The Georgia Straight - Film Fest - Sept 28, 2017

ISN’T THE ABSENCE OF BEAUTY THE BIGGEST PROOF OF ITS VALUE? FightForBeauty.ca

2 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

vancouver 228 abbott st.

604.331.2363 montréal new york toronto calgary chicago montauksofa.com lestauk.com info@montauksofa.com facebook twitter pinterest instagram vimeo

thankyou for voting us

#1 SPECIALTY FURNITURE STORE SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 3

2017 2017

BOSA FOODS IS BACK ON VICTORIA DRIVE.

NEW STORE GRAND OPENING ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14th, 2017

The tradition continues.

PANINI • ITALIAN SPECIALTIES • DELI • CAFÉ • MARKET

BOSA FOODS opened on Vancouver’s Victoria Drive over 60 years ago.

Over the years, in-the-know locals and foodies from all over the Lower Mainland made BOSA FOODS their first choice for quality imported Italian foods. A new BOSA FOODS store now stands on that original location and stands by the original commitment to only the highest quality and value standards.

BOSA FOODS is known for the best selection of amazing Italian and Mediterranean specialty foods including cured meats, cheeses, pasta, antipasti, beverages and much more.

Much more than a mercato, visit us for fresh take-out meals for lunch, dinner, picnics, parties, events.

562 VICTORIA DRIVE AT TURNER

See and taste for yourself.

FREE UNDERGROUND PARKING

bosafoods.com 4 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

AARM

1

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40009178, return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Georgia Straight, 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9

12

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 5

turkey dinner, naturally.

Fresh JD Farms Free Run Turke Turkey ey

Free Run, Locallyy G Grown, Antibiotic Free

$1.99 //lbb Regular $4.49 /lb

If you’re still thinking of last year’s Thanksgiving dinner, chances are you had one of our free-run specialty turkeys. Raised in the Fraser Valley with an all-natural feed, these birds are guaranteed to deliver an exceptionally memorable holiday dinner experience.

Coal Harbour 305 Bute Street 604.669.5831

next to

Shangri-la

1133 Alberni Street 604.648.2053

Yaletown 177 Davie Street 604.975.7550

False Creek

Kelowna

1688 Salt Street 3155 Lakeshore Road 604.872.2730 250.860.0608

Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Pricing in effect Friday October 6 to Tuesday October 10. Overwaitea Food Group LP, a Jim Pattison business. Proudly BC Owned and Operated.

6 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Smartly-Crafted Studio, 1, 2 + 3 Bedroom Homes

+

SECOND AVE

THIS IS NOT AN OFFERING FOR SALE. NO SUCH OFFER CAN BE MADE WITHOUT A DISCLOSURE STATEMENT E.& O.E.

MAIN STREET

BE PART OF VANCOUVER’S MOST VIBRANT CITY BLOCK. THIS SEPTEMBER.

secondandmain.ca

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 7

Enjoy an abundance of pairing ideas and complimentary tastings throughout the store. PLUS, spend $35* on Deli cheese and get a $10 Urban Fare gift card! Details in-store, at the cheese counter.

* Some conditions apply. Offer valid with in-store coupon. Effective Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, 2017. For full details, please ask a Team Member at our friendly cheese counter. Overwaitea Food Group LP, a Jim Pattison business. Proudly BC Owned and Operated.

8 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

CONTENTS Weight loss program based on your blood analysis and your health We design a complete personalized all-natural weight management program This program has been clinically proven with over 20 of years research and development No Cravings

No Hunger

604-677-7742

LMhomeopath@gmail.com www.metabolic-balance.com littlemountainhomeopathy.com

Strathcona Park. Tim Matheson photo.

15

URBAN LIVING

Ahead of her appearance at IDS Vancouver this weekend, interior designer Gillian Segal shares her budget- and rental-friendly tips for getting the luxury look at home for less. > BY LUCY L AU

18

COVER

With the world’s attention trained on the place we call home, it’s no surprise that we find traces of our global stature all over the Vancouver International Film Festival.

27

ARTS

From the banks of the Fraser to internment camps to the Arctic, Tetsuro Shigematsu tracks the story of Mas Yamamoto in 1 Hour Photo. > BY ALE X ANDER VART Y

START HERE 36 The Bottle 38 Confessions 33 Dance 13 Green Living 35 I Saw You 25 Movie Reviews 32 Music 11 Real Estate 43 Savage Love 16 Straight Stars 32 Theatre

TIME OUT 34 Arts 40 Music

35

FOOD

After waiting patiently, Iori Kataoka feels that she can finally introduce Vancouverites to the wonders of food-and-sake pairings. > BY GAIL JOHNSON

37

SERVICES 40 Careers 11 Real Estate

MUSIC

With Future Politics, Austra asks big questions in complex times—and works through her own struggles at the same time. > BY MIKE USINGER

40

COVER PHOTO

CLASSIFIEDS

GeorgiaStraight

@GeorgiaStraight

@GeorgiaStraight

Automotive | Education | Services | Travel Marketplace | Employment | Real Estate Property Rentals | Music | Announcements Callboard | And more...

Vancouver 24/7 #GeorgiaStraight

LAURA MCGUIRE

TI c Ke t S No W O n S a LE !

SELECT NIGHTS

OCToBeR 6-31

SAVE ON FRIGHTPASSES AT:

OPeNInG wEEKeNd sPEcIaL

Oc TOBER 6-8 onLY

22

$

OnLiNe

($25 at the gate) SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 9

VIFF ’17 Jewish Seniors Alliance Peer Support Services is now accepting applications for its

SENIOR PEER COUNSELLING TRAINING COURSE Are you 55+ and interested in attending an 11 week course in Peer Counselling at no cost?

SUNDAYS 2pm - 7pm STARTING in October 2017 This a volunteer program. Upon completion of the course you will have learned active listening and effective communication skills, become familiar with community resources. You will be matched with a senior in the community and you will receive upon graduation a Certificate in Senior Peer Counselling of British Columbia.

For further information please call: GRACE HANN or CHARLES LEIBOVITCH at 604.267.1555 or 778-840-4949 or WWW.JSALLIANCE.ORG This project is funded by the Diamond Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, The Snider Foundation and the Provincial Government of B.C. We are an inclusive and diverse organization and encourage people from all cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds to apply.

Vancouver 24/7

#GeorgiaStraight

An adaptation of Indian Horse puts Indigenous life and affairs on the schedule at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

CALL ME FOR EXPERT ADVICE W W W.TOFFOLI.CA | PAUL@TOFFOLI.CA

604.787.6963

MASTER M E DA L L I O N MEMBER

ONLY 35 MINS TO VANCOUVER OR WHISTLER BEAUTIFUL BRITANNIA BEACH LOT 169 GOAT RIDGE DRIVE, OM .C Y BRITANNIA BEACH K S

OT ST O L BE

AMAZING 0.4 ACRE LOT - IDEAL SW EXPOSURE STUNNING OCEAN & MOUNTAIN VIEWS

$1,000,000 PETER@BELOSTOTSKY.COM

1.604.848.4279

Excellent ocean & mountain view lot in beautiful Britannia Beach. Enjoy waking up to seaside living from this spacious 17000 SQ FT / 0.4 ACRE lot with ideal southwest sun exposure. A spectacular custom residence has been designed for the property and the area is experiencing significant growth. West Vancouver is a short 25 minute drive along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway; and Whistler only 35 minutes to the north. The Sea to Sky Corridor is a majestic location that offers an unparalleled lifestyle surrounded by a stunning natural landscape. now is the time to get in on this great real estate opportunity.

Waking from the big sleep > B Y K EN E IS NE R

“M

y people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.” It’s been more than a century since Louis Riel—the Métis founder of Manitoba and of Canadian multiculturalism—said that and was executed for his efforts. Some sleeps last longer than others, of course, but most do end eventually.

Whatever comes of Justin Trudeau’s movement of Indigenous affairs to the front burner—that is, whether actions will really follow words—the national discussion has changed. Reflecting that, the First Nations–themed tales at this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival bear out Riel’s claim.

Most are documentaries, but a key feature is the lavishly made Indian Horse. Making its debut here September 30 and October 2 and 11 after a strong premiere in Toronto, the tale— about a youngster’s residential-school torment in the 1960s and his short tenure in the NHL—was adapted from the award-winning 2012 novel

by Ojibwa author Richard Wagamese.

The current prime minister’s father, Pierre Trudeau, was in charge 35 years ago when this writer arrived in Canada as an immigrant from the U.S., where the conversation still hasn’t caught fire.

By an odd quirk of fate, Wagamese was my first friend in this country. His then-wife was a colleague at my new job at Calgary Magazine, and I lived in his house until I found my own place.

He taught me a lot about things I never thought I needed to know.

Although spared the residentialschool experience, Richard had a foster-home nightmare of a childhood. This he eventually escaped, not via hockey—like his alter ego, Saul Indian Horse—but through books, music, and other, less salubrious pastimes. He became gregarious, articulate, extremely funny, and memorably unreliable.

We lost touch over time but reconnected when his writing career took off and awards and speaking tours really kicked in. Vancouver producers Trish Dolman and Christine Haebler stumbled upon him in 2011, during a radio interview with CBC’s Shelagh Rogers, who became like an older sister to Wagamese.

“I was just knocked out by Richard, by his personality and the way

he spoke,” Haebler says just before heading to TIFF. Sitting in the Main Street office of their Screen Siren Pictures, the duo discuss what led them to option his then-latest work.

“We read the book before it was published, and were totally knocked out,” Dolman remembers. “We were determined to win him over, even though he already had suitors with bigger wallets and credit lists.” They succeeded, and Wagamese specifically asked for Vancouver playwright and screenwriter Dennis Foon to do the adaptation.

The result, a directorial debut from Clint Eastwood cameraman Stephen Campanelli, is well cast, with three talented young actors playing Saul at different ages. (There’s also flavourful music from our own Jesse Zubot.)

But according to its producers, the best thing about their gruelling sojourn in remote locations in B.C.’s Interior was the support of First Nations people in smaller parts and on the crew.

“Working with Richard was fantastic,” Haebler says, “and he was right there for some of the most important decisions. It’s a tragedy that he didn’t live to see the finished movie. It’s an even bigger tragedy that all see page 12

MLS#: R2035547

PETER BELOSTOTSKY quality real estate services

The Georgia Straight | Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly | Volume 51 Number 2595 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 www.straight.com Phone: 604-730-7000 / Fax: 604-730-7010 / e-mail: gs.info@straight.com Display Advertising: 604-730-7020 / Fax: 604-730-7012 / e-mail: sales@straight.com Classifieds: 604-730-7060 / e-mail: classads@straight.com Subscriptions: 604-730-7000 Distribution: 604-730-7087

PERFORMANCE REALTY

EDITOR + PUBLISHER Dan McLeod ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Yolanda Stepien GENERAL MANAGER Matt McLeod EDITOR Charlie Smith SECTION EDITORS

Janet Smith (Arts/Fashion) Mike Usinger (Music) Steve Newton (Time Out) Adrian Mack (Movies) Brian Lynch (Books) Amanda Siebert (Cannabis) EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Doug Sarti

Robin Laurence (Visual Arts), Mark Leiren-Young, John Lekich, Amy Lu, Bob Mackin, Michael Mann, Rose Marcus, Beth McArthur, Verne McDonald, Allan MacInnis, Guy MacPherson, Tony Montague, Kathleen Oliver, Ben Parfitt, Vivian Pencz, Bill Richardson, Gurpreet Singh, Jacqueline Turner, Andrea Warner, Jessica Werb, Stephen Wong, Alan Woo CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER

Janet McDonald

SENIOR DESIGNER David Ko PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Mike Correia PRODUCTION

K.T. Dean, Sandra Oswald

AD SERVICES ASSOCIATES

Jon Cranny, Lyndsey Krezanoski

DIRECTOR OF ARTS & MARKETING

Laura Moore

SALES DIRECTOR

Tara Lalanne

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Tammy Kwan, Lucy Lau, Travis Lupick, Carlito Pablo, Craig Takeuchi, Kate Wilson SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jennie Ramstad PROOFREADER Pat Ryffranck

Alfonso Arnold, Rebecca Blissett, Trevor Brady, Louise Christie, Emily Cooper, Randall Cosco, Krystian Guevara, Evaan Kheraj, Kris Krug, Tracey Kusiewicz, Kevin Langdale, Shayne Letain, Matt Mignanelli, Mark “Atomos” Pilon, Carlo Ricci, William Ting, Alex Waterhouse-Hayward

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

DIGITAL PRODUCT MANAGER

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Gregory Adams, Nathan Caddell, David Chau, Jack Christie, Jennifer Croll, Ken Eisner (Movies), George Fetherling, Tara Henley, Michael Hingston, Ng Weng Hoong, Alex Hudson, Kurtis Kolt,

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Gail Johnson, John Lucas, Alexander Varty

STAFF WRITERS

Chet Woodside

LEAD WEB DEVELOPER Jeffrey Li WEB DEVELOPER Tina Luu (On Leave) JUNIOR WEB DEVELOPER Riva Ridley WEB ADMINISTRATOR Miles Keir

Glenn Cohen, Robyn Marsh, David Pearlman, Calvin Rasode, Catherine Tickle

PROMOTIONS + SPECIAL PROJECTS Navdeep Chhina ADVERTISING + PROMOTION ASSISTANTS

Maya Keeven (On Leave), Ahlia Moussa

DIGITAL SALES COORDINATOR

Brenna Woodhouse Dexter Vosper

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

Dennis Jangula

CREDIT MANAGER Shannon Li ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Tamara Robinson

The Georgia Straight is published every Thursday by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing SUBMISSIONS The Straight accepts no responsibility for, and will not Corp. Copies are distributed free every week throughout Vancouver, Burnaby, North necessarily respond to, any submitted materials. All submissions should be and West Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond. International Standard Serial addressed to contact@straight.com.

