Diamond continued.

“Worst of all, though, though the Finnish army did have good rifles and machine guns, it had very limited stocks of ammunition; soldiers were told to save ammunition by holding fire until Soviet attackers were close.”

Yet the Finns fought off the Soviets for months. They blew up many enemy tanks with the help of “Molotov cocktails”, named after the Russian foreign minister at the time.

“Why did the Finnish army prevail for so long in defending itself against the Soviet army’s overwhelming advantages of numbers and of equipment?” Diamond asked. “One reason was motivation: Finnish soldiers understood that they were fighting for their families, their country, and their independence, and they were willing to die for those goals.”

The Finns’ courage inspired 12,000 foreign volunteers, many from Sweden, to join the fight.

As Soviet casualties mounted, Stalin dropped support for the puppet regime that he had set up under a Finnish communist leader. The Soviet dictator then began negotiations. The Finns ended up ceding about nine percent of their territory to remain a free country.

Most of the province of Karelia and another area up north were turned over to Russia. The Karelians abandoned their homes and moved to other areas of Finland, where they were taken in by the Finns.

“Why, in March 1940, did Stalin not order the Soviet army to keep advancing and to occupy all of Finland?” Diamond asked in Upheaval. “One reason was that the

Finnish soldiers understood that they were fighting for their families…

– author Jared Diamond

fierce Finnish resistance had made clear that a further advance would continue to be slow and painful and costly to the Soviet Union, which now had much bigger problems to deal with—namely, the problems of reorganizing its army and re-arming to prepare for a German attack.”

In the end, Diamond reported, eight Soviet soldiers died for every Finn who was killed in the Winter War. It’s something to keep in mind as we watch the much smaller Ukrainian army and population take on the Russians. The odds are certainly against Ukraine, but as Vietnamese revolutionary and politician Ho Chi Minh once said: “You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win.”

The Soviets launched the war in 1939 because the Finnish border was only 32 kilometres from the major port city of Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg.

By extending their footprint deeper into Finland—or by taking over the entire country—they could better protect Leningrad from any land-based invasion through Finland.

Coincidentally, this is the same city where Putin was born in 1952. That makes him 69 years old.

Here’s another coincidence: that’s the same age that the murderous Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi died as vilified figures in world history. g

BOOKS

Polley is unbearably vulnerable in new memoir

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by Radheyan Simonpillai

arah Polley, the actor turned filmmaker turned author with new book, Run Towards the Danger, is thinking about being an actor again.

Polley hasn’t been in front of the camera in 14 years. When she was acting, Polley built a reputation for running away from star-making roles, doing everything she could to light a successful show-business career on fire. She explains in her book that a lot of that had to do with a deep-seated resentment toward the profession and a fear of saddling herself with commitment.

“I felt so trapped in being a child actor,” says Polley, explaining the lingering effect from her years on the Canadian television series Road To Avonlea. “It was a prison for me, having to be on a set every day. It was really hard to shake that feeling, even when I was choosing [to perform] as a young adult. I kind of dragged a lot of stuff from my [childhood] along with me into adulthood, which a lot of us do. And for me, that took the form of this kind of resentment towards acting, even when I was liking doing it.”

But there has been a shift. Polley is feeling different about it. She works through a lot of the trauma associated with acting in Run Towards the Danger, a collection of essays confronting her most horrifying and difficult experiences. These include becoming an independent woman in the public eye at a tender age after losing her mother; her terrible experience with Jian Ghomeshi, the former radio host accused of assaulting several women, and the whiplash of those memories during his trial; a high-risk pregnancy; a debilitating concussion; and the dangerous journey making Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Her hang-ups associated with acting may sound minuscule compared to some of the other abuses and tragedies Polley writes about. But one takeaway from Run Towards the Danger is that they’re all connected; the trauma from one event lingers over them all.

Full disclosure: Polley is a friend. We discussed a lot of these stories in the past.

But I never knew them like this. She goes deep in her writing, making herself so unbearably vulnerable that you feel compelled to handle the book with care. And her recollections feel vulnerable, too— time, new experiences and evolved sentiments have a way of changing the way Polley holds and understands her past.

“The essays were writing themselves over many years,” says Polley. “Some of them took decades to write. Although they were about very different things, [they] had this connective tissue, this relationship between the past and the present—the way the past was coming up through the present and the way my present life was in-

The Toronto-based director of Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley, has some shocking tales of her own to share with readers of her new memoir, Run Towards the Danger. Photo by Nick Lachance.

forming my relationship to my memories and my past.”

She latches onto the idea of memory being a two-way street. In one essay, where she describes playing in the ocean with her child in Prince Edward Island, Polley writes about feeling a sense of nostalgia for something that was happening in front of her, as though she was watching a memory play out in real time.

“I feel this nostalgia, as though there’s some part of me that’s always going to have this clock ticking,” she says, explaining the effect of losing her mother young.

“Unfortunately, my husband, similarly, lost his dad when he was seven, so we have this sense of life being very, very precious and finite and precarious. It makes you feel like as you’re living you’re also capturing the memory of this moment living because you don’t know how many more you have.”

Polley shares emotional memories of her mother, Diane, an actor and casting agent, throughout the book. Her absence is part of its connective tissue. So, too, is Polley’s relationship with her body. Almost every chapter involves some physical struggle, whether it’s the scoliosis she had as a child or the concussion that made it impossible for her to function in recent years, or the fight for autonomy over her body, whether at work or in relationships.

“I think I was constantly aware that my body was stopping me from being able to do what I wanted to do or live the way I wanted to live, or that my body made me vulnerable or at risk,” says Polley, wondering if that emerged subconsciously in her writing. “I don’t feel that anymore.”

How Polley is feeling is thanks largely to her recovery from the concussion, guided

by Dr. Michael Collins, who gives this book it’s title. He’s the one who instructed

Polley to “run towards the danger”.

“That means all of the things you’ve been avoiding because you have a concussion and because it hurts too much, you have to do them. You have to do the things that bother your brain the most.”

There was more to the treatment, of course, like carefully regimented physical exercises. Polley doesn’t want concussion patients out there to just start running toward bright lights and loud noises based on her recommendation (seriously, don’t do that). But she explains how much the mantra of running toward the danger felt like a “paradigm shift”, motivating her to confront her anxieties and fears.

Sharing her violent experience with Ghomeshi—in an essay Polley says she wrote and rewrote the most times—is part of that journey. She contemplated coming forward in the past to support brave voices like Lucy DeCoutere. She explains, in a chapter called The Woman Who Stayed Silent, why she didn’t until now.

She also recites the way she used to tell that experience before at parties as a funny worst-date story without the violence, to suppress and normalize the memory.

“That was a lot easier to live with than the complete confusion and fear that the experience had left me with,” she says.

“And I think lots of people do this. A lot of people kind of mutate trauma into something they can relate, and in then doing so kind of minimize the trauma.” g

WALKING TOGETHER!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY The Jewish Seniors Alliance Friendly Visitor service is seeking volunteers to walk with seniors.

The walking program is a new addition to our services.

Our Friendly Visitor volunteers offer seniors conversation, companionship and social support.

Volunteer training is provided at no cost and you will receive a certificate upon completion.

JSALLIANCE.ORG

If you would like to be a walking volunteer, please contact Charles Leibovitch at Jewish Seniors Alliance.

CHARLES@JSALLIANCE.ORG / 778-840-4949

Jewish Seniors Alliance “Seniors Stronger Together”

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

11

FOOD / LIQUOR

Entrepreneurial chef chooses VCC on her path from family cooking to a Red Seal Apprentice (This article is sponsored by Vancouver Community College.)

W

hich women in your life have inspired your tastes and talents? Like many Canadians, VCC culinary arts alumna Katherine Aguilar remembers her mother and grandmother as the ones who passed on the cultural recipes and flavours that brought family together around the table.

Today, as a professional cook, Katherine continues to hold these values close as she connects food and people in her own unique and essential career.