Number ISSN 0709-8995. Subscription rates in Canada $182.00/52 issues (includes GST), $92.00/26 issues (includes GST); United States $379.00/52 issues, $205.00/ 26 issues; foreign $715.00/52 issues, $365.00/26 issues. Contact 604-730-7087 if you wish to distribute free copies of the Georgia Straight at your place of business.

Entire contents copyright © 2017 Vancouver Free Press, Best Of Vancouver, BOV And Golden Plates Are Trade-Marks Of Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp.

10 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

HOUSING

Home search: rental woes spur purchase

HOT NEW LISTING IN THE HEIGHTS!

Mona Bector was tired of rising rents in unsuitable accommodation so she went out and bought a condo

M

ona Bector says she got tired of renting.

She didn’t want to deal anymore with the stress of finding a nice place that was also affordable. So she decided to buy a home.

In June this year, Bector moved into a one-bedroom condo with a den. It’s located in Surrey, where she works as an employment specialist.

Now she can breathe easy.

“I was looking for a den where I can make my own temple,” Bector told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview. “I can make my own meditation room.”

She used to have a roommate, and once they were looking at a basement suite that was being offered for $1,000 a month.

The place was very small and there Employment counsellor Mona Bector wasn’t much they could fit into it. recently became a Surrey homeowner.

According to Bector, the rooms were so tiny that they didn’t have closets. last year, Vancity pegged average The two women eventually set- rents at $1,144 per month, an amount tled on another place with two bed- it described as high. rooms. Their $900 rent included all “The average millennial renter the amenities. But then something household (includes all family types) happened and her roommate had earned an estimated median into move out, leavcome of $40,300 ing Bector to pay in 2015,” accordfor everything. ing to the report.

“Again it was “Considering toCarlito Pablo giving me stress, day’s average rental that I need to find another room- rates, these households are priced mate,” Bector recalled. out of much of the City of VancouShe eventually found a two-bed- ver, North Vancouver (city and disroom basement suite for $750. She trict municipality), West Vancouver, thought she could get a new room- Richmond and Burnaby.” mate to split the rent, but the landA friend introduced Bector to lord didn’t want another tenant realtor Darin Germyn. In March because the rent already included this year, Germyn, who is also vice hydro and cable. president of the Fraser Valley Real “I decided in January [2017] that Estate Board, started providing his it’s not going to work because it’s new client with listings that matched costing me $750,” Bector said. “It’s what she was looking for. better I pay mortgage.”

Bector preferred a home near the With her current $803 monthly SkyTrain, and last April she put an mortgage, Bector said she made a offer of $269,000 on the condo she good choice. now owns.

Illustrating the difficulties faced “Let’s say in the future, if I have by tenants, Bector said the old place a job in Vancouver, I don’t want to for which she used to pay $750 is now come all the way from Fleetwood or being rented out for $1,100.

Guildford to come to Surrey Central Renting is considered a practical [Station],” she said. “So now I have option for many who cannot afford a place where I’m very close to King to buy a home in Metro Vancouver.

George [Station].”

But according to a July 2016 report Bector bought before the Bank of by the Vancouver City Savings Cred- Canada raised interest rates, twice, it Union, or Vancity, renting may no on July 12 and September 6 this year. longer be a viable choice for a numThe central bank may increase ber of people because of rising costs rates some more, and although that and low vacancy rates. could mean higher borrowing costs Titled Rent Race: The Growing Un- when Bector reaches the end of her affordability of Rent in Metro Vancou- five-year fixed-rate mortgage, she is ver, the report noted that between 2011 optimistic about her future prospects. and 2015, rents had risen 11.4 percent “Your income is going to change on average in Metro Vancouver while too, right?” Bector said. “You’re weekly median wages in the province not going to be in the same money had grown by only 6.6 percent. bracket. You’re not going to be At the time the report was released making the same money.” -

OPEN THURS SEPT 28 • 5-7PM + SAT SEPT 30 • 1-4PM

4131 PANDOR A STREE T $1,4 8 0,0 0 0

SUE SCOTT 604.928.1588  realtorsuescott@gmail.com

Sussex

Real Estate

Visit the Hay Pop Up Shop Presented by Inform Interiors at IDS Vancouver.

Use code IDSGS2017 for 2 for 1 tickets at IDSVancouver.com

IDSVancouver.com #IDSLetsExplore Sponsors

ed b

NEW LISTING

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

629 ATLANTIC ST I $1,599,000

3736 HURST ST, BURNABY I $1,489,000

873 EAST GEORGIA ST I $1,989,000

6 bed, 2 bath, 2,627 Sq. Ft. well maintained Burnaby bungalow

3 bed, 2 bath, 2,308 SF Strathcona bungalow

4 bed, 4 bath, 2,852 Sq. Ft. Strathcona House Restored and fully remodeled four level home built in 1896, features lots of character and original details throughout Garage has been converted into a 1 bed, loft style coach house

SNEAK PEEK: THURS Sept 28 - 5 - 7pm OPEN HOUSE: SAT Sept 30 - 2 - 4pm OPEN HOUSE: SUN Oct 1 - 2 - 4pm

Totally updated main with a cozy gas fireplace and hardwood floors throughout.

New windows, wiring, plumbing, drain tiles, newer roof and an authorized suite below RARE37.5Ft. X 122 Ft. lot with the potential for renovation, redevelopment

Freshly painted exterior, quiet, large lot with plenty of room for kids to play

Single car garage plus 2 extra parking spaces

OPEN HOUSE: SUN Oct 1 - 2 - 4pm

VISIT WEBSITE FOR SHOWING TIMES www.stonehouseteam.com

STONEHOUSE R E A L

T E A M

E S T A T E

A D V I S O R S

604 255 7575 EMAILUS@STONEHOUSETEAM.COM

Sutton West Coast Realty I 301-1508 W Broadway

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 11

Film festival

ADULT SILVER PASS

$

S FA M IL IE EN SAVE EV M O RE !

349

+ tax

ALL 2017/18 SEASON PASSES ON SALE

PURCHASE TODAY AT CYPRESSMOUNTAIN.COM CYPRESS MOUNTAIN IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH:

from page 10

that vast amount of talent has been wasted over the centuries. That’s the real story here!”

Wagamese died earlier this year, at age 61. Like others in his orbit, Haebler and Dolman would not discuss what ended my old friend’s life, but as Shelagh Rogers put it after the fact: “Richard was killed by colonialism.”

For the production team, this created a professional crisis as well as a personal one. “Suddenly,” Haebler says, “we lost our most passionate defender.

And we are very sensitive about discussions of cultural appropriation.”

Vancouver filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers is uniquely qualified to comment on this tricky dynamic.

Her background combines Blackfoot heritage with that of the Sami people, Aboriginal nomads who have experienced analogous treatment in northern Scandinavia. (In fact, the VIFF lineup includes Sami Blood, playing October 10 and 12, set in rural Sweden in the 1930s.)

“The challenge is really to get enough stories told that everyone feels represented,” Tailfeathers says, calling from her Vancouver home. Her own festival contribution, c̓ əsnaʔəm: the city before the city (October 1 and 6), lays out the map under the map of Vancouver, displaying who was here before urbanization took over.

It’s about the literal reclamation of sacred land through political action, and it’s also about the recognition of “the living book that we are”, as one interview subject puts it.

“I feel humbled by this movie,” the young filmmaker insists, “because it was really a collaboration with the Musqueam people and I had to view it as an outsider who was invited in. I needed to be respectful, like any visitor.”

The fest offers some darker tales, such as Luk’Luk’I (October 3 and 8), which examines life in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. But most ref lect the more celebratory

nature of Meet Beau Dick: Maker of Monsters (September 30 and October 11), which shows the successful dance with modernity of a gifted traditional carver.

Elsewhere, the delightful nineminute “Fence” follows a fictional Indigenous artist on his trip to a Montreal gallery. It’s part of a shorts package called Strangers in Strange Lands (October 5 and 12), along with the luminously animated “The Mountain of SGaana”.

Likewise tooning up ancient mythology, Amanda Strong’s “Flood” is part of New Skins & Old Ceremonies (October 1 and 8).

Tying together these themes of survival through creativity is master filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin’s new film, Our People Will Be Healed (October 5 and 9), which focuses on one inspiring success.

“Alanis told me that she’s tired of making sad stories,” Tailfeathers recalls of a recent meeting with the American-born Obomsawin, now 85, “and that she was ready to make something more uplifting.”

Indeed, this lovingly made doc about Manitoba’s Norway House— a school that sprang up in Riel’s old stomping grounds—catalogues a model not just for integrating First Nations students into the dominant culture but also the other way around. Math and sciences work hand in hand with music, agriculture, and spiritual awareness, pointing a way forward in soulcrushing times. Or, as another city before the city subject explains: “We have to be here for a reason!”

Given the size of this still-raw country, it’s not dumb to ask for directions from people—one-and-ahalf million, spread over 600 Nations in all provinces—who have been on hand for 10,000 years. Especially when some of us only arrived yesterday. Or even the day before. The Vancouver International Film Festival takes place from Thursday (September 28) to October 13. More information is at www.viff.org.

MOVIES ARTS MUSIC THEATRE FOOD

Aarm Dental Group We’re in your neighborhood to make you smile…

0 9.0 *$ 9oom g Z in iten h W

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the latest entertainment scoop Signup at straight.com/newsletters

Aarm Dental Group at BC Place on Seymour

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Expo Blvd 993919 Seymour Street

(corner of Nelson and&Seymour) (corner of Smithe Expo)

604-689-0965 604-688-7607

That’s what people say.

The only problem with Blundstone boots is that they never seem to wear out. Oh, people try. But after a few years of kicking the bejeez out of them, they’re more comfortable than ever and still going strong. Expensive?

Nope, they get cheaper by the day.

Zoom In-Office Whitening for $99.00.

Dr. Andrea Baird Dr. Michael Dr. Jin Numerow Choi Dr. Lina Jung 2015

,4,9.,5*@ 5,> 7(;0,5;: >,3*64, OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAYOPEN >, +6 56; */(9., ()6=, )*+( -,, .<0+,

>, (**,7; 46:; 4(169 +,5;(3 05:<9(5*, 73(5:

MONDAY TO SATURDAY

5,> 7(;0,5;: ,4,9.,5*0,: (3>(@: >,3*64,

www.aarm-dental.com www.aarm-dental.com

12 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

#587 The Leather Lined in Rustic Black $219.95

GREEN LIVING

Prof reveals nature’s evolving legal rights unprecedented in the annals of constitutional law. It seemed to be one of nvironmental lawyer David those potentially game-changing ideas Boyd marvels at the love that transforms not only the legal sysso many people show for tem but our entire culture in terms of their pets. But in a phone how we perceive ourselves vis-à-vis the interview with the Georgia Straight, rest of the world and how we behave the UBC associate professor of law, vis-à-vis the rest of the world.” policy, and sustainability also pointHe noted that scientific undered out that many standing of inteldon’t recognize ligent creatures Green Living the unbelievhas obliterated Presented by ably negative the arguments impact that huof European man beings are Enlightenment having through phi losophers— their day-to-day activities on ani- such as René Descartes and Immanmals that aren’t their pets. uel Kant—that animals were mere It’s something he’s trying to bring automatons. He said that these ideas to public attention in his new book, permeated laws in the western inThe Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolu- dustrialized world. tion That Could Save the World.

“For hundreds of years, the legal “In the course of my work, I’m status of animals has been the same familiar with the fact that we’re as a table or a spoon or a chair,” Boyd causing the sixth mass extinction in stated. “Animals have been conthe four-and-a-half-billion-year his- sidered a thing.” tory of the Earth,” Boyd said. “I also This is what justified depriving them learned that we kill about 100 billion of their liberty, keeping them in cages, animals annually—mostly so that we and killing them wantonly. In the can eat them but also for clothing, 1960s, this view began to change with entertainment, and research.”

Jane Goodall’s pioneering research on In advance of writing the book, he chimpanzees. She demonstrated that ventured on a journey through legal they have close and complex relationsystems and constitutions in dozens ships and that they even utilize tools to of countries to determine the extent pull termites from holes. of nature’s legal rights in the face of “We now recognize that a far this “biological meltdown”. He dis- broader range of animals than we covered how the legal environment previously imagined are intelligent, is rapidly evolving in several coun- sentient beings, right down to octotries to the point where animals and puses and ants,” Boyd said. “That even rivers and national parks are scientific evidence is being acknowobtaining legal rights. ledged and reflected in changes in “I came across a new constitution Quebec’s law. But I think the rest of that Ecuador has created in which they Canada really lags behind in a legal actually included a whole section on the sense because there are no examples rights of what they call Pachamama, or of animals really being granted rights Mother Earth,” Boyd said. “To my law- by either legislatures or courts.” yer’s mind, this was a mind-blowing This isn’t the case in other coundevelopment because, certainly, it was tries. He reports in The Rights of > B Y C HA RL IE SM I TH

Offers valid until October 2, 2017. See toyota.ca for complete details. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between Toyota prices, rates and/or other information contained on www.getyourtoyota.ca and that contained on toyota.ca, the latter shall prevail. Errors and omissions excepted. Lease example: 2018 Prius c Automatic KDTA3P-A, MSRP is $23,830 and includes $1,840 freight/PDI and fees leased at 2.99% over 60 months with $2,250 down payment, equals 260 weekly payments of $58 with a total lease obligation of $17,307. Applicable taxes are extra. Lease 60 mos. based on 100,000 km, excess km charge is $.07. Weekly lease offers available through Toyota Financial Services (TFS) on approved credit to qualified retail lease customers of new and demonstrator Toyota vehicles. Down payment and first weekly payment due at lease inception and next weekly payment due approximately 7 days later and weekly thereafter throughout the term. * Toyota Safety Sense™ (TSS) - Drivers should always be responsible for their own safe driving. Please always pay attention to your surroundings and drive safely. Depending on the conditions of roads, vehicles, weather, etc., the TSS systems may not work as intended. Please see toyota.ca, your local Toyota Dealer or Owner’s Manual for details. Visit your Toyota Dealer or www.getyourtoyota.ca for more details. Some conditions apply; offers are time limited and may change without notice. Dealer may lease/sell for less. Each specific model may not be available at each dealer at all times; factory order or dealer trade may be necessary.

E

Chimpanzees and other sentient creatures are treated with respect by some countries’ legal systems. MHGALLERY photo.

Nature that a court ruled that an orangutan was a “nonhuman person” whose rights included “avoiding suffering from being in captivity”. In New Zealand, laws have been passed recognizing that a river and a national park have “the rights of a person”.

“We’re not talking about human rights,” Boyd emphasized. “Human rights are for humans. What we’re talking about are the rights of a legal person—and a legal person is simply a designation created by our laws to recognize that some kind of entity should have legally protected rights.”

In other words, the river in New Zealand doesn’t have human rights— it has the rights of a river. “So the river does not have the right to vote but the river has the right to flow freely and to not be polluted and to have its natural complement of species

living in it, et cetera,” he explained.

In New Zealand, these rights also ensure that there are legal guardians appointed to fight to maintain these rights. India is another country that has taken impressive steps to imbue nature with legal rights, according to Boyd.

So could this have an impact in Canada? He said that the Supreme Court of Canada has referenced Indian cases regarding the precautionary principle. This places the burden of proof on those who seek to introduce chemicals and other potentially harmful products into the environment. And the New Zealand laws conferring rights on a river and a national park have been cited in the highest courts in India and Colombia.

“The process of change in today’s world is constantly accelerating,”

Safety Sensible

Boyd said, “so I think these are ideas that have transformative potential and are highly likely to come to Canada sooner than anyone previously anticipated.”

In the meantime, he said that more than three dozen cities in the United States have passed bylaws recognizing that nature has certain rights. He has been in discussions with Indigenous people in Canada about this concept.

“We’re not aware of any other planet in the universe where physics and chemistry gave birth to biology in the way that has transpired here on Earth,” Boyd said. “Although we like to think of ourselves as separate and superior, we’re actually related to every animal on this planet. We share DNA with every animal species on the planet.” -

PRIUS c

2018

PRIUS c MSRP FROM $23,830 incl. F+PDI LEASE FROM

58

COROLLA CO CORO C OR O ORO RO R OL LLA LL LA L A SE SE WITH WIIT ITH TH XSE TH XS XS SE E PKG PKG KG SHO SHOW S SH HOW HOW HO OWN MSRP M MS MSR SR RP P incl. in ncl ncl. nc c cll. cl. l. F+PDI F+P F+ F +P + PD DII SHOWN $XX, $XX $ XX XX, X XX XXX XX XX X X $XX,XXX

$

FINANCE FROM

OR

WEEKLY / 60 MOS. @ 2.99% A.P.R.

1.99%

/ 36 MOS. A.P.R.

Toyota Safety Sense™ C standard: . Pre-Collision System . Lane Departure Alert . Auto High Beam *

5.1 L/100km combined

You know Prius c as the smart choice for incredible mileage.

And now it comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense C, which means while you’ll still go farther, you’ll also be safer.

TM

Your Dealer may charge additional fees for documentation, administration and other products such as undercoat, which range from $0 to $789. Charges vary by Dealer. See your Toyota Dealer for

GET YOURTOYOTA.CA/BC

complete details.

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 13

Langara makes major move into animation The venerable Vancouver college is launching 2D and 3D programs for those hoping to work in the booming digital-entertainment sector (This article is sponsored by Langara College.)

T

his has been a banner summer for Hollywood North. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Johnny Depp, Chow-Yun Fat, Vince Vaughn, Mel Gibson, and Liam Neeson have all been in town acting in feature films, which is giving a big boost to the city’s booming visual-effects industry.

That’s because nowadays, Hollywood movies almost always include digitally generated visual effects, a.k.a. VFX. And according to the Vancouver Economic Commission, the city has the world’s largest cluster of top VFX and animation studios.

This helps explain why Langara College has decided to launch two new animation programs in January through its continuing education division. The 2D Animation & Digital Art full-time program offers faceto-face instruction over 16 months at Langara’s campus at 601 West Broadway. The 3D Animation for Game, Film & Visual Effects takes place at the same location on a fulltime basis over 24 months.

Langara has partnered with the Kelownabased Centre for Arts and Technology, which has been offering this type of education for nearly two decades. And it comes as the industry is scrambling to find talented artists and visual-effects experts in storyboarding, rigging, lighting, motion, and character design.

Langara College’s program coordinator for animation and design arts, Lenke Sifko, points out that there are more than 60 studios in the city’s VFX and animation industry. The digital-media sector is even larger, employing about 16,000 people and generating $2.3-billion in annual sales.

“Animation touches on gaming, animation touches on VFX,” Sifko said. “There are also business-related needs that require animation.”

For example, 3D graphics are used in medical animation to teach professionals and patients about surgical procedures or other physiological issues. Architectural visualization also relies heavily on animation, and sometimes includes moving people and vehicles in the computer-generated imagery. Advertising is yet another industry that relies on these skills because so many products are being marketed with the help of animated characters.

“Animation is far beyond just cartoons and TV and entertainment, though that would be the main focus of the program,” Sifko added. “It’s the main draw for a lot of young people.”

For those hoping to gain skills to find employment in this field, Langara College will host an open house early next month on its 2D and 3D animation programs.

It will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday (October 3) in the lower outdoor atrium (L-2 area) of Langara’s West Broadway Centre (601 West Broadway).

The programs will accept up to a maximum of 16 students in each cohort and there is no age restriction. Applicants must submit a portfolio to demonstrate their drawing skills, including a sketch of one of their hands.

“The screening process is to really find students who are deeply interested in animation, visual effects, and gaming,” Sifko said.

“It does require passion in order to work in this field. This is an extremely rigorous study program.”

Those who are admitted will receive an Alienware laptop and a Wacom drawing tablet, as well as all the software required in the animation industry. They are included with tuition and students keep their device after graduation.

“They get assistance with the maintenance of it,” Sifko noted. “So they get very savvy at

Hollywood producers routinely incorporate digitally generated visual effects into their movies, which has given birth to dozens of companies in Vancouver that are performing this work.

being able to maintain their own hardware, which is really a core competency as you enter into the workforce.”

The West Broadway Centre has a CINTIQ lab, not unlike what you might see in a professional animation studio, and students have personal tablets for in-class and at-home use.

There’s also a drawing room, as well as opportunities to illustrate live studio models, according to Sifko. One of the attractions of this campus is its close proximity to the Canada Line and frequent bus service in the Broadway corridor.

Sifko emphasized that these are applied programs focused from the start on preparing students to find jobs. Professional development begins immediately; small class sizes offer opportunities for one-on-one coaching throughout the program from instructors with a great deal of industry experience.

“Virtually everything that students start creating is moving toward their portfolio

because in the digital-media world, your portfolio is your calling card,” Sifko explained.

The job prospects look very positive. In 2016, a Vancouver Economic Commission report revealed that there “continues to be ongoing issues in attracting a sufficient supply of workers” in digital entertainment and interactive media.

At the start of their final term, students will go on tours of major animation and VFX studios in Vancouver. This offers them opportunities to speak to human-resources personnel and learn about the best approaches for entering the industry.

“It’s a whole day of going to different studios,” Sifko said. “They really get a sense of the working environment. This is done while they’re working on their final portfolio.” An open house for Langara’s 2D and 3D animation programs will be held on Tuesday (October 3) from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the college’s West Broadway Centre (601 West Broadway).

WHISTLER BLACKCOMB’S

LEGENDARY SKI + SNOWBOARD

TURKEY SALE

SKIS SNOWBOARDS OUTERWEAR WINTER BOOTS ACCESSORIES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 TO MONDAY, OCTOBER 9

ALL

UP TO

AT THE BASE OF BLACKCOMB

OFF 50%

TURKEY SALE HOURS OF OPERATION

THE SKI & SNOWBOARD SWAP

Locals / Pass holders / EDGE Card Holders

Friday, October 6, 5pm – 9pm Saturday, October 7, 9am – 5pm Sunday, October 8, 9am – noon

Friday, October 6 Noon – 9pm

GENERAL PUBLIC HOURS Saturday, October 7, 9am – 6pm Sunday, October 8, 9am – 6pm Monday, October 9, 10am – 5pm

Sale items limited to stock on hand, some sizes limited. We reserve the right to limit quantities.

Sale ends October 9, 2017.

Under the big tent next to the Turkey Sale Gear Check-In: Friday 5pm-9pm & Saturday 9am-1pm

Visit the SWAP to buy or sell used gear. All purchases made at the SWAP include a donation for WMSC athletic programs.

whistlerblackcomb.com/turkey 14 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

URBAN LIVING

Interior designer Gillian Segal suggests taking a risk with a faucet in a gold, black, or rose-gold finish, which helps elevate a space. Ema Peters photo.

How to get the luxe look at home for less > BY L UC Y LA U

I

n a real-estate market as expensive as Vancouver’s, any cash that can be saved on the décor-andfurnishings front is more than welcome. Bonus points if little inexpensive touches can help elevate—and inject a sense of luxury into—a drab or generic space with minimal effort.

“I think interiors are a lot like fashion,” Gillian Segal, principal and founder of local firm Gillian Segal Design, tells the Straight by phone, “where you can wear a whole outfit from Zara, and if you have a designer purse, a great piece of jewellery, or one investment piece…it kind of makes it look like it’s a lot more expensive than it is.”

Ahead of her appearance at this year’s IDS Vancouver—where she’ll take the stage this Sunday (October 1) to talk West Coast luxury as part of a panel of locally and internationally renowned designers—we asked Segal for her top tips on getting the luxury look at home for less. And good news: all of her tried-and-true tricks work in rental properties, too.

SWITCH OUT LIGHTING Whether

you opt for a glitzy chandelier, an oversized pendant light, or an industrial exposed-pipe wall sconce, installing a contemporary light fixture in place of a builder-grade one—or one that just isn’t your steez—can do wonders for a space.

“I think it really gives you that sculptural element,” explains Segal, who describes lighting as the “jewellery” of the home. “And in terms of the mood and the feel of a place, it offers good ambient lighting and kind of warms things up.”

Don’t be afraid to spend a little more moolah here: great lighting is worth the investment, Segal says, and is an area where she often advises her clients to spend a portion of their hardearned dough. After all, you can take a fixture with you when you move, and because it’s safe from the sticky fingers of kids and claws of pets, it lasts a long time, too. “Unlike upholstery…it doesn’t really see wear and tear, since it’s hanging,” Segal notes.

INVEST IN ART You’ve likely heard that a gallery wall can make a stunning focal point in a space, but incorporating even one or two artworks into a room is an easy way to take it from standard to standout. Best of all, they don’t have to be expensive. “You don’t have to be spending tens of thousands of dollars to have great art,” Segal says.

“There are lots of great local artists.”

Segal is a big fan of Vancouverbased artists Zoë Pawlak, Ben Skinner, and Andy Dixon, whose contemporary works decorate her own home and those of many of her clients. She’s also a regular at False Creek’s Winsor Gallery, though vintage, homemade, and thrifted pieces are a great way to show off some personality as well.

“I think building a collection [of art] that speaks to you and that you can move around with is a great way to enhance the look of your space,” she says.

FOCUS ON DETAILS Forget highend finishes, marble, and ornate furnishings: it turns out that creating a luxurious look is all in the details.

“It’s about pulling things together

really well,” she explains, “and using accessories and just making things look thoughtful.”

Segal recommends styling small vignettes throughout your home, whether it be on a side table, bar cart, or bookshelf. Stack a selection of hardcover tomes on your coffee table, for example, or store fresh-cut blooms, antiques, or a small jar filled with collectible matches on a brass or Plexiglas tray. Shadow boxes placed atop tables are also a fun way to showcase family photos, postcards, and souvenirs.

Pro tip: if you do opt for coffee-table books, try removing the jackets to reveal the soft cover, which gives them a “matte, kind of linen look that I think is really high-end”, Segal says. “Interiors are a place where you’re reflecting your personality,” she adds, “so you can choose the content of your books according to your interests.”