Though she’d always had a passion for cooking, when Katherine came to Canada from the Philippines more than 20 years ago, her focus was learning English and making it through high school. “It was hard for me to adapt,” she remembers.

After high school, on the advice of her parents, Katherine started a career as a pharmacy technologist. “I survived,” she says about her job, “but I mostly looked forward to weekends in the kitchen with family.”

Vancouver Community College–trained Red Seal Apprentice cook Katherine Aguilar found it scary at first to return to school, but she was delighted to discover how fun and amazing it was.

Soon, Katherine joined her grandmother in making and selling the family’s famous lumpia to earn extra money. With secret family recipes in hand, she eventually opened a catering business. Palate

Catering serves traditional Filipino snacks and meals at community events. At the same time, Katherine started a job as a dietary aide at a long-term-care home in Abbotsford, but her talents did not go un-

noticed, and she soon started cooking full meals in the kitchen.

Between cooking full-time for seniors, running a catering business, and opening a Filipino fusion food stall (Star Burrito) at the Richmond Night Market, Katherine decided in 2019 to pursue formal culinary training and credentials.

“It was scary at first,” she says about starting VCC’s culinary arts program after 15 years of working. “But now I felt like a teenager again. I never knew learning could be so fun and amazing.”

After completing Professional Cook 1 Plus, Katherine won VCC’s Santiago Cuyugan Award of Excellence, recognizing her dedication to cooking and openness to diverse culinary influences.

In 2021, with her catering business and food stall temporarily closed due to the pandemic, Katherine decided to complete Level 3 of Culinary Arts (Cook) Apprentice. This was the final stage of trades training before challenging the Red Seal examination. “I’m so glad I did it,” she shares. “It refreshed my memory. It was the right time.” g

Smoked Drunken Hive is just as great as its label

A

by Mike Usinger

s a valuable public service, we crack open spirits from B.C. to Bahrain and beyond, then give you a highly opinionated, pocket-flask-sized review.

TODAY’S FREE POUR

Wayward Distillery Smoked Drunken Hive Rum THEIR WORDS

“Our Cask Strength Drunken Hive Rum is two worlds coming together in sinful harmony. Rum: smooth and playful. Caskstrength Scotch: complicated and smoky.”

TASTING NOTES

Before we get started, can we talk about the label for a second? And how there’s so much to love, especially if you’re a fan of, in no particular order, old-timey naval warfare, roiling seas, compact-car-sized dogs, and skies that look like Vancouver the entire month of November.

In case that’s not painting enough of a picture, you’ve got to rotate the bottle to take it all in. Start with the wistful-looking Saint Bernard in the middle of a wreckagestrewn ocean, front paws on a floating rum barrel as the sea foam flies. Then there’s the HMCS Honeybee Spanish galleon, nose 12

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

down in the sea, the rear of the boat engulfed in flames as grey smoke billows into the air.

On the fine-print front, look for the back-label promise of “1% for the bees” (in which the Vancouver Island-based Wayward Distillery notes that the rough equivalent of $1.09 from each bottle sold goes towards “protection and promotion” of everyone’s favourite pollinators/honey producers).

Speaking of honey, let’s give a shout-out to the hard-working bees of the Comox Valley, which is where Wayward Distillery is based. Without our flying friends there would be no Smoked Drunken Hive Rum. As every Caribbean pirate, Tikidrink obsessive, and unapologetic liquor nerd knows, rum is usually made from either sugar-cane molasses or sugar-cane juice. Drunken Hive Smoked Rum’s journey to the bottle starts with molasses that comes from caramelized B.C. honey. After a 15-month fermentation and distillation process in bourbon casks, Wayward’s award-winning Drunken Hive Rum is then finished in casks that once contained gloriously smoky

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

Ardbeg scotch. Voila, you’ve got Smoked Drunken Hive Rum, bottled cask-strength, which means a pleasantly potent 56.7% ABV kick.

Viscous honey, freshly scraped vanilla bean, and smooth butterscotch take centre stage at fi rst sip, with the suedelike smokiness lingering on the back end. Swirl it around and breathe deep and you’re rewarded with burnt-orange peel, caramelized sugar, and a hint of campfi re smoke (assuming, that is, you’re camping in the Scottish highlands and not skimping on the peat when it’s time for smores).

Yes, Smoked Drunken Hive Rum is that lovely: smooth and silky yet out to make a statement.

But rather than us having the last word, let’s throw things back to the folks at Wayward, who describe their creation as follows: “Burt Reynolds on a bearskin rug, fi replace crackling, smoldering eyes, come hither smile. Bold.

Playful. Confident. Unapologetic.” Man,

that’s almost as great as the label—and we’re not just talking about the Saint Bernard hanging onto the rum barrel.

COCKTAIL TIME

Sometimes it’s okay to be as torn as the sail on the HMCS Honeybee. Smoked Drunken Hive Rum is complex enough that you’ll get maximum enjoyment out of it neat or with a couple of ice chips. But if you’re hellbent on unleashing your inner mixologist, last thing you want to be doing is whipping up a Rum Barrel. Instead, try this Wayward Distillery–approved drink, which comes courtesy of Olivia Povarchook and Tiago de Souza Jensen from Instagram’s @BitterQueens.

Brooke Lynn Hytes 1 oz Wayward Distillery Drunken Hive Rum 1/2 oz Odd Society Bittersweet Vermouth 1/2 oz Rigour and Whimsy 2016 Skin Contact Pinot Blanc 3/4 oz Lemon Juice 3/4 oz Honey Syrup 2 dashes Dillon’s Orange Bitters 1 egg white Dry shake, then shake with ice and fine strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with saffron threads. g

FOOD

Bandra brings something different to Indian table

B

by Charlie Smith

ollywood begins in Bandra.

The upscale Mumbai suburb is not only the centre of India’s thriving Hindi cinema industry, it’s also home to many of its biggest stars, including Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aamir Khan.

Located just north of the Mithi River in Mumbai, it was once a fishing village that came under Portuguese control in the early 16th century. About 127 years later, Bandra was turned over to the English monarchy when King Charles married Catherine of Portugal.

Many Goans, whose traditional territory had been colonized by the Portuguese, live in Bandra. This suburb is also home to a substantial number of Parsis—descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who moved to India to flee Muslim rule in the eighth century CE. In addition, there are some Anglo-Indians, a community of people with mixed British and Indian ancestry.

This makes Bandra a true Indian melting pot, where cultures are reflected in the different types of street food. All of these influences also come together in the menu of a new restaurant in Surrey called Bandra Cafe (#110–7310 120th Street).

Kheema Bombs at Bandra Cafe in Surrey are created by stuffing mashed potatoes with ground mutton, which is then rolled in crumbs and lightly fried before being served on a plate with a salad.

Located in the Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre (at the corner of 120th Street and 72 Avenue), it offers the same type of urban vibe that people might feel if they went out for a bite in Bandra.

Large black-and-white photos on the western wall reveal different aspects of the Mumbai suburb, whereas the northern wall is dominated a large, bright mural.

What makes Bandra Cafe memorable, however, is its menu of modernized street food. On a recent trip, my dining companion and I tried the Kheema Bombs ($11.99), a Goan snack that could be considered the equivalent of a Canadian sausage roll. These treats are made by stuffing mashed potatoes with mutton kheema (ground meat). Then this is rolled in crumbs and lightly fried.

The Kheema Bombs came with mint sauce and a salad, which helped offset the relatively mild spices. At Bandra Cafe, there were no greasy aftereffects.

We also tried the Parsi Salli Chicken ($16.99), which might be the only Parsi dish on any restaurant menu in the Lower Mainland. Tried is a euphemism, really, because I gobbled down this tasty chicken masala dish.

It included potato straws, reflecting the British influence on colonial India. And there was a sweet-and-sour kick, perhaps due to the inclusion of vinegar and sugar.

Parsi Salli Chicken is eaten in Bombay, and at Bandra Cafe, with pav, which is a bread commonly sold in Mumbai. For dessert, we ordered Kulfi Falooda ($6.99), typically served at Indian weddings. Here, Indian ice cream is enhanced with cold vermicelli and rose syrup.

Even though the Bandra Cafe is within walking distance of one of the largest gurdwaras in the country, this is not Punjabi cuisine. You won’t find saag paneer on the menu, but there are many western dishes.

Plus, there is a long list of chais and plenty of offerings for any vegetarians or vegans in your circle of friends. The service is friendly and efficient. And the parking is free. g

VOTE NOW! MAY 26, 2022

Visit STRAIGHT.COM to vote for your favourites from Vancouver’s thriving culinary scene Ballot closes March 17 MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

13

LIQUOR

A truly colourful village inspires Tobermory gin

F

by Mike Usinger

or a world that’s been locked down and largely unable to travel for the past two years, the Scottish village of Tobermory couldn’t look more charmingly idyllic. You’ll get no disagreement on that from Julieann Fernandez, who once planned on becoming a forensic scientist, but instead parlayed her degree into a job as master distiller in an industry that’s long been dominated by men.

A good chunk of her time is spent at the Tobermory Distillery, located in Tobermory (population 1,000) on the Isle of Mull in Northern Scotland. The postcard-perfect main feature of the tiny town is its brightly coloured waterfront buildings—think sunshine-yellow,

Scan to conffess

bubblegum-pink, tangerine-orange, and powder-blue—which are situated on the main-street waterfront.

Those buildings are rendered in illustrated form on the label of Tobermory’s newly-launched-in-Canada Isle of Mull gin. That makes sense—when you’ve got a waterfront that cute and quaint, it makes sense to share it with the world.

In a video call, Fernandez says Tobermory is every bit as magical as it looks.

“It’s very, very coastal, beautifully green, and has wonderful landscapes,” she says with an instantly-enchanting, mellifluous Scottish lilt. “That’s what I took the inspiration from for Tobermory gin. You can obviously see here [on the label] the beautiful colourful The Georgia Straight Confessions, an outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives—or for the voyeurs among us who want to read what other people have disclosed.

Night chats Sometimes I call the free counselling service line in the wee hours of the night for some brief guidance and support. I don’t really have a desire to do any ongoing counselling. I just find it helps every now and then to talk to someone on the phone. Even if it’s for only 20 minutes.

Sometimes even a short phone conversation can have a positive impact in your days.

No more politics I don’t like to be around people who complain and bitch about politics. I never complain about politicians. Nope. I guess that’s why I’m separate from the rest of my neighbors. All they ever do is rant. I mean, what good does it do? What people tend to forget is that politicians are like all four seasons. They’re not going to be around forever. And once they’re long gone from office, no one will remember who they are anymore. I prefer to just count my blessings and appreciate what I do have.

How soon?

A guy came up to me on the street with a message that even though I look happy he could sense my worry and stress. He told me the universe wanted him to tell me that things get better soon. Maybe he was just crazy, but even if so.. I needed to hear that. Then I was almost hit by a car, haha. Life..

Takes one to know one I have a better understanding of the motivations of heavy drinkers after being one myself and getting over it.

Visit 14

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

to post a Confession MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

houses that we have. I suppose that I applied that when making the gin. The gin starts off as a blank canvas. But that allows it to take on a beautiful, colourful array of flavours, which is like our beautiful, colourful houses.”

While Scotland is most famous for its whiskies on the liquor front, there’s also been something of a gin boom over the past couple of decades. An estimated 100 brands are now on the juniper-berry bandwagon, accounting for 70 percent of all the gin made in the U.K. That includes not only heavy-hitting multinational offerings like Hendrick’s, Tanqueray, and Gordon’s, but close to 90 independently-produced spirits.

Whisky distilleries—nearly 20 of them, including Tobermory—have slowly joined the party. While whisky remains their main focus, gin is now something perfected on the side. The appeal of that side hustle is simple: where whiskies can take years, or even decades to mature, gin doesn’t.

Tobermory, which dates back to the 1790s, jumped into the gin game after reopening in 2019 following a renovation.

Like the town it operates in, the distillery is tiny.

“Tobermory is a beautiful distillery, so if anyone ever makes the journey over to Scotland, you have to go and visit,” she says.

“But you know yourself that the Scottish are known for being quite tight—we don’t really like to spend much money. So I laugh because Tobermory Distillery tours have got to be one of the worst. You can literally see the end as you’ve started it because the distillery is tiny. With us being so tight and not wanting to spend money, I’m surprised we actually get visitors.”

Because the community is small, involving it in the gin-making process was important to the master blender and her team. The local vicar, for example, grew the Hebridean tea leaves and heather used in the distillation process. Beyond the juniper, adding complexity are elderflower, herbal thyme, citrusy orange peel, and a creamy splash of spirit from the whisky side of things.

“Everything that’s going into the gin is basically hand-foraged,” she says. “We found all the botanicals by wandering the beautiful landscapes of Mull. And we included local people, like our lovely vicar Liz. That really brings everyone together. We brought the community together in the way that we’ve brought all these lovely botanicals together.”

Initial batches were made in a small still dubbed Wee Mary. When Tobermory gin began winning awards, that success convinced the distillery to up production by investing in a larger still named Big Mary.

“The reason we were using such a small still is we didn’t know if this was really going to take off,” Fernandez says. “Over here we see a lot of gins on the market, and we didn’t know how this would go.”

Tobermory master distiller Julieann Fernandez relied on local botanicals for Isle of Mull gin.

As for how to best enjoy Tobermory, she rightly suggests that while it obviously works well in cocktails, Isle of Mull is layered enough to shine as the base for a classic martini, on the rocks, or even neat.

Each bottle is also, Fernandez opines, something of a work of art, with the Tobermory waterfront not only on the back label, but rendered so it’s visible when looking at the bottle on the shelf.

“When you look through the bottle it’s like you’re looking over the water to the beautiful coloured houses of Tobermory,” she says. “That not only makes the bottle stand out, but it remains true to the heart and soul of Tobermory.”

As part of the launch, Tobermory hired award-winning bartender Jeff Savage of the Botanist Restaurant to create custom drinks for Vancouver cocktail enthusiasts, including your resident Liquor Nerd. Here’s his recipe for the Slow Club, inspired by my love of tiki bars, beach vacations, and the films of the fabulously weird David Lynch.

THE SLOW CLUB 2 oz Tobermory gin 1 oz fresh lime juice 3/4 oz orgeat syrup 3/4 oz lavender black tea syrup 1/2 oz blue Curaçao.

1 dash orange blossom water Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker and shake. Double strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice, and garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig. g

ARTS

Haberlin loves stories with a social conscience

C

by Steve Newton

helsea Haberlin’s position as artistic director of Neworld Theatre has been a long time coming. As she explains on the phone during a break from rehearsals for the company’s next production, Clean/Espejos, a career in theatre is one that she’s yearned for all her life.

“I was the kind of kid who was always making theatre,” Haberlin says. “Like, my basement was just full of costumes and props and things to play with, and whenever people came over, they were always cast in one of my plays. So I had just kind of always done it, before I ever knew what theatre was.

“And then I just became increasingly interested in it as I got older,” she adds. “I realized at a certain point that I was not a good actor and not interested in acting, and that really direction and producing and bringing people together around an artistic endeavour was the thing that was interesting to me.”

Haberlin’s passion for theatre was fed by attending a lot of local productions; it helped that her parents had subscriptions to the Vancouver Playhouse and the Arts Club Theatre Company. Her journey to the professional stage came by way of earning a BFA at the University of Victoria and then an MFA at UBC. “I mean, I wanted to go to UVic because I wanted to move away from home a little bit,” she relates with a laugh, “and actually what I did there was the applied theatre program, which is very unique. It was one of the first programs in the country like that when I went there. So it was an interesting opportunity to study something in addition to directing, like the application of theatre tools outside of a traditional context.