DITCH THE BLINDS Many homes come equipped with blinds these days, but Segal makes an argument for going the drapery route—especially in new builds. “Most condos are hardwood floors, millwork, hard countertops,” she says. “So I think it’s really nice to have some softness on the walls.”

If your budget allows it, the designer suggests looking into custom drapery.

This allows you to get the exact look, length, and width that fits both your window and space, though shopping the racks at stores like Ikea and West Elm offers plenty of options as well.

Whatever you do, consider stretching your coverings from the floor to the ceiling. “I think it makes things feel a little bit taller by having your eye go up and down,” Segal notes.

Easy-to-maintain polyester-blend drapes in a neutral hue are a popular pick among the designer’s clients, though she’s fond of bold colours and patterns, too. “You could even do a patterned-trim detail at the bottom or down one of the side edges,” she says.

SWAP THE FAUCET “Most condos and houses come with pretty generic faucets,” Segal says. “And I think switching it out for something fun in a cool finish makes the space look a little more interesting.”

Case in point: a renovated Van­ couver Special where the designer complemented a stainless-steel undermount sink and white stone countertop with a glimmering gold faucet and matching soap dispenser. The end result is striking, especially when paired with gilded drawer pulls and glass-and-brass pendant lighting hanging above the island.

Look for faucets in matte white, black, and even rose-gold finishes that will add character to kitchens and bathrooms. And don’t worry if the hue doesn’t match your sink or other fixtures. “You don’t want everything to be a big jumble,” Segal notes, “but picking three metal finishes and mixing those throughout a space makes it look like you didn’t just go to the showroom and say, ‘I’ll take catalogue page 5.’ It looks like you put thought into it.” IDS Vancouver takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West building this Thursday (September 28) to Sunday (October 1).

THE ULTIMATE PLAYGROUND THE DOUGLAS

•

JW MARRIOTT

•

PARQ CASINO

HONEY SALT • THE VICTOR • BC KITCHEN • 1886 • MRKT EAST D6 BAR & LOUNGE • CENTRE BAR • LOTUS WHISKEY/TEA LOUNGE 60K SQUARE FEET OF MEETING AND EVENT SPACE • AND MORE!

NOW OPEN

P A R Q VA N C O U V E R . C O M

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 15

straight stars Stylish natural living since 1981

Organic Natural Healthy Sleep Mattresses, linens, pillows & duvets Well made locally for over 35 years from premium organic cotton, linen, hemp, wool, buckwheat, and kapok. Thoughtfully designed for optimal comfort and durability. We also carry bath, yoga, clothing & baby

2749 Main Street (12th & Main) Tel 604.254.5012 dreamdesigns.ca

It is no accident we are #1

Your first call when an accident strikes Warnett Hallen LLP is a boutique law firm that specializes in one thing – personal injury law.

AY TOD CALL I L A B L E AVA

24/7

FREE CONSULTATION 604.737.3300

720 Robson Street, 5th Floor Vancouver, BC V6Z 1A1

warnetthallen.com

EARN MONEY IN YOUR SPARE TIME. drive.skipthedishes.com

16 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

> B Y R O SE MARCUS

September 28 to October 4, 2017

F

rom one extreme to another.

What a difference a singular moment can make. Nothing is small or insignificant when Jupiter in Libra opposes Uranus in Aries. Meeting up for the last of three exact alignments spanning a nine-month period, Jupiter/Uranus now supplies the pivotal “it” factor. Watch for a choice point or breakthrough of significance, an exceptional opportunity, a major announcement, or a special event for mobilization on all fronts.

Coinciding with Jupiter/Uranus on full steam ahead, Pluto in Capricorn ends a four-month retrograde cycle. Pluto’s job has been to break it down to build it better, while Jupiter/ Uranus’s job is to awaken and to alert, to punch through the sound machine that keeps distraction overriding progress. All three raise the stakes regarding the future. All three now set reality onto the next phase. Thursday is an excellent day to get a start on it.

Aim to get it under better control, to make it official, or to lay a foundation.

Put ambition to work, but also keep a grip on the reality check.

Friday, Mercury into Libra and Venus/Neptune are ideal for an evening of romance, pleasure-seeking, sweet escape, and spiritual replenishment. Relax, socialize, and enjoy, but play it safe regarding alcohol consumption, recreational drugs, and sexcapades. Venus/Neptune can weaken immunity and increase susceptibility, making it too easy to overspend, overindulge, divulge too much, and expect, assume, or take on too much.

Setting a productive and lucrative trend, Mars trines Pluto on Sunday and Venus does the same on Tuesday.

Take action; get results.

A

ARIES

March 20–April 20

Ready, set, go. Thursday and Friday, Jupiter/Uranus are on a cut-to-the-chase. With something more solid to go on, Pluto, now done with retrograde, also sets you onto a time-is-ripe platform. You can and you will build it better from here.

Friday, enjoy, create, and play up the romance. Now through Tuesday, your stars are optimized regarding social and communication tracks, a contract, or a creative project.

B

TAURUS

C

GEMINI

April 20–May 21

Jupiter/Uranus can either confirm what you already know or take you by surprise. Either way, it’s breakthrough time. Mercury in Libra puts added focus on relationship, health, or financial imbalances and the necessary upgrades, work, and pending pile, but look to Mars, Venus, and Pluto to help you get a better handle on it. Saturday through Tuesday are optimized for getting it up and rolling.

May 21–June 21

Opportunity comes knocking; spontaneity delivers. Jupiter/ Uranus kick it up a great big notch Thursday and Friday. An event, conversation, meet-up, sudden insight, or big reveal could set major wheels in motion. Mercury into Libra, starting Friday, enhances social, romance, and finance prospects. Sunday through Tuesday, Mars, Venus, and Pluto keep you/it on a lucrative track. Use these days to work it out or clear it up.

D

CANCER

June 21–July 22

E

LEO

July 22–August 23

Whether it’s news, a great idea, a stroke of luck, or something more, on Thursday and Friday you can make great headway. Jupiter/Uranus can rustle up a fun or lucrative social event or help you to find just what you are looking for. Saturday through Tuesday, Mars, Venus, and Pluto keep you on a productive improvement track.

Take charge; get it handled; feel pleased.

F

VIRGO

G

LIBRA

H

SCORPIO

I

SAGITTARIUS

J

CAPRICORN

K

AQUARIUS

L

PISCES

August 23–September 23

Things can go better than planned or anticipated as the workweek finishes out—perhaps much better. You’ll now hit a positive/faster upswing with folks, plans, money matters, and day-to-day productivity.

Thursday and Sunday through Tuesday are optimized for getting it fixed, done, said, or nailed down. Friday evening, keep it loose and take it as it comes.

September 23–October 23

Jupiter in Libra now strikes it hot with Uranus. A decision, sudden impulse, or major breakthrough moves you, it, or them to a new/next level, pronto. Jupiter/Uranus also sparks greater insight regarding all that you have been observing outwardly and processing inwardly since the start of the year. Saturday to Tuesday sets a productive backdrop and gives you more to work with.

October 23–November 22

Jupiter/Uranus clues you in to more, perhaps much more. Unexpected expense or extras can be in the mix. Pluto now helps you to regain control. Watch for more viable options to appear. A new job, project, method, or solution can be very worthwhile.

Sunday through Tuesday, you’ll get good mileage out of a talk, meeting, research, or time and effort spent.

November 22–December 21

Things can have an uncanny way of sorting out and falling into place quite nicely now. If you find yourself suddenly thrust into something new, roll with it. Now through next Tuesday can see you on the gain.

Take full advantage of the moment to clear it away, to correct, fix, heal, and to set up your next best course of action.

December 21–January 20

Thursday calls for fast thinking and decisive action. The Capricorn moon and the end of Pluto retrograde put you in full command.

Trust your intuition to shoot the arrow straight. Great timing is on your side, especially Sunday through Tuesday. Confidence in motion: that’s you.

Looking good; plenty to show for yourself and mission accomplished!

January 20–February 18

Something or someone new to explore; the unexpected on full thrust: Jupiter/Uranus now provide you with plenty of incentive and a fresh energy infusion. As of Thursday, Pluto ends a dry spell and increases workability and productivity.

Mercury into Libra boosts creativity and same-page accord. Enhancing prospects and results through Tuesday, Mars and Venus time it just right.

February 18–March 20

Extra expense or profit is in the mix Thursday and Friday.

Don’t scrimp on quality. Take your time to set it straight or get it right.

Friday evening, Venus/Neptune sets the dial on romance, music, movies, or a great favourite escape. Saturday through Tuesday, catch up with folks, yourself, or your to-do list. -

Choose it or find it thrust on you; sweeping reinvention is your best bet. A new address or career trajectory can hit a fast track. Yes, you can rekindle a previous success, but if it didn’t cut it the first time, there’s no wisdom in going for a second round. Put courage into action. Through next Tuesday, Mars, Book a reading or sign up for Rose’s Venus, and Pluto enhance prospects free monthly newsletter at www.rose marcus.com/. and problem-solving.

MAJESTIC STORE WIDE TAX FREE SALE Apartment size sofas fl ip fl op foam beds Assorted bedding • pillows • mattress pads • duvets

A djustable Beds All Mattresses including: - organic latex - memory foam - bio foam - futons

Futon frames, covers & pillows

*Sale extended to October 4th, 2017!

Since

1986

www.majesticsitandsleep.com

NEW LOCATION! 2141 BURRARD ST (TOP FLOOR), VANCOUVER • 604-731-8226 Vancouver’s Source for Certified Organic Latex

E EINGK F RRKBAC PA IN

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 17

MOVIES

For the first time in its 36-year history, the

Vancouver International Film Festival launches on Thursday (September 28) with a movie made and set right here in our hometown. It’s a major coup for writer-director Mina Shum, who sees her Chinatown-based drama Meditation Park receive the gala VIFF opening it deserves. It’s also a smart and timely move for the festival itself, a tacit acknowledgment that our city has never been the focus of so much of the world’s attention.

VIFF 2017 is asking us to look at how far Vancouver has come, for better or worse. Returning to work on Meditation Park with her director is Sandra Oh, now a Hollywood stalwart some 23 years after getting her first modest break in Shum’s Double Happiness. For both these artists, the contrast between then and now must be astonishing. Vancouver in the mid-’90s felt like a stalled city and a terminal underachiever. Now it’s a rapidly expanding sprawl built on the mother of all housing bubbles; an ever-shinier second home to visiting Hollywood stars attending an industry that broke its own records in 2017 (set to exceed $2.6 billion, according to Creative B.C.), while

World class or bust

Matthew Nelson-Mahood and Lizzie Boys prepare to do bloody battle in director Peter Ricq’s wildly entertaining, Maple Ridge-shot retro-horror rave, Dead Shack.

false starts before he arrived at the idea for his Maple Ridge–shot debut (featuring “about 85 percent” practical effects, exploding heads included, horror geeks). “I Wherever you look, our rapidly expanding home turf leaves its mark on this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival watched the Fright Night remake and it just reminded nourishing a thriving domestic scene of its own. me how much I liked those old horror movies It’s “the most livable city on the planet” with the from the ’80s,” he says. “ ‘Oh, yeah, I can actually poorest postal code in Canada, a desirable resi- make that for cheap! What the fuck am I doing dence for global capital, and ground zero for the trying to make these $80-million movies?’ ” Of course, it isn’t like Ricq sat around for seven lethal opioid crisis. All these contradictions and growing pains are visible at VIFF, from the sweet years not making a film. In 2016 he published his New Age–y romanticism of director Jason James’s graphic novel Once Our Land, while HUMANS Entanglement, starring Georgia Straight cover released its first album the year prior (and will model Thomas Middleditch (a Nelsonite now div- perform its Dead Shack soundtrack at Fortune iding his time between big-time L.A. and Silicon Sound Club on October 4, in the VIFF Live! serValley, as it were), to Wayne Wapeemukwa’s poet- ies). Along with Dead Shack scripters Phil Ivanic, if unflinching, DTES award winner, Luk’Luk’I. usic-Vallee and Davila LeBlanc, Ricq is also the In fact, look at any of VIFF’s nine major pro- creator of the award-winning animated series The grams—including, as we see in the following League of Super Evil, and he’s a similarly decoratitems, the international Panorama and Asian- ed videomaker. With all that, and despite interest themed Gateway streams—and you will find the from L.A., he isn’t about to abandon his turf. “I’d signals and traces of Vancouver’s ever-more- have to start over,” he says. “And I don’t really feel visible contribution to the art of moving pictures, the need to do that. There’s so much talent here.” > ADRIAN MACK and the eyes of an ever-more-curious world looking back at us. In 2017, Vancouver is definitely a Dead Shack screens at the Rio Theatre on Septemcity on the edge of world cinema.

DON’T GO INTO MAPLE RIDGE ALONE

Peter Ricq was dreaming about his first mov-

2 ie when the Georgia Straight interviewed his

band, HUMANS, way back in 2010. Seven years later, Dead Shack arrives as one of the Vancouver International Film Festival’s best surprises, a selfaware horror-comedy that smuggles its modern sensibility into a lovingly retro splatter flick, like Superbad smashing into an Evil Dead universe.

Thanks to Ricq’s assured guidance and a seriously talented cast—Lauren Holly (Motive) is the film’s leathered-up killer, while an inspired Donavon Stinson (Call Me Fitz) as a stoner dad simply kills, period—Dead Shack is relentless in its bid to entertain. Fans will trade quotes for years to come.