Neworld Theatre artistic director Chelsea Haberlin has a passion for bold theatre.

“And a large part of the reason I went to UBC,” she adds, “is that when I moved back from UVic, it was very difficult to get a footing in the city. You really have to go to school here to get in here, I found. And so I thought, ‘If I go and get my master’s, I’ll really assert myself as someone who is pursuing directing professionally.’ And it worked.”

The first theatre job Haberlin scored, while still at UBC, was as assistant director on a Neworld Theatre show called The Idiot.

Prior to that, she had cofounded ITSAZOO Productions, which first got the local theatre community’s attention with the shows Mojo and Killer Joe, the latter winning two Jessie Awards, including one for best production. All the time she had her sights set on a prized artistic-director position.

“I was really interested in doing that on sort of an indie level,” she says, “but I didn’t know if ITSAZOO was gonna be able to grow to a level where it was gonna be sustainable for me as a professional career. So I started looking for organizations that I was interested in working with, to try and figure out how to grow my own company. It was really to find mentorship, and Neworld really stuck out to me right away because they don’t just make plays—they make plays with a social consciousness that really strive to say bold things about the way we should be in the world. They had a strong kinda social justice and interest in talking about identity, things that I was really interested in.”

Haberlin found that mentorship in Neworld Theatre artistic director Marcus Youssef, and she started working under him as resident producer in 2013. Six years later, she took over Youssef’s AD role, a position that currently also sees her codirecting Clean/Espejos, which is being presented by the Cultch as part of its Femme Festival. According to the Cultch website, the play—written by Christine Quintana and codirected with dramaturge Daniela Atiencia—”intimately explores different perspectives of female solidarity, secrets, and survival across two languages”.

“It tells the story of two women at a resort in Cancun,” Haberlin explains, referring to the characters played by Genevieve Fleming and Alexandra Lainfiesta. “One

of them is from Canada, there for a couple of weeks for her sisters’ wedding, and the other character—the Spanish-speaking character—works there as a manager of the cleaning service. And so they have a very different relationship to the place that they are at, and are in roles that traditionally don’t overlap very much. If you go to a resort, the cleaning staff don’t very often interact with guests, so there’s a great deal of kind of hierarchy that’s established there—unspoken hierarchy—and a lot of difference in privilege.”

Haberlin is particularly pleased that Clean/Espejos is getting its world premiere as part of the Cultch’s Femme Festival, the stated aim of which is to highlight the strength and power of female-identifying voices. (International Women’s Day takes place two days before its run begins.)

“The Cultch has been the home for Neworld’s work for many, many years,” she points out. “And we just love having our work premiered there, so as soon as we knew we were gonna do this, we right away thought of that as the first home for it.

“And I think the stories that the Cultch is telling in the current [Femme Festival] series are stories that don’t get enough air time,” she adds. “In theatre, there are lots of stories about white women—especially white women with privilege—but there are not as many stories about Spanish-speaking women working cleaning services in Mexico. So I really appreciate that they’re making space on their stage for those stories.” g Neworld Theatre presents performances of Clean/Espejos at the Cultch Historic Theatre from March 10 to 19, with online performances from April 5 to 10.

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

15

ARTS LISTINGS

ONGOING

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

TUESDAY, MARCH 8

SANKOFA: AFRICAN ROUTES, CANADIAN ROOTS Exhibition explores the relationships between traditional and contemporary African art and Black Canadian art. To Mar 27, Museum of Anthropology at UBC. CANOE CULTURES :: HO'-KU-MELH Work of 20 Indigenous artists and carvers curated by Indigenous artist and cultural historian Roxanne Charles. To Jul 3, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

SHO ESQUIRO: DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY Solo exhibition by designer, artist, and activist showcases meticulously crafted couture gowns, textiles, paintings, and photographs. To Jun 5, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. KIM'S CONVENIENCE A Korean shopkeeper grapples with a changing neighbourhood landscape and the chasm between him and his second-generation offspring. To Mar 27, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. From $35.

MARY'S WEDDING Story of love and survival weaves a theatrical spell of hope, regret, memory, and dreams. To Mar 13, Firehall Arts Centre. From $15.

VSO/PROKOFIEV & GRIEG Russian-born Anna Rakitina leads the Vancouver Symphony and violinist Blake Pouliot. Mar 4, 7 pm, Orpheum Theatre.

WOMEN OF NOTE The Pacific Baroque Orchestra showcases the music of 18th-century female composers. Mar 4, 7:30 pm, Christ Church Cathedral.

NEW ORFORD STRING QUARTET Juno-winning quartet performs a varied program, from Dvořák's "American" String Quartet to Canadian Carmen Braden's The Raven Conspiracy. Mar 4, 7:30 pm, South Delta Baptist Church. $40/20.

COMEDY PANTS: A STAND-UP SHOW Comedy night hosted by Alistair Ogden and An-Te Chu. Mar 4, 8 pm, China Cloud. $15.

CERTIFIED JD Derbyshire's memoir play about their experiences with the Canadian mental-health system. Mar 8-20, Gateway Theatre. $29.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS WITH BLAKE POULIOT The VSO School of Music presents a masterclass with acclaimed violinist. Mar 5, 11 am–1 pm, VSO School of Music. $15.

NEW ORFORD STRING QUARTET Juno-winning quartet performs a varied program, from Dvořák's "American" String Quartet to Canadian Carmen Braden's The Raven Conspiracy. Mar 5, 7:30 pm, West Vancouver United Church. $35/20.

LEONARD SUMNER Indigenous musician from Little Saskatchewan First Nation. Mar 5, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

BLACK VIOLIN Florida duo composed of classically trained string instrumentalists Kevin Sylvester and Wilner Baptiste blends hip-hop and classical music.

Mar 10, Vogue Theatre. $34.50.

OFF LEASH COMEDY Standup by up-and-coming Vancouver comedians every second Thursday of the month. Mar 10, 7 pm, Dogwood Brewing. $15.

PAUL ANTHONY'S TALENT TIME PRESENTS DONAIR DEN! High-concept game show featuring entrepreneurial pitches from comedians Graham Clark and Ryan Beil, with musical act You Big Idiot.

Mar 10, 8-10:30 pm, Rio Theatre. $17/$20.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

FRIDAY, MARCH 11

OMINOUS SOUNDS AT THE RIVER CROSSING (OR, ANOTHER FUCKING DINNER PARTY PLAY) Touchstone Theatre presents the world premiere of a darkly comedic piece of metatheatre, directed by Roy Surette. Mar 6-13, Performance Works.

DAVID HAZELTINE & CORY WEEDS Local jazz saxophonist Weeds and New York City pianist Hazeltine.

Mar 6, 8-10 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. $15-35.

SONIC BOOM FESTIVAL Vancouver Pro Musica presents a program of new works by B.C. composers.

Mar 11-13, Orpheum Annex. $15-$22.

NUNSENSE Boone Dog Productions presents a spoof about the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser. Mar 11-27, Metro Theatre. $40.

SISTER JAZZ ORCHESTRA: CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Eighteen-woman

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 REVEAL + TELL Ballet BC presents performances of Marco Goecke’s Woke Up Blind, Crystal Pite's The Statement, and a new creation from artistic director Medhi Walerski. Mar 3-5, Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

VSO/PEER GYNT Christopher Gaze hosts a performance of Edvard Grieg’s charming suite. Mar 3, 2 pm, Orpheum Theatre.

SOLEDAD O’BRIEN American journalist, entrepreneur, and author discusses the future of media. Mar 3, 6-7:30 pm, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, UBC. Free.

DANCE DOUBLE BILL: BLUE SPACE + MELON PIECE A double bill of solo dance works created and performed by Kelly McInnes and Arash Khakpour.

Mar 3-5, 7 pm, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. $20-35 (plus service charge).

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 SFU LIBRARY’S ONE BOOK ONE SFU 2022: HIROMI GOTO’S SHADOW LIFE Join author Hiromi Goto in conversation with Sarah Leavitt and Erica Hiroko Isomura. Mar 9, 7 pm, Simon Fraser University. Free.

DAINA ASHBEE The Dance Centre and Vancouver International Dance Festival present Daina Ashbee’s latest work, J'ai pleuré avec les chiens (Time, Creation, Destruction). Mar 9-12, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $30/25.

ensemble featuring some of Vancouver’s top female jazz artists performs straight-ahead jazz in celebration of International Women's Day. Mar 11, 7:30 pm, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts..

AKAASH SINGH COMEDY SHOW Standup comedian, podcaster, and actor. Mar 11, 8 pm, Vancouver Playhouse. $44.52.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12 SPRING 2022: COLLECTED WORKS Group exhibition on the potency of photography featuring the work of Larry Clark, Katy Grannan, and Andres Serrano. Mar 12–May 28, Rennie Museum. Free.

ANNUAL FRANCOPHONE COMEDY EVENT Rendez-vous de la Francophonie and the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue present a Francophone comedy night. Mar 12, 8 pm, Norman Rothstein Theatre. From $30.

STEVEN PAGE WITH THE VSO Former Barenaked Ladies frontman performs solo tunes and BNL hits with the Vancouver Symphony, accompanied by guitarist-vocalist Craig Northey of Odds. Mar 12-13, 8 pm, Orpheum Annex.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 HEY VIOLA! Vancouver singer and actress Krystle Dos Santos stars in a one-woman musical based on the life of Black activist Viola Desmond. Mar 16-27, Anvil Centre. $25-35 (plus service charges).

THURSDAY, MARCH 17 MADE IN ITALY The Arts Club Theatre Company presents a play about a second-generation Italian teen struggling to find his place in Jasper, Alberta.

Mar 17–Apr 17, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Tix from $35.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 THE CANADIAN GUITAR QUARTET The Vancouver Classic Guitar Society presents the four guitar virtuosos of the CGQ. Mar 18, 7 pm, Pyatt Hall. $25-$35.

MEN EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS Zee Zee Theatre presents a provocative comedy challenging assumptions about masculinity and gender norms. Mar 18–Apr 3, 7:30 pm, Firehall Arts Centre.

JULIE: AFTER STRINDBERG Alma matters productions and Untold Wants Theatre present the North American premiere of a play about a battle of seduction. Mar 18-26, 8-9:15 pm, The Cultch. $22-25.

THURSDAY, MARCH 24 DISCOVER DANCE! ALL BODIES DANCE PROJECT Artists with and without disabilities explore the creative potential of difference in a program of surprising contemporary dance. Mar 24, 12-1 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $15/13.

SATURDAY, MARCH 26 ERATO ENSEMBLE The Erato Ensemble presents the Vancouver premiere of Philip Glass' Book of Longing, set to poems of Leonard Cohen. Mar 26, 7:30 pm, St. Andrew's–Wesley United Church. $17-44.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 HMS PINAFORE Vancouver Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s comedic tale of forbidden love across class divides. Apr 30, 7:30 pm; May 5, 7:30 pm; May 7, 7:30 pm; May 8, 2 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

From $48.

March 9-12, 2022 | 8pm

Scotiabank Dance Centre Info and tickets: thedancecentre.ca

Photo: Stéphanie Paillet

Presented with

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MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

GLOBAL DANCE CONNECTIONS SERIES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 JUST FOR LAUGHS VANCOUVER Comedy festival features performances by Nicole Byer, Andrew Santino, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford, Bob the Drag Queen, Natasha Leggero, Moshe Kasher, and Jimmy O. Yang. May 25-29, various Vancouver venues.

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit events online using the eventsubmission form at straight.com/AddEvent.

Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

ARTS

Actor relishes opportunity to create controversy on-stage

by Charlie Smith

TOMORROW! MAR

4

Prokofiev & Grieg Fri, 7pm | Orpheum

The next generation of symphony stars!

Conductor Anna Rakitina leads an exciting performance featuring two beloved works: Grieg’s Peer Gynt, and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Ms. Rakitina is a Dudamel Fellow at the LA Philharmonic, and the current Associate Conductor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She will be joined on the Orpheum stage by violinist Blake Pouliot, twice featured on the CBC’s “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30” list.

Anna Rakitina

Hear it. Feel it.

Kerry Sandomirsky jumped at the chance to be in Jason Sherman’s Ominous Sounds because the play goes straight to the heart of contemporary cultural conversations. Photo by David Cooper.

V

eteran Vancouver actor Kerry Sandomirsky knows as well as anyone that the theatre world is in flux. Plays that were once performed on stages without a second thought are now scrutinized for anything that smacks of racism, sexism, ableism, or any other ism.

This has presented opportunities for some actors. But it has also left others who have worked in theatre for years wondering about their place if more roles are reserved for those with lived experiences similar to their characters.

“We’re similar to some of those Chekhovian characters looking around bewildered and thinking, ‘What now?’ ” Sandomirsky tells the Straight by phone. “So the new world is emerging but the oldies are left standing, saying, ‘What stories are we allowed to tell?’ ” That’s the premise of Jason Sherman’s Ominous Sounds at the River Crossing; or, Another Fucking Dinner Party Play, which Touchstone Theatre will premiere this month. Directed by Roy Surette, it features Kerry Sandomirsky, Monice Peter, Alex Poch-Goldin, Allan Morgan, Nicola Lipman, and Angela Chu as actors in a play.

Sandomirsky’s character decides that she’s had enough of performing in “dinner plays”, which generates an emotional discussion about storytelling, inclusivity, and cultural appropriation.

“You want to feel that the work you’re doing is relevant to the cultural conversation of the moment, which is why I jumped at this,” Sandomirsky says.

In Ominous Sounds, she’s reviving a character that she played more than two decades ago in one of Sherman’s earlier plays, Patience. That version was also

directed by Surette at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria.

“First of all, Roy casts well,” Sandomirsky says. “I don’t mean that in a selfaggrandizing way. He assembles a good group of people—good-hearted as well. He creates warm rooms, so you feel you have permission to explore a play like this.”

She describes Sherman, a Governor General’s Award winner, as an incredibly intelligent writer who can make audiences squirm in discomfort while still retaining a great deal of heart in his plays.

“That’s what makes it pleasurable,” Sandomirsky says. “It works on so many different levels.”

Plus, she notes that Sherman listens to suggestions from the cast and is willing to rewrite dialogue if a good case can be made for doing that. At the same time, she says that he presents different perspectives in Ominous Sounds, which has the potential to ignite fiery debates among theatregoers after the lights go up. Or even before that occurs.

“I hope some people walk out,” Sandomirsky admits. “You know, that’s a really ridiculous thing to say.”

But then she adds, “Oh, what a great thing to be in a play that, hopefully, will engender [such a] response.”

Sandomirsky is no stranger to controversy. In David Hare’s Skylight, she says, she could feel the audience detesting her character’s point of view on opening night.

Some even verbalized their feelings inside the theatre.

“I think Jason is going to tap into the same kind of thing,” Sandomirsky says. g Touchstone Theatre presents Ominous Sounds at the River Crossing; or, Another Fucking Dinner Party Play at Performance Works from March 6 to 13.

MAR

Steven Page with the VSO

12/13 Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

Sun, 7pm | Orpheum

•

Steven Page

Acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Steven Page returns to the VSO for a heartfelt performance of his solo works as well as iconic hits from his Barenaked Ladies days, as only he can sing them.

MAR

18/19

Rocketman Live in Concert Fri & Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

The critically acclaimed film Rocketman charts the legendary life and music of Elton John. See award-winning actor Taron Egerton take on the lead role, singing his way through Elton’s success with hits such as Your Song, Tiny Dancer, I’m Still Standing and many more. The VSO plays the score live!