“I do art to entertain people. That’s my foremost goal; when I do paintings, music, or TV, I just want people to have fun,” Ricq tells the Straight, explaining that it took a number of overambitious

WEEK IN VIFFSCREEN

2

18 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Shut Up and Say Something screens at the Playhouse on October 4 and 8.

SHUT-UP POET OPENS UP

Few artists, in B.C. or anywhere, have ex- THE CONTINENT OF VANCOUVEROS

2 posed as much private pain as celebrated

local spoken-word poet Shane Koyczan has.

Through viral animated videos, magnetic live performances, TED Talks, even the libretto for the opera Stickboy, he’s shared some of his darkest secrets. Legions of followers know he grew up estranged from his parents, suffered unspeakable bullying, and struggled with severe depression due to all the abuse.

What’s so remarkable about Vancouver filmmaker Melanie Wood’s Shut Up and Say Something is that it reveals new shades of the icon’s personality. It also follows Koyczan on a new journey: the struggle to reunite with the father who abandoned him when he was a three-year-old.

“At some point the film had to decide: is it

Cinematographer Greg Middleton traces his

2 roots back to Vancouver’s small art-house

film scene of the early ’90s. Today, he finds himself lensing the most successful TV series on the planet: Game of Thrones.

“I was an overnight success that took 20 years,” Middleton says with a laugh, back in his home base of Vancouver after f litting from Northern Ireland to Spain to shoot the epic HBO hit. “I pinched myself every time I went on set the last three years,” he adds, admitting he was a big fan before joining director Jeremy Podeswa and the rest of the team. “I describe working on it as both terrifying and super see next page

MOVIES

1

LUCKY The great Harry Dean Stanton, who died on September 15, gets a rare leading role in a movie directed by old Norm Gunderson from Fargo (John Carroll Lynch). If that’s not spectacular enough, David Lynch costars. Screening at SFU on Thursday (September 28) and Sunday (October 1).

> JANET SMITH

ber 29 and October 5.

The projector

Always intense

going to be a concert film or is it going to be a bigger life thing?” says the documentary veteran. “The biggest hurdle was getting the real personal story.

He’s very eloquent but also very loath to talk about it himself.…To be candid, what surprised me was how socially awkward he can be. I, like everyone else, assumed he has his life together now.”

It helped that Koyczan’s story resonated so deeply with her own: “My dad married three times and I didn’t meet my mom till I was a teenager,” says Wood, who worked closely with Koyczan’s friend and collaborator Stuart Gillies on the project.

The mesmerizing concert footage and animated poetry sequences make it into the film. But it really centres around Koyczan’s decision to travel to the Yukon to meet with his estranged father.

Koyczan himself states in the movie he never could have made the reconciliation without the film, and Wood admits he often needed pushing.

The meeting culminates in a poem—one that still moves Wood to tears.

Along the way, Wood also captures all the ohso-human contradictions of the artist who became a hero after his “We Are More” performance at the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremony. As the director puts it: “He is the good performer and he is the bon vivant; he’s the guy everyone loves and he’s the guy who thinks nobody loves him.”

3

What to see and where to see it

Creator talks

BREATHE Andrew Garfield stars as Robin Cavendish, who pioneered an array of devices to help the disabled after he contracted polio. Screens at the Centre on Friday (September 29).

PROTOTYPE Blake Williams’s

visionary 3-D experience puts you inside the Galveston hurricane of 1900.

Get blown away at the International Village on Saturday (September 30).

FACES PLACES Octogenarian Agnès Varda hits the road with the 34-year-old artist known as JR for a tour of the physiognomy of the French countryside, at SFU on Sunday (October 1).

ANE CRABTREE Fresh from the Emmys, where she was

nominated for both The Handmaid’s Tale and Westworld, costume designer Ane Crabtree comes to VIFF to tell us how it’s all stitched together. At the Vancity Theatre on Monday (October 2).

exciting. You want to make sure you live up to the high bar that’s been set and do your best work possible.”

Middleton will relay some of his experiences—most recently, he and Podeswa shot both Season 7’s premiere and its Wall-crashing, bluefire-spitting finale—at the Vancouver International Film Festival’s Creator Series talks. Among the highlights of the past few years on Thrones, he tells the Straight, has been shooting in the misty hills of Northern Ireland and at Seville’s spectacular 13th-century Alcázar (a.k.a. the Water Gardens of Dorne). Prepping for a shoot on the balcony, Middleton recalls being told they would have to get approval from the king of Spain himself. “He owns it,” Middleton marvels. “Usually when you’re shooting, it’s a homeowner or the manager of a factory you’re dealing with.”

Yes, it’s a surreal experience, with a punishing schedule that finds the crew shooting Thrones in blocks because of its far-flung locations.

That kind of scale is a long way from 1996’s Kissed, fellow UBC film student Lynn Stopkewich’s necrophilia-themed breakout indie—the movie where Middleton started getting noticed. It drew the attention of Podeswa, who was looking for a cinematographer for his second film, The Five Senses. The rest has been a steady climb for Middleton, who’s left his visual signature on everything from TV series The Killing to Paul Gross’s Passchendaele.

A genuinely nice guy, Middleton has this basic advice for those dreaming of a similar path: “The best thing is to do the best work you can and always be the happiest person on the set.” > JANET SMITH

Greg Middleton and Jeremy Podeswa join the Creator Talks series at the Vancity Theatre on September 30.

DRAGONS, TIGERS, AND SUPERPIGS

Silicon Valley’s Thomas Middleditch and Jess Weixler (The Son) by the light of the Grandview Lanes moon in Entanglement.

even expanded to include films by western filmmakers, such as Robert H. Lieberman’s Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia and Sam Voutas’s King of Peking, proving that East and West are relative terms.

> CRAIG TAKEUCHI

Bong Joon-ho will appear at a special presentation of Okja at the Centre for Performing Arts on September 30.

THE LUK’LUK’I ONES

Wayne Wapeemukwa is ex-

2 hausted from the “drinking, the

networking, and the rushing around” that go with a visit to the Toronto International Film Festival, where his jaw-dropping debut, Luk’Luk’I (pronounced “luck-lucky”) took this year’s award for best Canadian first feature. “I need to just relax!” pleads the filmmaker, reached a couple days later by the Straight. He also needs to put the win in perspective.

“It wasn’t a cakewalk in any way, shape, or form,” Wapeemukwa says, reporting that Luk’Luk’I was met by TIFFsters with an equivalent degree of vitriol and charges of exploitation. (Grossly misconceived, in the Straight’s view; Wapeemukwa gamely insists: “It is indeed a conversation we should be having.”)

Surveying a day in the life of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the film uses mostly nonactors playing semifictionalized versions of themselves, including former sex worker Angel Gates, heroin addict Eric Buurman, and local celeb Angela Dawson, a.k.a. Ms. Rollergirl, whose story involves an altercation with a gang of hockey fans and her mistreatment by police. That was based in truth. “It actually inspired the activism and advocacy that she dedicated her life to,” Wapeemukwa explains. “Although it demonstrates the more quotidian ways that she’s discriminated against, this event is also a milestone in her life.”

That it’s set on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics adds a whopping polemical angle to Luk’Luk’I. The Games, states Wapeemukwa, “continue the work of colonialism through the deployment of patriotism”. Luk’Luk’I succeeds in its own countermission through the deployment of great compassion and its not inconsiderable charms as a narrative.

There are horrors inside Luk’Luk’I, to be sure, but there’s also humour, warmth, and deep wells of emotion. A gonzo karaoke version of Loverboy’s “Turn Me Loose” provides one ecstatic high point, while another of the film’s leads is pursued for the entire movie by a UFO. In short: there’s nothing else quite like it, and little else that presents such a vitally honest portrait of Vancouver, not least of all—as Wapeemukwa replies when asked what he wants Luk’Luk’I to tell the world about his hometown—“that it was founded on stolen land”.

East is East and West is West and the twain have been meeting at VIFF’s Dragons and Tigers series for close to three decades. Actually, even further back than that. According to VIFF programming director Alan Franey, the festival has long highlighted Asian cinema in various ways, such as with the Eastern Horizons program in 1985. Franey hired programmer Tony Rayns in 1989 for a series entitled Cinema of the Pacific Rim that was rechristened Dragons and Tigers a few years later. Rayns retired after VIFF 2016, but Toronto-based programmer Shelly Kracier continues on.

The D&T series (now a part of the Gateway stream) has become a renowned launching pad for Asian talent. Case in point: South Korean director Bong Joon-ho has shown all of his films at VIFF, starting with his 2000 debut, Barking Dogs Never Bite.

He went on to garner acclaim with 2006’s The Host, 2009’s Mother, and 2013’s Snowpiercer.

“Everybody knows Vancouver is really such an important festival for Asian filmmakers,” Bong told the Georgia Straight in 2010, explaining that he and others became famous at VIFF before going on to the Toronto International Film Festival.

Things have come full circle as Bong is being honoured this year at a special presentation of his Netflix hit Okja, which was partly shot here.

Director Bong and Vancouver-based Method Studios visual-effects supervisor Erik-Jan de Boer will be on hand to discuss the film. (Fun fact: the TV pilot of Snowpiercer is also being shot in Vancouver.)

Other major Asian auteurs who have shown their films in, appeared as part of, or served as a juror for the D&T series include China’s Jia Zhangke, Taiwan’s Hou Hsiao-hsien, Hong Kong’s Ann Hui, South Korea’s Hong Sang-soo, and Japan’s Hirokazu > ADRIAN MACK Kore-eda. The series reached a hysterical peak in 2014 when red-carpet appearances by J-pop stars Tsumabuki Luk’Luk’I screens at the Rio Theatre on Satoshi and Kamenashi Kazuya drew October 3 and 8. screaming mobs of fans to the world premiere of the Japanese-Canadian FROM RUSSIA WITH PRIDE baseball drama The Vancouver Asahi.

The 2014 Sochi Winter OlymThis year’s program, comprising pics were like a magnifying of 28 features and four shorts, has

2

2

glass focusing a beam of light on Russia’s anti–LGBT legislation.

The international furor about this issue—which continues—has since waned, but local filmmaker Boris Ivanov puts Russia’s state of affairs in his crosshairs with his documentary On Putin’s Blacklist, which has its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Ivanov, who lived in Moscow until he was 16 years old, said his film profiles several individuals caught within the “new cold war” between Russia and other parts of the world.

“The film primarily deals with LGBT rights and what’s happening in Russia with regard to that, and also international adoption, where there’s a ban on adopting Russian orphans internationally,” he tells the Straight. “They’ve banned any country that allows same-sex marriage from adopting Russian kids.”

Captured during three years’ worth of filming in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Belgium, Denmark, and Russia, the film includes footage of Russian adoptees living in Vancouver and the Vancouver Pride parade, situating local connections within a global context. What surprised him most was how far apprehension about Russian president Vladimir Putin extended.

“The strangest thing for me was when I wanted to interview people in the United States and they’d be afraid to talk to me because they think Putin is going to get them— and they’re Americans…but this fear is so spread everywhere,” he says.

Ivanov also praises Canada for welcoming LGBT immigration from Russia, noting that it’s much harder in Europe.

“There’s a lot more that the Canadian government can do, and it kind of mentions in the film about that as well,” he adds. “There’s a lot of very sad stories, but also being from North America, there are positive things we can do here to welcome these individuals who really have no other options.” > CRAIG TAKEUCHI

On Putin’s Blacklist screens at the Cinematheque on October 7 and International Village on October 10.

EAT YOURSELF FITTER

Hey foodie, that baby lettuce

2 sitting there on your plate was quite the leafy little agitator back in the day. As we learn in Mark Kitchell’s calorie-rich documentary Evolution of Organic, it was the “spring mix” that triggered the explosive growth of the organicfood movement from a hippiecentric and largely Californian revolt against big agriculture (considered “a communist conspiracy” in some quarters) into “a multibillion-dollar industry and the fastest-growing sector of the food business”.

As stated by Sibella Kraus, a forager at one time for Berkeley’s pioneering Chez Panisse restaurant: “The emergence of the foodie revolution started with organics.”

Joining Kraus among the film’s numerous (and tremendously engaging) talking heads is Salt Spring Island’s Michael Ableman, whose

Vancouver-based Sole Food Street Farms (founded with Seann Dory) provides not only training and employment to DTES residents, but also a lot of the vegetables served by local clients like Savio Volpe.

Ableman was there at the dawn of organic farming, which the film traces way back to anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner’s theory of biodynamics, and then projects into the future with potentially revolutionary new (or ancient, depending on your perspective) technologies like permaculture and carbon farming. Paul Muller of California’s Full Belly Farm aspires to “an agriculture that also regenerates the human spirit”. Thanks to Ableman’s work, you can find that very thing happening right in Strathcona. > ADRIAN MACK

Evolution of Organic screens at SFU on September 30 and October 1.

> ADRIAN MACK

A TOWN CALLED HOPE

2

film is that so much of it looks like a second-rate cousin to the Hollywood mainstream. A feature like Jamie M. Dagg’s beautifully paced Sweet Virginia is the exception that proves the rule. The Toronto-based filmmaker impressed with last year’s tight, Laos-set thriller River, and that promise is scaled up bigtime with Sweet Virginia. Where River was breakneck and insistent, Sweet Virginia takes its time to let the mood set in, appropriately for its tale of small-town lovers, losers, killers, and femmes fatals. When the superattenuated buzz of lowkey tension is broken by violence, it’s explosive and dirty.

A fabulous Jon Bernthal (Wind River) leads as a former rodeo star sidelined by serious injury and now running a motel in shitsville Alaska, a decent but broken man locked in an affair with a woman (Rosemarie DeWitt, La La Land) whose husband dies in a bizarre shooting massacre in the film’s opening scene. It gives nothing away to note Girls star Christopher Abbott’s mesmerizingly original performance as the low-rent hitman responsible, stuck in that hotel for the rest of the film, bugging out while he waits to get paid. He’s unreal, but everyone steps up here, including Imogen Poots, inside a melancholic neonoir that shuns Coen-esque f lash and irony for a kind of ambient sadness, where everyone is haunted by cycles of violence and driven by deep emotional wounds, including a psychopath who yearns for connection on his own bizarre terms. It’s all choreographed by a filmmaker in decisive command of his craft, and with the suss to recognize downmarket Hope, B.C., as a terminal point in this outstanding film’s psychic geography.

Sweet Virginia screens at Internation-

A consistent and not un- al Village on September 29 and the reasonable beef about B.C. Rio Theatre on October 1 and 7.

BC Spotlight Gala: Awards Ceremony & Screening of

Shut Up and Say Something SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 7:30PM, VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE This special event commences with the presentation of nine awards to creators from BC and the rest of Canada and then culminates with a screening of Shut Up and Say Something, Melanie Wood’s intimate look at internationally acclaimed spoken-word artist Shane Koyczan. With incredible candour, Koyczan shares his momentous and deeply personal journey to finally meet his estranged father.

The result is his most important poem yet–and the more intimate his words are, the more universal they become.

Tickets: goviff.org/bcspotlightgala

Media Sponsor

Premier Partner

Premier Supporters

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 19

VIFF ’17

Festival flicks still the greatest love of all

W

hile you were catching the last rays of summer, we were locked inside the Georgia Straight’s claustrophobic underground media bunker, steadfastly previewing dozens, if not hundreds, of the titles coming to this year’s amazing, colossal Vancouver International Film Festival. Read our findings below, and stick with us over the next 16 days for even more news, reviews, and features from VIFF 2017, both here and at Straight.com.

AVA (France) Cinematographer Paul Guilhaume shares a writing credit with director Léa Mysius on her first film, and it shows in vivid 35mm detail—from the crowded working-class Médoc beachscapes where the unsmiling 13-year-old Ava (Noée Abita) is spending her summer vacation, to the extended Gypsy caravan wedding at the movie’s climax. It’s poignant that Ava celebrates visual effects: the title character has been told she will soon go blind. The news sends her on a kind of reckless coming-of-age crash course. She pulls away from her distracted single mother and toward a local Roma beach bum who’s hiding from the police. The story spirals apart in its last act, but the naturalistic Abita makes Ava beautifully enigmatic and stubbornly unlikable, while Guilhaume raises this story of everyday people to art. International Village, September 29 (3 p.m.) and October 1 (6:45 p.m.) > JANET SMITH BAD DAY FOR THE CUT (Northern

Ireland) A solid revenge thriller that reminds us: don’t fuck with rural folk.

Looking like a cross between Robert Wyatt and Mike Leigh in gumboots and a cable-knit sweater, sad-eyed Nigel O’Neill stars as Donal, a farmer on the wrong side of middle age, still living with his mum and taking abuse from the young folk at the local pub. When he finds Ma at home with her head stove in, Donal bests the incompetent thugs waiting to frame him up, eventually cutting a bloody path to the top of a vicious syndicate and learning a few things about human trafficking and the ever-lingering ghosts of the IRA—and his own family—along the way. It’s hardly a masterpiece, but Bad Day finds a nice place somewhere between your virtual amygdala and your heart. The underrated Susan Lynch in complicated-psycho mode is a big bonus. Rio, September 28 (9 p.m.); SFU, October 4 (3:45 p.m.) > ADRIAN MACK

BPM

(BEATS

PER

MINUTE)

(France) When it comes to LGBT period pieces, this is how you do it.

This frank inside look at the rabblerousing Parisian chapter of the AIDS activist group ACT UP in the early ’90s has it all: there’s high-stakes drama, fiery infighting, candid sexuality, and unguarded emotion among the educational elements. In a solid, authentic cast, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart stands out as firecracker Sean, who ranges from verbal dexterity to desolate vulnerability. He shares a natural chemistry with butchy Arnaud Valois, who plays the initially diffident Nathan. Their emotional and physical intimacy, despite their opposite HIV statuses, forms an essential counterpoint to the group’s fierce political campaigns, which include splattering a pharmaceutical company’s offices with fake blood and hijacking high-school classes with explicit safe-sex speeches. Engaging as it is, it’s also good for you: while the group rallied against indifference toward the fight for their lives, the film’s potency will help disrupt apathy toward the current state of HIV. Playhouse, September 30 (3:15 p.m.) and October 2 (6:15 p.m.) > CRAIG TAKEUCHI CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE (USA) It may be a fluff

piece from start to finish, but rarely has hagiography been so relentlessly entertaining. There’s a lot here to fluff, with someone who started as a mousy lawyer with zero background in music and yet catapulted to the top of Columbia Records and later his

Whitney Houston takes her place under the wing of her mentor and label boss in Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of My Life; a moody teen dogs it in poignant Ava; the fallout from the AIDS crisis gets a child’s-eye view in Summer 1993.

HONDROS (USA) You might not know his name, but you’ve definitely seen the late Chris Hondros’s incendiary yet deeply humanistic portraits of war-ravaged civilians and soldiers.

His globetrotting fearlessness recalls that of World War II photographer Robert Capa, who met a parallel fate in Vietnam. Lovingly assembled by the late photojournalist’s close friend Greg Campbell, the movie features heads that really know what the hell they’re talking about, as they give insights into the young American’s work and the notion of journalistic integrity itself. Campbell also finds some of the subjects who survived what Hondros was documenting. It’s a portrait of one man, to be sure, but also a warning about the profession of truth-telling, and those who want to kill it. SFU, SepFAIL TO APPEAR (Canada) Film- tember 29 (4 p.m.); International Vilmaker Antoine Bourges gutted us at lage, October 9 (9:15 p.m.) > KE the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in 2013 with his stark hybrid- LIKE A PEBBLE IN THE BOOT (Canfictional “East Hastings Pharmacy”. ada) While tourists flock to the sights This debut feature is only marginally of Florence, Senegalese migrants folmore ostentatious, which is to say not low the crowds to what they think will at all, with the reigning queen of ac- be a lucrative market to peddle handtorly austerity Deragh Campbell tak- made items and made-in-China trining the film’s lead as a rookie social kets. But reality couldn’t be further worker in Toronto, handling the most from their dreams. While the average minor of thieves in the shape of a with- visitor disregards these people as irridrawn musician. More normcore than tants or troublemakers, Quebec filmmumblecore (numblecore?), Bourges’s maker Hélène Choquette unveils their film is defiantly, pathologically plain, stories. These men are in a desperate emptying the frame of all extraneous bid for a better life, not just for theminformation and finding a properly selves but for their families back home. bleak visual analogue for the flawed in- In Italy, they face police pursuit, overt stitutional gestalt it depicts. It is also— and systemic racism, almost zero job depending on your disposition—co- opportunities, meagre profits, and vertly hilarious, as when an attempt marginalization. In Senegal, they face at basic human connection ends with strained relationships, familial presone of its two main characters bolting sures, and loss of face. As if that’s not from an excruciating conversation. enough, the economic downturn and Behold transcendental cinema, 2017. refugee crisis have compounded presCinematheque, September 29 (7 p.m.); sures. Choquette packs a lot into the International Village, October 2 (4:30 thought-provoking film’s 70 minutes, but there’s clearly much material here p.m.) > AM worthy of further examination. CineGABRIEL AND THE MOUNTAIN matheque, October 3 (6:45 p.m.); Inter(Brazil/France) The most impres- national Village, October 5 (4:45 p.m.) sive thing about this extensive travel > CT diary is that filmmaker Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa (who made 2014’s MAISON DU BONHEUR (Canada/ Casa Grande) went to all the African France) Toronto filmmaker Sofia countries that Brazilian Gabriel Buch- Bohdanowicz went to Paris and remann visited before losing his way on corded the daily life of an elegant a Malawian mountainside and dying 77-year-old woman. The title is what in 2009. It’s a portrait of courage greets you on the doormat of her fabuand stupidity and also a sympathetic lous art-deco building, and you can introduction to the real people our easily see why Juliane Sellam has lived hubristic hero (played by João Pedro there for more than 50 years. Her storZappa) actually met and genuinely ies and quotidian pastimes may not befriended on his too-short journey. contain much that’s extraordinary, At 130 minutes, the dynamic is quite but the blond-coiffed grande dame— repetitive—Gabriel comes, pushes his a retired astrologer and fairly merry way into people’s lives, sometimes ob- widow—expresses them with such unnoxiously, and leaves—but the movie forced vivacity that the one-hour film has subtle things to say about colliding becomes a pure, if slightly bittersweet, worlds, class privilege, and human un- exercise in contagious joie de vivre. predictability. Vancity, October 2 (8:30 The young filmmaker has a photogp.m.); International Village, October 3 rapher’s sharp eye for the little things that can go unnoticed at the time but (2 p.m.) > KE

own successful imprints. At 85, his career of picking winners (and No. 1 singles) is rivalled only by that of A&R legend John Hammond, who, in fact, brought both Aretha Franklin and Bruce Springsteen to Columbia, but is barely mentioned. Still, there’s no shortage of authentically nurtured careers here, ranging from Janis Joplin and Patti Smith to Alicia Keys and (God help us) Barry Manilow. The last came out of the closet long after Davis did, although personal lives are not much on display—with the exception of spectacular flame-out Whitney Houston, who treated Davis as a father figure, with all the attendant power struggles. Playhouse, September 28 (8:45 p.m.); SFU, September 30 (3:45 p.m.) > KEN EISNER

20 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

SONG OF GRANITE (Ireland/Canada) You don’t have to know the story of real-life balladeer Joe Heaney, born in County Galway in 1919 and dead not quite 65 years later, in Seattle, to enjoy this impressionistic take on deep-country Irish music. Shot in high-contrast black-and-white and performed mostly in Gaelic, the film starts with a luminous re-creation of seaside life around 1930—complete with night fishing, homemade stone walls, and fiddle parties—when wee Joe was learning a vast repertoire of sean-nós tunes by osmosis. Without warning, the film starts moving our mournful hero through different stages of life, mixing documentary footage with beautifully mounted pubsinging scenes. The poetry is as good as the music, as when the older Joe, long a doorman in Manhattan, longs for “the stinking sow that is Ireland, whose song still resonates in my ears”.

It’s a shame that there are no subtitles for most of the storytelling ballads.

But you can’t miss their basic feeling, or the essential solitude of performing them, when, as the melodious wanderer says, “You’re all alone for those few verses.” SFU, September 29 (8:45 p.m.); International Village, October 1 (4:45 p.m.) > KE