Rocketman contains some mature themes and situations.

Parental discretion is advised.

PRESENTATION ©2019 Paramount Pictures LICENSED BY

Taron Egerton as Elton John

The Magic Toyshop MAR

Thu, 2pm | Orpheum

24

Christopher Gaze

This delightful ballet score by Ottorino Respighi was inspired by a set of Rossini piano pieces. Discover a charming and near “perfect” set of dances and tunes made famous by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.

VancouverSymphony.ca MAR 12, 13 VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR

BROADCAST MEDIA PARTNERS

MAR 12 VSO POPS CONCERT SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

MAR 18 & 19

604.876.3434 MAR 24 TEA & TRUMPETS SERIES SPONSOR

Concert programs are subject to change at any time.

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

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MOVIES

Director’s life inspired cringey bits in Turning Red

A

by Glenn Sumi

n American viewer had a strange question for Canadian director Domee Shi at a recent screening of footage from Turning Red. “He wanted to know why there was a sign about bags of milk at a Daisy Mart store,” Shi says. “And I had to explain to him that in [much of] Canada, milk comes in bags. All the Americans were like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing! That’s so cool.’ ” Bagged milk, Daisy Mart—those are just two of the dozens of details that Toronto audiences will lap up when they watch Shi’s debut feature, which hits Disney+ on March 11.

Just like her Oscar-winning Pixar short “Bao”, Turning Red is clearly situated in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), where Shi grew up. “I miss the Asian food in Toronto,” Shi says during a Zoom call from Oakland, California. “A lot of the Asian spots in the GTA can’t be beat: dim sum, and all those places my parents took me.”

Turning Red tells the story of Meilin Lee, a sharp, confident tween in the early 2000s who is obsessed with anime and boy bands and trying to escape the shadow of her overprotective mother. When she gets excited, she transforms into a giant, awkward red panda—a clever metaphor for going through adolescence.

“It’s semiautobiographical—I didn’t

Turning Red director Domee Shi lives in California now but misses Toronto’s dim sum.

actually turn into a red panda,” Shi says, laughing.

“But many of the cringiest, most awkward moments in the movie are drawn directly from my own life. Like Mei, I had a secret sketchbook under my bed [which my mother found]. And on my first day of middle school, I also had the experience

of catching my mom hiding behind a tree with sunglasses on to watch me. She was worried about me. I think those moments are what make the movie connect with audiences and make it feel real and funny.”

A mother also figured prominently in “Bao”, so the mother-child dynamic is obviously a subject that’s close to Shi’s heart.

With her father often away for work, Shi— an only child—spent a lot of time with her mom, commuting together from East York to work and school in downtown Toronto and going on mother/daughter bus trips.

The fact that Mei’s mother, Ming, is voiced by Canada’s own Sandra “It’s an Honour Just to Be Asian” Oh is something Shi wanted from the start.

“She’s the queen—she is our unofficial Queen,” Shi says. “We should put her on the quarter. I felt like there was no other actor who could portray Ming. She just has such an incredible range. I’ve loved her ever since Sideways and The Princess Diaries and every single small role she’s been in. She’s always so funny but really nails those emotional moments, too, and that’s what we needed: someone who could switch from being sharp and domineering and intense to loving and sincere. Sandra can do all of that.”

Pursuing a career in the arts can be tough for those from Asian backgrounds, but Shi was helped by the fact that her fath-

er is also an artist. He was an art professor in China and is a painter in Canada.

“I was always exposed to art, but it took him a long time to establish himself as an artist and he didn’t want me to go through that same struggle,” Shi says. “I had to convince my parents that animation would be a good way to be an artist and also have a nine-to-five job. I had to pitch them on it.

I don’t think they were convinced until I finally got a job at Pixar. And now they’re cool with it. Now they just want grandkids.”

Shi, a Sheridan College animation grad, won a three-month internship at Pixar back in 2011. She eventually worked as a storyboard artist on Inside Out, Toy Story 4, and The Incredibles 2 before making “Bao”. How did she manage to get her voice heard in the big company?

“I had to figure out early on what my superpower was,” she says. “I knew I wasn’t going to be the greatest draftsman. I didn’t know the most about films—I had only started [seriously] watching films when I began at Pixar; before that, I was more into comics, manga, and anime. But I knew I had a quirky, offbeat sense of humour.

I could always approach story problems with an offbeat solution that not everybody in the room could think of. And that’s how I developed my voice—and my confidence.” g

Indigenous artist shifts to old-growth substitute

V

by Charlie Smith

ictoria-based Kwakwaka’wakw artist Rande Cook enjoys sharing stories about the “tree of life” in his culture. Also known as the cedar tree, it was the focus of his master’s thesis at the University of Victoria.

“The tree of life has given us everything from our big houses to canoes to masks to bark we pull and harvest to making baskets and regalia—all of that,” Cook tells the Straight by phone. “So I started to ask a really big question: who are we as a living culture without the old growth? Without cedar trees?”

It wasn’t just a question for his First Nation. It was also deeply personal.

“Who am I as an artist—as an Indigenous artist from the Northwest Coast—if there’s no more old growth to carve from?”

Cook continues.

And how can he continue to be a storyteller without old-growth cedar trees as his partner in this endeavour?

It’s something that isn’t generally discussed in connection with the destruction of ancient forests across the land now known as British Columbia. The B.C. government states on its website that 15 per18

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The documentary Before They Fall, which is playing at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, details the dire plight of the few remaining stands of old-growth forest in B.C.

cent of the timber-harvesting land base in the province is old-growth forests. According to Sierra Club B.C., only three percent of old-growth forests “with huge, old trees are still standing—and most are on the chopping block”.

That’s the subject of a film, Before They Fall, which is screening at this year’s Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. Directed by Cam William MacArthur, it brings forth the voices of Cook, Finding the Mother Tree author Suzanne Simard,

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

forest photographer T J Watt, and the land defenders at Fairy Creek to bring forth their perspectives.

While researching his master’s thesis, Cook was struck by Simard’s scientific research into how trees communicate with one another—and how that mirrored what he was taught growing up in Alert Bay off northern Vancouver Island.

“There are stories that talk about tree communication—and our relationship with the trees—where we would communi-

cate and ask for gifts,” Cook says, “and, essentially, we would be granted those gifts through ceremony and ritual. But we knew it was a living organism. We knew that it would bless us in many different ways.”

He finds it heartbreaking to see the demise of old-growth forests, noting that it happens very quickly with today’s modern machinery. And he says that MacArthur’s film is very raw and direct.

“It leaves the questioning out in the open: what are we actually doing to this planet? And what are we doing to each other?” Cook says.

As for his own art, he’s shifted to working with materials other than cedar as a way of making a statement on the world.

“We can evolve as artists to help bring awareness,” Cook says. “For me, it’s, ‘Let’s leave the trees standing and adapt to move forward.’ I’ve been heavily focused on that in my own work.” g The Vancouver International Mountain Film Fest is screening Before They Fall as part of its Canadian Environmental Show at 7:30 p.m. on March 2 at the Kay Meek Arts Centre in West Vancouver. The film is also available online at VIMFF.org until March 27.

MOVIES

Snowboarder’s journey makes her a Precious Leader

S

by Charlie Smith

ometimes, the subjects of documentaries grow and evolve during the filming process. And that can lead to astonishing revelations.

Vancouver filmmaker Cassie De Colling certainly can attest to this in connection with her emotionally charged film about B.C. snowboarding star Spencer O’Brien.

Precious Leader Woman, which is screening at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, chronicles O’Brien’s journey reconnecting with her Indigenous heritage.

“She did have epiphanies while we were making this film,” De Colling tells the Straight by phone. “Or if she didn’t have epiphanies, she was unbelievably honest.”

O’Brien, an X Games gold medallist, was born in Alert Bay and is of Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida ancestry on her mother’s side.