end up haunting our memories. Vancity, October 1 (6 p.m.); International SUMMER 1993 (Spain) It’s a rare gift to watch a child act with so little affecVillage, October 3 (12:45 p.m.) > KE tation, as the strange, sullen Laia Artigas MASS FOR SHUT-INS (Canada) does playing six-year-old Frida. DirecLike so much of the radical new cin- tor Carla Simón tells everything from ema being made in Canada, Winston her confused perspective, orphaned by DeGiobbi’s movie has a real punk- a disease she can’t understand (AIDS) ass vibe to it (that’s a compliment), and sent from the city to live with an dropping narrative convention for aunt, uncle, and younger cousin in the subtler codes embedded in seemingly countryside. Shame, jealousy, loneliimprovised exchanges, shot with a ness, and a mess of other unspoken hard-edged bluntness that wants to emotions converge and she starts to act challenge everything your multiplex out in cruel ways that confound her new eyes and ears have become accus- family. But they’re just steps toward a tomed to. The impulse for Canada to beautiful yet simple denouement: the get real with itself is appreciated. Here, recognition of grief. Sensitive, underwe follow a few days in the life of Kay stated, and deeply connected to the Jay, a pallid 20-something introvert child’s point of view, probably because stuck living on his ancient grand- it’s based on Simón’s own experience. father’s couch in poverty-stricken New International Village, October 1 (11:15 Waterford, relentlessly ragged on by a.m.) and 5 (7:15 p.m.) > JS his dick of an older brother. What plot there is turns on the presence of an THE TRIAL: THE STATE OF RUSSIA older, Hummer-driving gun collector, VS. OLEG SENTSOV (Estonia/Poand a secret that barely slips out of this land/Czech Republic) If Franz Kafka weirdly engrossing little murmur from came back today and saw what’s hapthe underside. Cinematheque, Octo- pening in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, he ber 2 (6:15 p.m.); International Village, might just say “You can’t make this shit up,” and quit writing. Our subject October 5 (3:30 p.m.) > AM was an ethnic Russian in Ukraine who PUBLIC SCHOOLED (Canada) made a youthful name for himself as a There’s no faulting the cast, with U.S. computer gamer before turning to cincomedy vet Judy Greer and newcomer ema, and then social activism during Daniel Doheney as an uncomfort- the recent Crimean invasion—just in ably tight mother-and-son unit. But time to make an enemy of Putin, who the premise here is so flimsy and cooked up an outrageous scheme to forced, it’s surprising that anyone blame Sentsov for starting a “terrorist” makes it to the finish line. Basically, cell that never existed. “Everything in the home-schooled science wiz flubs this country is done in a shady way,” the SATs taken at a local high school says one Muscovite dryly, after an inwhen he spies a mysterious one-legged nocuous film screening is violently girl (England’s appealing Siobhan shut down by the FSB. Frighteningly Williams, also good). But the film’s dramatic real-life stuff. International rapid-fire sitcom lines mostly fall flat Village, October 1 (7:15 p.m.) and 4 and anyway don’t sit well with an es- (2:45 p.m.) > KE sentially static story that can’t quite determine how it even feels about the WINTER BROTHERS (Denmark/ quasi-incestuous weirdness at its cen- Iceland) An intriguing film that tre. Fail! Rio, October 2 (6:30 p.m.) > KE invites staring, thanks to its subversive vision and sly integration of exREBELS ON POINTE (Canada) Any- perimental techniques into its crisp one who has seen Les Ballets Trocka- construction. Elliott Crosset Hove is dero de Monte Carlo—the beloved well cast as the chronically immature “Trocks”—perform in Vancouver Emil, an off-key miner who sells his will want to catch this deeper look at coworkers moonshine made from the history of the tutu-clad all-male chemicals he steals from his worksite, troupe. You’ll see the unglamorous the barren industrial landscape of a beginnings in a Meat Packing District limestone mine in Denmark. With loft amid the gay-rights movement, his sarcastic reactions and dubious and fascinating behind-the-scenes pursuits fraying relations with his glimpses of guys slathering on their fellow miners (his roommate brother makeup, slipping into their pointe and the woman he’s crushing on are shoes, and joking seconds before tip- his only real connections), he’s a ticktoeing on-stage. But the most moving ing time bomb for trouble. In this moments come from director Bobbi reflection upon the shortcomings of Jo Hart’s visit to prima Robert Cart- manhood, filmmaker Hlynur Páler’s (a.k.a. Olga Supphozova’s) mod- mason marries artless abstraction est South Carolina family home, and from everyday life, atypical editing, meeting a mother who supported a son clever camerawork, and flights of in pointe shoes, even when it wasn’t an fancy with conventional narrative acceptable thing to do. International elements to create a peculiar, disVillage, October 2 (9:30 p.m.) and 3 tinct aesthetic that leaves a lingering (10:45 a.m.) > JS see page 25

Expand the frame.

September 28 to October 13 Discover viff.org

One Night Only!

Okja

The Green Fog A San Fransisco Fantasia with Kronos Quartet Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson USA/Canada, 65 min.

TUE. OCT 1O

8:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA, 94 min.

MON. OCT 9

4:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

Greta Gerwig proves herself a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, finding both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against her wildly loving, strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf) who she’s exactly alike. This is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home. “Flat-out wonderful…”--New York Times

Premier Sponsor

Bong Joonho, South Korea/USA, 121 min.

This multi-experiential, visual and sound collage created by award-winning filmmaker and cultural iconoclast Guy Maddin and collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson (The Forbidden Room) re-imagines Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Originally commissioned

by SFFILM with support from Nion McEvoy and Stanford Live, this must-attend event features the world-renowned Kronos Quartet performing live the score composed by Jacob Garchik.

SAT. SEP 30 SAT. SEP 30

7:00 PM 7:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

Meditation Park

The Desert Bride

Mina Shum, Canada, 94 min.

Cecilia Atán, Valeria Pivato, Argentina/Chile, 78 min.

THU. SEP 28 SAT. SEP 30 WED. OCT 11

7:00 PM 12:30 PM 6:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE RIO

Maria (Cheng Pei Pei) has spent decades of devoted marriage dutifully excusing the prejudices and vices of her husband (Tzi Ma). But when she discovers another woman’s thong in his pocket, she embarks on some unintentionally comic sleuthing which soon introduces her to new East Vancouver communities and ultimately sets her on the course to self-discovery. Mina Shum makes an inspired return to narrative feature filmmaking with this richly detailed, emotionally rewarding and unmistakably Vancouver story.

THU. SEP 28 FRI. SEP 29

6:30 PM 4:15 PM

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

The wonderful Paulina García, best actress winner for Gloria at Berlin 13, stars as Teresa, maid to the same family for three decades, who finds herself out of a job. En route to her new position in distant San Juan (in the western Argentinean desert), her bus breaks down, leading to a chance encounter and possibilities she’d never even dreamt of before… “A delicate late-life love story that is also a tale about the empowerment of a woman who has lived her whole life in the shadow of others."—Screen

This will likely be your only chance to see this superlative dystopian satire from Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho on the big screen, and it should not be missed. The eponymous Okja is a genetically modified pig the size of a hippo, lovingly reared by an elderly Korean peasant farmer and his granddaughter, Mija (An Seo Hyun), but soon to appear on a dinner table near you. Positively Spielbergian in its mixture of CGI spectacle, sentiment and action, this is a big, broad, propulsive movie. Pig out!

Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives Chris Perkel, USA, 123 min.

THU. SEP 28 SAT. SEP 30

8:45 PM 3:45 PM

PLAYHOUSE SFU-GCA

What do Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, Whitney Houston, Sean “Puffy“ Combs, and Alicia Keys have in common? They all owe much of their success to legendary recording exec Clive Davis. Brimming with fantastic archival performance footage, Chris Perkel’s info-packed portrait traces Davis’ life from childhood to his epiphany at the Monterey Pop music festival (where Joplin blew his mind) to his tenure at the top of the music industry. What a ride it’s been!

Premier Supporters

Schedule subject to change.

Visit viff.org for updates and full lineup of 300+ films and events.

Major Partners

Festival Sponsors

Box Office Regular: Adult $15 Student/Senior $13 Weekday Matinee: $13 Youth under 18: $10 Only available at films classified for youth.

See goviff.org/ratedforyouth Ticket Packs + Passes Available

Public Supporters

Media Partners

Online: at viff.org In-person: Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street, at Davie (Mon-Sat: Noon - 7pm, Sun: 2pm – 7pm) Film Infoline: 604-683-FILM

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 21

September 28 to October 13 Discover viff.org

Django

Loving Vincent Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Poland/UK, 95 min.

Étienne Comar, France, 117 min.

THU. SEP 28 SAT. SEP 30

FRI. SEP 29 THU. OCT 12

6:30 PM 4:30 PM

RIO CENTRE FOR ARTS

3:15 PM 6:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS SFU-GCA

In Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman’s remarkable animated work—�the world’s first fully painted feature�—the paintings of Vincent van Gogh are brought to life via a mystery wherein the postmaster’s son (Douglas Booth) in Arles tries to parse the painter’s sad last days. Each of the film’s 65,000 frames was hand-painted by one of 115 professional oil-painters, making for “a truly awe-inspiring portrait… [that pulls] audiences into the delirious, hyper-sensual world suggested by van Gogh’s oeuvre.“—Variety

Writer Étienne Comar (Of Gods and Men) makes a daring directorial debut by confining this look at the life of legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt (played marvellously by A Prophet’s Reda Kateb) to the soul-forging months during WWII when the musician had to make a choice: collaborate and go on a tour of Germany or face up to the facts and resist… Costarring the great Cécile de France. “Kateb [gets] the chance to shine in… [this] handsomely made affair with one of the best scores imaginable.“—Variety

Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey

Garden Store: Family Friend

Dave O’Leske, USA, 96 min.

FRI. SEP 29 SUN. OCT 1 FRI. OCT 13

6:30 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM

PLAYHOUSE RIO VANCITY

“Dirtbag climber: n. a person who dedicates her or his entire existence to the pursuit of climbing…“ Beginning in the 1940s, Seattle’s ornery Fred Beckey, now 94, made climbing as many unscaled peaks as humanly possible his life’s goal. Hundreds of mountains and 70 years later, he gets his due with Dave O’Leske’s portrait, which offers keen insight into the climber’s life—and beautiful archival footage—while charting the successes (all those peaks) and failures (all those relationships) of a man obsessed.

Breathe

The Square

Andy Serkis, UK, 117 min.

Ruben Östlund, Sweden/Germany/France/Denmark, 145 min.

FRI. SEP 29

6:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

In the kind of technically accomplished and emotionally involving role that often captures Academy Award-voters’ hearts, Andrew Garfield plays Robin Cavendish, a handsome and charming young man apparently living a blessed life—until, at 26, shortly after learning he is to become a father, he’s struck down by polio and left paralyzed, unable even to breathe without the help of machines. The directorial debut of Andy Serkis charts Robin’s spiritual recovery as he rediscovers the will to live and love.

FRI. SEP 29 TUE. OCT 3

9:00 PM 3:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE

Ruben Östlund’s (Force Majeure, VIFF 14) hilarious yet deadly serious satire sees selfish Swedish art curator Christian (Claes Bang, perfect) preparing an upcoming piece called The Square, an interactive work described as “a sanctuary of trust and caring.“ Hardly… Soon things are spiralling out of control in Christian’s personal and professional life. “A potent, disturbing work that explores the boundaries of political correctness, artistic liberty and free speech in provocative ways.“—Hollywood Reporter

BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Swallows and Amazons

Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic, 130 min.

Robin Campillo, France, 144 min.

Philippa Lowthorpe, UK, 96 min.

FRI. SEP 29 THU. OCT 12

SAT. SEP 30 MON. OCT 2

9:15 PM 3:45 PM

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, 1939: after the Gestapo arrest three men, a family friend provides for their wives and children, but over the years a forbidden love blossoms. An assured period piece which uses the familiar WWII backdrop as fertile soil, VIFF fave Jan H ebejk’s latest takes root as a moving, humane drama unafraid to wrestle with the fraught tensions of love, family, and betrayal with a twinkle in its eye. “Family Friend achieves an exquisite balance between comedy and drama.“—Prague Reporter

3:15 PM 6:15 PM

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

A crowd favourite at Cannes this year, Robin Campillo’s fast-paced drama positively vibrates with energy, commitment and joie de vivre. As the AIDS crisis claims more and more lives in early 1990s Paris, the AIDS activist group ACT-UP begins a heated campaign to raise awareness and disrupt the blasé middle class. “Five stars! Compellingly combines elegy, tragedy, urgency and a defiant euphoria… This film has what its title implies: a heartbeat. It is full of cinematic life.“—Guardian

SAT. SEP 30 WED. OCT 11

2:00 PM 6:45 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS INTL VILLAGE 9

Pippa Lowthorpe’s loving adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s 1930 novel is a delightful throwback, a Tom Sawyer-like tale of four children adventuring on a lake, where they encounter imaginary pirates and possibly less-imaginary spies. The past is as strange as an alternate universe here, but the film’s values (integrity and curiosity, endeavour and courage) are as potent as ever. “A charmingly old-fashioned family adventure— one that you can imagine several generations of a family gathering to watch…“—Time Out

The Divine Order Petra Volpe, Switzerland, 96 min.

FRI. SEP 29 MON. OCT 2

4:30 PM 6:30 PM

INTL VILLAGE 10 CENTRE FOR ARTS

Until 1971, women in Switzerland had no voting rights.

This startling fact is the basis for Petra Volpe’s small gem, which traces the political awakening of young wife and mother Nora (Marie Leuenberger). As news of the ‘60s counterculture finally reaches her quiet hamlet, Nora decides to go against “the divine order“ and advocate for enfranchisement in the upcoming referendum. This does not go over well… “Volpe dramatizes her action with a light touch that allows for flashes of pointed comedy…“—Variety

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

A Fantastic Woman

Yorgos Lanthimos, UK, 121 min.

Sebastián Lelio Germany/USA/Spain, 104 min.

MON. OCT 2

9:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

From the twisted mind of Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) emerges another wildly original, surreal and disturbing parable about what it means to be human.

Colin Farrell plays a heart surgeon whose happy home is threatened by a teenage interloper who convinces him that he must sacrifice one of his own family— son, daughter or wife (Nicole Kidman)—or lose them all. So: who to choose? This is a ruthlessly controlled but utterly unhinged shocker that is funniest when it’s scariest, and vice versa.

The Queen of Spain

Shut Up and Say Something

Fernando Trueba, Spain, 128 min.

Melanie Wood, Canada, 82 min.

WED. OCT 4 FRI. OCT 6

6:00 PM 3:45 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE

The sly Fernando Trueba (Oscar-winner for Belle Epoque) places Penélope Cruz front and centre in this farcical comedy about a Hollywood movie shoot in 50s Spain, when Franco was at the height of his power.

Cruz is beautiful, much-married superstar Macarena Granada, who gets mixed up in a leftist plot while essaying the role of Queen Isabella in a costume epic.

Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes co-star. “Cruz carries the film. She has a ridiculous kind of heroism, and her disguises are hilarious…“—Guardian

WED. OCT 4 SUN. OCT 8

6:15 PM 12:30 PM

MON. OCT 2 THU. OCT 5 WED. OCT 11

Dome Karukoski Finland/Germany/Denmark/Sweden, 116 min.