She concedes in the film that when she was in the midst of her glorious snowboarding career, she didn’t make space or time to learn about her culture. At one point, she candidly describes herself as the “perfect example of colonization”.

“I had no connection and I didn’t want any,” O’Brien reveals.

It was only after experiencing deep disappointment at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi that she began seriously reconnecting with her Indigenous roots. It started in Alert Bay on Cormorant Island off northern Vancouver Island, where she was greeted as a returning hero at a homecoming event at the Big House. It was there that she felt the power of her Kwakwaka’wakw culture.

“It was a turning point for me,” O’Brien says in the film. “There should be more of this in my life.”

De Colling, an immigrant from Australia, learned about O’Brien’s heritage several years later while visiting the U’Mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay. At the time, De Colling was working on a project about protecting wild salmon.

“There’s a wall of fame that has notable people from Alert Bay on it,” De Colling recalls. “And there was this picture of Spencer that I recognized immediately from my background working as a snowboard videographer in Aspen and in Australia and in Japan. Spencer was a poster child of snowboarding in the early 2000s for women.”

De Colling contacted O’Brien over Instagram to see if she might be able to do a short film about her. The first time they met over coffee, they talked about O’Brien’s career, the upcoming snow season, and her well-known battle with rheumatoid arthritis.

Initially, O’Brien gave De Colling a list of about 30 people to speak to, including coaches, team managers, friends, and family who had influenced her. Some of them weren’t even aware of O’Brien’s Indigeneity. Over the course of three long interviews for the film, O’Brien opened up

Spencer O’Brien shares her story of transformation from snowboarding icon to Indigenous role model in a documentary directed by Cassie De Colling.

about how she came to embrace this aspect of her identity. Her sister Avis O’Brien (Nalaga/Kaaw Kuuna), a cultural-empowerment facilitator and artist, played a pivotal role in helping her along this path.

“When I started putting all of this together,” De Colling says, “it was this bird’s-eye view of her life.”

O’Brien’s dad, Brian, is an Irish immigrant who moved to Alert Bay in his 20s and introduced his daughters to snowboarding. “He’s competitive by nature, and intense by nature,” De Colling says. “I think he really taught the girls that.”

De Colling hoped to call her film Ku’l Jaad Kuuyaas, which is O’Brien’s Haida name. But she received feedback that this might make it tougher to market, so she used the translation: Precious Leader Woman. The filmmaker sounds pleased when the Straight tells her that the article on her documentary will be published shortly before International Women’s Day, which falls on Tuesday (March 8).

“I have a real drive to push women to the front,” De Colling says.

COVID-19 created some challenges in the production of Precious Leader Woman. Initially, De Colling hoped to film a re-creation of O’Brien’s homecoming ceremony in the Big House in Alert Bay. But that was changed to working with single shots by a fire. On the final day of filming, they heard about the preliminary findings of 215 unmarked graves being discovered on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

“And it was so terribly sad,” De Colling recalled. “I had sort of scripted a bit about residential schools creating the disjointment in Spencer’s lineage.”

But because the residential-schools issue is so raw—and because anyone who was going to watch the film would already know about their existence—there was a collective decision by Indigenous members on the team to focus on the ban on potlaches and the effect that this had on West Coast Indigenous culture.

When I [put it] together, it was this bird’s-eye view of her life.

– director Cassie De Colling

“When I arrived in Alert Bay to collaborate on the documentary about wild salmon, I worked alongside Chief Ernest Alfred, and he invited us to what was my first potlach in the Big House in Alert Bay, an all-day celebration of speeches, dancing, and food,” De Colling recalls.

De Colling emphasizes that Precious Leader Woman was a team effort. O’Brien and filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Blackfoot, Sámi) shared the writing credit. It was edited by Dakota Morton, a member of the Métis Nation, and music was created by nêhiyawak band member

Matthew Cardinal. According to De Colling, 90 percent of the crew on-set had Indigenous ancestry; matriarchs in Alert Bay and on Haida Gwaii checked the editing. No film can be made without funding—in this case, De Colling was helped by Telus Originals.

The film opens with stunning imagery showing O’Brien gliding down a fairly steep cliff near Pemberton. It’s one of many memorable shots in the film, which features cinematography by Leo Hoorn and Ryan Kenny.

According to De Colling, that near vertical drop was one of the first times that O’Brien had ever done a line like that. It’s part of O’Brien’s new life as a backcountry snowboarder now that she’s ended her career as a competitive athlete.

“She did all the right things and got her avalanche training up to speed,” De Colling says. “Last season was a huge step for her, learning about those conditions.”

It’s clear that O’Brien still has the drive, even though it’s no longer in pursuit of the podium. g The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival will screen Precious Leader Woman at the Rio Theatre on Thursday (March 3) as part of its Snowsports Show. The film is available online at VIMFF.org until March 27. On March 3, Precious Leader Woman will also be shown at the Eagle Eye Theatre at Howe Sound secondary school in Squamish and on March 5 at the Salt Spring Film Festival.

MARCH 3 – 10 / 2022

THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT

19

CHILL.

Enjoy stress-free reading without the noise on CreatorNews.

ARTS | CULTURE | LIFESTYLE ,QWURGXFLQJ WKH ŦUVW QHZV DJJUHJDWRU GHGLFDWHG WR WKH DUWV JOREDO FXOWXUH OLIHVW\OH DQG FUHDWLYH QHZV /HDYH GLYLVLYH SROLWLFV FULPH DQG IDNH QHZV EHKLQG ZLWK H[SHUWO\ FXUDWHG UHOD[LQJ UHDGV

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SAVAGE LOVE / MUSIC

Jealousy is a normal part of poly relationships

by Dan Savage

b I’M A 34-YEAR-OLD straight cis male.

About 18 months ago, I met a lovely human that I’m crazy about. When we started dating, she said she needed us to be poly and I agreed. It was a first for both of us! I’d always been interested— my parents are queer and have been poly my whole life—so it wasn’t a new concept to me.

Early on, we went on some random dates, made out with some other people, but took it slow because we wanted to build a foundation of trust and love first. Now we’re there. She recently started dating a close friend of ours. In theory, I’m good with it. I adore him and he cares about us as a couple.

There’s lots of communication happening in all directions. We’ve even tossed around the idea of some threesomes or foursomes. I can’t wait for the day when I am truly stoked for this, and we can all play and love on each other. But I don’t want to “overcome the jealousy” or “deal with it”.

I want being poly to be something that makes life amazing! But I am still being restricted by silly feelings put in my head via some nefarious patriarchal capitalist hack.

Any advice for moving on as quickly as pos-

Dan Savage advises a reader dealing with jealous feelings in a new poly partnership to figure out which of the three types of jealousy he is experiencing. Photo by Getty/Prostock Studio.

sible into a polyamorous paradise? I want to feel queerer and a little less mainstream!

- Seeking Polyamorous Effortless Wonders

No relationship —closed, open, or poly—is a

C ome HELL OR HIGH WATER

paradise. Ideally, a relationship brings more joy into your life than pain. (Unwanted pain; wanted pain is its own kind of joy.) But misunderstandings, disagreements, and

hurt feelings are a part of every romantic partnership. And the longer that partnership goes on, the likelier the people in it— couple, throuple, or quad—are going to face the kind of relationship-extinction-level event that requires contrition, forgiveness, and aggressive memory-holing to survive.

As for jealousy…

My husband has been with his boyfriend for five years; there are times when I see them together and I am not just happy for them, SPEW, but made happy by them.

(I’m straining to avoid the term compersion here, or “the other c-word”, as it’s known at our house.) But there are times when I feel jealous. And if I’m still experiencing jealousy after 20-plus years in an open relationship—and still feeling/experiencing jealousy after 30-plus years being pretty fucking queer—I don’t think jealousy is something you need to completely overcome before opening your relationship or that being “queerer” cures.

And it’s important to distinguish between different kinds of jealousy. There’s the healthy kind of jealousy (someone is being neglected or taken for granted, and see next page

Machine Gun Kelly getting in the ring for WWE 2K22

I

by Mike Usinger

d A FUNDRAISING CONCERT and telethon will take place on March 13 to support those affected by the catastrophic fires and floods that ravaged B.C. last year.

Titled Hell or High Water, the 12-hour online event will feature musical performances, messages, vignettes, videos from dignitaries, and a livestreamed concert from the Clarke Foundation Theatre in Mission.

Performers at the live concert will include country artists Tom Jackson, George Canyon, Aaron Pritchett, Kenny Hess, Karen Lee Batten (left photo), Jackson Hollow, Becca Hess, Lisa Brokop

(right photo), and Bruce Couglan.

The livestreaming telethon will feature a variety of musical styles, including performances by Loverboy, David Gogo, Chilliwack, Crystal Shawanda, Trigger Mafia, Nigel Mack, Big and Rich, Jetty Road, Dustin Harder, and the Rhythm & Blues Allstars.

Proceeds from the event will go to help flood and fire victims from Merritt, Lytton, Princeton, and Abbotsford, as well as surrounding First Nation communities.

For more info, and to donate, visit HellorHighWater.ca. g

by Steve Newton

n what must have Eminem so excited he’s already put in a preorder, rap-punching-bag-turned-pop-punkhitmaker Machine Gun Kelly will be taking to the ring as a playable character in the upcoming WWE 2K22.

The man known to his mom as Colson Baker will also serve as music producer for the game, scheduled for release in the second week of March. In addition to MGK’s “Concert for Aliens”, expect to hear a soundtrack that swings from Wu-Tang Clan’s classic “Protect Ya Neck” to Royal Blood’s “Typhoons” to Motörhead’s “Iron Fist”.

Songs that won’t be on the soundtrack include Eminem’s “KILLSHOT”, which arguably convinced Machine Gun Kelly that pop-punk might make for a better career choice than rap.

Machine Gun Kelly fans won’t be seeing the musician right away, as his character will pop up as downloadable content after WWE 2K22’s official launch. Wrestling fans won’t have to wait to do battle with such legends as The Undertaker, Booker T, and Rey Mysterio. Also featured will be both male and female storylines.

Also expected to be part of WWE 2K22 are Becky Lynch, Beth Phoenix, Bianca Be-

Machine Gun Kelly will provide music and an avatar for WWE 2K22. Photo by Paulien Zomer.

lair, and Chyna. All of whom could likely kick Machine Gun Kelly’s ass.

In a release announcing MGK’s involvement, WWE Music Group senior vice-president Neil Lawi said, “Machine Gun Kelly has been an integral part of the WWE family for more than a decade including performances at WrestleMania and Tribute to the Troops, soundtracking our premium live events with his music, and making frequent storyline appearances on WWE programming over the years. He has curated a unique soundtrack for WWE 2K22 that includes not only his own music but a diverse array of artists from The Weeknd to KennyHoopla. The 12-track soundtrack is the perfect complement to this edition’s enhanced gameplay.”

WWE 2K22 launches March 11. g

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from previous page

their feelings need to be considered); there’s the unhealthy kind of jealousy (someone is controlling and manipulative, which is a red flag for abuse); and then there’s sexy and energizing kind of jealousy (seeing your partner through another’s eyes and recognizing—or being reminded—of your partner’s desirability). Instead of trying to expunge all feelings of jealousy from your emotional repertoire before opening your relationship (which no one does before entering into closed relationships), you need to ask yourself what kind of jealousy you’re feeling at a particular moment. If it’s the healthy kind, ask for you what you need; if it’s the unhealthy kind, get your ass into therapy; if it’s the sexy and energizing kind, enjoy the ride.

And finally…

It’s good that you’re taking your time, because rushing things is a good way to fuck this up. But, paradoxically, SPEW, if you wait until you’re no longer experiencing any jealousy—or no longer have conf licted feelings about this—you’ll never get there. b I’M A 36-YEAR-OLD cis gay man who came out a decade ago and found widespread acceptance from friends and family, but I fear my unique situation now might change that. Last summer, my husband died unexpectedly, leaving me widowed and trying to pick up the pieces. I couldn’t sleep much for a while and went online to chat. I wound up meeting this great guy who lives across the country. He’s a sexy leather daddy, and I’ve travelled to stay with him on two occasions and had some

of the hottest sex I’ve ever had.

Plus, I really like him! He’s funny, smart, deep. Here’s my dilemma: he’s married to another man, and I also have feelings for the husband. I plan to move there soon to see where this goes and start the next chapter of my life. (I will be getting my own apartment, at least at first.) It’s still early, but I feel like I could fall in love with both these men.

How do I pursue this and start over somewhere new while making this all understandable to the straights in my life?

Is there a way to explain this to my mom and the rest of my family without freaking them out? I know it shouldn’t matter, and I’ll follow my heart either way, but I’d hate to lose this close connection with my family if they get weirded out by my dating life.

- No More Mr. Heteronormative

I’m so sorry for your loss, NMMH, and I’m so glad you were able to find the support you needed online—and it’s nice to be reminded that people don’t just go online to share conspiracy theories and post revenge porn. People find connection online; they find support; and sometimes they find new love in the form of a sexy leather daddy.

As for what to tell your family about your relationship…

For now, NMMH, nothing. Just like you’re getting your own apartment after you move because you want to wait and see where this relationship goes before moving in with these guys, you’re going to want to see where this relationship goes before you tell your family about these guys. This

only come over to you if they see you tip? I’m going to tip, btw, but on the way out so no one thinks I want extra attention.

b MY HUSBAND USED to go to strip clubs with friends before we were married, and I’ve heard stories about how strippers would be all over him—especially if there weren’t any women in his small group.

I want to go to one with him. But I have exactly zero interest in being touched by strangers, strippers or not. I also don’t want anyone touching my husband. I just want to watch.

Is there some way to signal that? Do they

For the Record: Fuck Greg Abbott for what he’s doing to trans kids and their families in Texas; fuck every last Republican in Florida for what they’re doing to LGBT kids in schools; and fuck Vladimir Putin for what he’s doing to innocent men, women, and children in Ukraine. g

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isn’t about hiding things from your family, NHHM, but about waiting to roll out your new relationship if and/or when it gets serious. You most likely didn’t introduce mom to your late husband after your second date; similarly, there’s no need to introduce mom to these guys after seeing them on only two occasions.

And in my experience—in my own highly personal and highly relevant experience—it’s often easier for the families of gay men to accept that we’re open or poly than it is for the families of straight people.

Our families have some practice letting go of expectations and prejudices. And while it’s possible your family’s made it clear their acceptance was conditional upon you marrying and settling down and behaving “heteronormatively”, it’s also possible you’re projecting. You want them to think you’re “one of the good ones”, i.e., one of the monogamous ones, while they couldn’t care less. But even if they do care and would prefer to see you monogamously married again, they will embrace your new relationship if you make it clear you will accept nothing less from them.

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- Curious About These Clubs Husband Visited

Please don’t go to a strip club.

Strippers make money selling private dances—in many strip clubs, strippers pay the club to dance. And when strippers aren’t up on the stage, they’re walking the aisles, and approaching men who might be interested in buying a private dance. Very few strippers are gonna plop themselves down on someone’s lap (that’s what they’re selling; they’re not giving that shit away for free), but it’s not uncommon for strippers to place a hand on someone’s shoulder or lower back, lean in, and chat up a potential customer. I wouldn’t describe that sort of incidental contact as being “all over” someone, but it definitely counts as “touching”.

So, CATCHV, if seeing your husband touched by a stripper would upset you, or if being touched by a stripper would upset you, going to a strip club with or without your husband is a very bad idea. Go to a burlesque show instead.

Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. Email: questions@savagelove.net. Columns, podcasts, books, merch, and more at www.savage.love!

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