SAT. SEP 30 SAT. OCT 7

9:45 PM 1:45 PM

PLAYHOUSE INTL VILLAGE 10

LGBTQ icon Tom of Finland—the artist who saw his “pornographic“ drawings of well-endowed hunks go from criminal to celebrated—is the fascinating focus of director Dome Karukoski’s biopic, starring an excellent Pekka Strang. Moving from WWII through to Tom’s halcyon days and nights in the California of the 1970s and 80s, the drama “is most effective at showcasing the bountiful beauty of [Tom’s] fleshy, filthy sketches, as well as the empowered pursuit of pleasure for which they continue to stand.“—Variety

Call Me by Your Name

The Party

At the End of the Tunnel

In the Fade

Sally Potter, UK, 71 min.

Rodrigo Grande, Argentina/Spain, 120 min.

Fatih Akin, Germany, 95 min.

SAT. SEP 30 MON. OCT 9 FRI. OCT 13

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 5:00 PM

RIO PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS

When a Westminster politician (Kristin Scott Thomas) invites some of her most acid-tongued, comically contemptible friends (including Cillian Murphy, Patricia Clarkson and Timothy Spall) to a celebratory dinner, those subjects that aren’t to be discussed in polite company start being hurled around like pies in a food fight. Delightfully ill-mannered, wickedly dry and wildly entertaining, Sally Potter’s film is “a deliciously heightened, caviar-black comedy… played with relish by a dream ensemble.“—Variety

SAT. SEP 30 MON. OCT 9 THU. OCT 12

3:30 PM 1:15 PM 9:00 PM

RIO RIO PLAYHOUSE

Referencing Reservoir Dogs, Rear Window, The Maltese Falcon and more, Rodrigo Grande’s visually stylish and nastily entertaining thriller revels in its clever plot twists and reversals. After hearing voices on the other side of his basement wall, a paraplegic (Leonardo Sbaraglia) installs a camera and discovers a plot to rob a bank—and sees that his female boarder is deeply involved… “An expertly paced caper film with enough twists and turns to keep audiences in a heightened state of suspense.“—Variety

SUN. OCT 1 WED. OCT 4

3:15 PM 9:00 PM

Loveless

SUN. OCT 1 MON. OCT 9

5:45 PM 1:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE

Directed by artist-activist Ai Weiwei and filmed in 40 refugee camps in 23 countries, this stunningly cinematic documentary, reminiscent of the work of Edward Burtynsky, chronicles the staggering breadth of the global refugee crisis with uncommon insight, as Ai’s camera captures the condition of today’s morethan-65-million displaced individuals. “The film is made with deep beliefs in the value of human rights.

In this time of uncertainty, we need more tolerance, compassion and trust...“—Ai Weiwei

Andrei Zvyagintsev, Russia/France/Belgium/Germany, 127 min.

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

Fatih Akin’s (Head-On, Soul Kitchen) taut drama could not be more timely, as it deals with the resurgence of fascism plaguing the West in general and his native Germany in particular. When her Kurdish husband and young son are killed in a bomb blast triggered by neo-Nazis, Katja (a magnificent Diane Kruger) will stop at nothing to ensure the perpetrators pay for their senseless slaughter. “Kruger’s beautifully modulated performance as a woman seeking justice… anchors this skilled… drama.“—Variety

SUN. OCT 1 WED. OCT 4 MON. OCT 9

9:00 PM 3:15 PM 9:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

Once again, modern Russia comes under the knife of master vivisectionist Andrei Zvyagintsev (Leviathan, VIFF 14). The marriage of Boris (Alexei Rozin) and Zhenya (Maryana Spivak) is in its death throes when their son Alyosha (Matvey Novikov) disappears after hearing them fight. Was he kidnapped? As Boris and Zhenya face bureaucratic lethargy and their own selfish desires, time may be running out… “An eerie thriller of hypnotic, mysterious intensity… Zvyagintsev has produced another masterpiece.“—Guardian

22 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Sweet Virginia

Hollow in the Land

Jamie M. Dagg, USA/Canada, 92 min.

Scooter Corkle, Canada, 100 min.

FRI. SEP 29 SUN. OCT 1 SAT. OCT 7

9:30 PM 1:00 PM 6:15 PM

INTL VILLAGE 9 RIO RIO

Drawing comparisons with the Coen brothers’ work at its noirish best, Jamie M. Dagg’s dark drama is set in small-town Alaska and features a stone-cold killer (Christopher Abbot), a nasty femme fatale (Imogen Poots) and a retired rodeo star (Jon Bernthal) who cross paths when a murder plot goes awry, spreading collateral damage everywhere… “Part neo-noir, part latter-day Western, this exceptional indie thriller… yields one of the gnarliest and most unsettling movies we’re likely to get this year.“—Variety

SUN. OCT 1 MON. OCT 9

6:15 PM 11:30 AM

9:15 PM 1:15 PM

PLAYHOUSE INTL VILLAGE 10

Set in 1820s Brazil, Daniela Thomas’ first solo directorial effort (she co-directed three films with Walter Salles) centres on mine owner Antonio (Adriano Carvalho), a widower whose ineffectual colonial ways and fading estate, powered by increasingly rebellious slaves, mirror the decline of Portuguese fortunes in general. “[A] striking study of racial and gender politics in colonial Brazil… The arresting black-and-white cinematography and the intriguing, textured sound design [are] first rate.“—Screen

Michael Haneke, France/Austria/Germany, 107 min.

PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS RIO

In 1933, Chinese soldiers led by Shen Feixue defeat a Japanese attack on the Great Wall using only swords.

But Shen disappears, and an imposter takes his place.

Allied with the glamorous and lethal beauty Zhihui, they try to steal Master Kong’s ultimate sword techniques.

But heroic young Kong Dingyi stands in their way.

China’s new master of elegant chivalric swordplay, Xu Haofeng, spices brilliantly choreographed action with sparkling eroticism in this dazzling, star-studded, comic-action masterpiece.

TUE. OCT 3 THU. OCT 5 SUN. OCT 8

6:15 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

With Michael Haneke directing, you know the title of his latest work is nothing if not deeply ironic. As the Calais refugee crisis unfolds, the rich, disaffected Laurent family—including paterfamilias Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and aunt Anne (Isabelle Huppert)—is sundered by the arrival of Anne’s 13-year-old niece (Fantine Harduin, superb)... “Distinguishes itself from much of [Haneke’s filmography] in the deployment of unexpectedly approachable dark wit and thriller-ish sensibility.“—Sight & Sound

From intimate one-on-one conversations to dynamic panel discussions to live music, engage with the world's leading creators.

Luca Guadagnino, USA/Italy/France, 131 min.

THU. OCT 5 SUN. OCT 8 THU. OCT 12

9:00 PM 9:00 PM 3:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

Set in the sun-drenched countryside of Italy’s Lombardy region, Luca Guadagnino’s visually ravishing tale of first love is a flawlessly acted wonder.

Ensconced in his family’s villa for the summer, 17-year-old Elio (Homeland’s Timothée Chalamet, superb) finds himself drawn to his professor-father’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) research assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). What follows is guaranteed to stir your soul.

“Masterful… reminiscent of the best of Eric Rohmer, Bernardo Bertolucci and André Téchiné.“—Guardian

SEPT. 29, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

Ai Weiwei, Germany/USA, 140 min.

9:00 PM 2:30 PM 9:00 PM

TUE. OCT 3 THU. OCT 5

Happy End

Xu Haofeng, China, 136 min.

WED. OCT 4 SAT. OCT 7 WED. OCT 11

Daniela Thomas, Brazil/Portugal, 116 min.

Creator Talks

Carlton Cuse, Writer/Executive Producer, Bates Motel

Human Flow

PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

The Hidden Sword

Films+ Tom of Finland

3:45 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM

When her older lover Orlando (Francisco Reyes) dies suddenly, transgendered Marina (a stunning Daniela Vega) faces horrible prejudice from officials investigating his death—and worse from the man’s family.

Director Sebastián Lelio (VIFF 13 standout Gloria) has fashioned a radiant tribute to one woman’s strength.

“Five Stars! [This] trans tale stands alongside Almodóvar… It may be a timely film, but it is its timelessness, as well as its depths of compassion, that qualify it as a great one.“—Guardian

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

Internationally acclaimed spoken-word artist Shane Koyczan gives a poignant and powerful voice to those relegated to the margins: the bullied, awkward and visibly different. In this entrancing documentary, Melanie Wood reveals a bashful alchemist who creates dazzling rhetorical fireworks. With candour, Koyczan shares his momentous and deeply personal journey to finally meet his estranged father. The result is his most important poem yet—and the more intimate his words are, the more universal they become.

Vazante Chile/

Jeremy Podeswa & Greg Middleton, Director & DOP, Game of Thrones SEPT. 30, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

The VIFF Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization committed to supporting a diverse community through celebrating excellence in storytelling on screen. We foster variety in ideas, in content and most importantly, in audience and creators.

Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi, USA, 92 min.

When a body is found in a trailer park, and her missing brother (Jared Abrahamson) becomes the number one suspect, headstrong Alison (Dianna Agron) decides to take things into her own hands, setting out to track him down and clear his name before the cops find him first. The harder this amateur detective looks, the more people turn up dead, and soon she becomes a suspect herself. In a town tucked away amidst a mountain range, secrets get buried deep. If Alison’s not careful, she’ll get buried with them.

SUN. OCT 1 THU. OCT 5 MON. OCT 9

OCT. 2, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

Help expand the frame.

Chavela RIO INTL VILLAGE 10

Ane Crabtee, Costume Designer, Handmaid’s Tale

9:30 PM 9:00 PM 2:15 PM

INTL VILLAGE 9 PLAYHOUSE SFU-GCA

A towering figure in Mexican pop and favourite of Almodóvar, Chavela Vargas was both a myth and a cypher. A singer who turned Rancheras into dark journeys of the soul, Vargas endured a hard life but each trial (including her late-in-life coming out) made her deep, coarse voice richer. Directors Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi use the devastatingly beautiful lyrics of Chavela’s songs to illustrate the stages of a career punctuated by heartbreak. It’s a fascinating story with a killer soundtrack to boot.

During the 2017 Festival, we are proud to have a commitment from the Lochmaddy Foundation to match every gift up to $15,000.

Simon Barry, Creator, Ghost Wars Screening of Episode 1 of “The Bone Orchard” OCT. 10, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

David Slade, Director/Executive Producer, American Gods Screening of Episode 1 of “The Bone Orchard” OCT. 4, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

Join the VIFF family today by making a donation today, and double your impact.

goviff.org/donate

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23

September 28 to October 13 Discover viff.org

Django

Loving Vincent Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Poland/UK, 95 min.

Étienne Comar, France, 117 min.

THU. SEP 28 SAT. SEP 30

FRI. SEP 29 THU. OCT 12

6:30 PM 4:30 PM

RIO CENTRE FOR ARTS

3:15 PM 6:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS SFU-GCA

In Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman’s remarkable animated work—�the world’s first fully painted feature�—the paintings of Vincent van Gogh are brought to life via a mystery wherein the postmaster’s son (Douglas Booth) in Arles tries to parse the painter’s sad last days. Each of the film’s 65,000 frames was hand-painted by one of 115 professional oil-painters, making for “a truly awe-inspiring portrait… [that pulls] audiences into the delirious, hyper-sensual world suggested by van Gogh’s oeuvre.“—Variety

Writer Étienne Comar (Of Gods and Men) makes a daring directorial debut by confining this look at the life of legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt (played marvellously by A Prophet’s Reda Kateb) to the soul-forging months during WWII when the musician had to make a choice: collaborate and go on a tour of Germany or face up to the facts and resist… Costarring the great Cécile de France. “Kateb [gets] the chance to shine in… [this] handsomely made affair with one of the best scores imaginable.“—Variety

Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey

Garden Store: Family Friend

Dave O’Leske, USA, 96 min.

FRI. SEP 29 SUN. OCT 1 FRI. OCT 13

6:30 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM

PLAYHOUSE RIO VANCITY

“Dirtbag climber: n. a person who dedicates her or his entire existence to the pursuit of climbing…“ Beginning in the 1940s, Seattle’s ornery Fred Beckey, now 94, made climbing as many unscaled peaks as humanly possible his life’s goal. Hundreds of mountains and 70 years later, he gets his due with Dave O’Leske’s portrait, which offers keen insight into the climber’s life—and beautiful archival footage—while charting the successes (all those peaks) and failures (all those relationships) of a man obsessed.

Breathe

The Square

Andy Serkis, UK, 117 min.

Ruben Östlund, Sweden/Germany/France/Denmark, 145 min.

FRI. SEP 29

6:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

In the kind of technically accomplished and emotionally involving role that often captures Academy Award-voters’ hearts, Andrew Garfield plays Robin Cavendish, a handsome and charming young man apparently living a blessed life—until, at 26, shortly after learning he is to become a father, he’s struck down by polio and left paralyzed, unable even to breathe without the help of machines. The directorial debut of Andy Serkis charts Robin’s spiritual recovery as he rediscovers the will to live and love.

FRI. SEP 29 TUE. OCT 3

9:00 PM 3:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE

Ruben Östlund’s (Force Majeure, VIFF 14) hilarious yet deadly serious satire sees selfish Swedish art curator Christian (Claes Bang, perfect) preparing an upcoming piece called The Square, an interactive work described as “a sanctuary of trust and caring.“ Hardly… Soon things are spiralling out of control in Christian’s personal and professional life. “A potent, disturbing work that explores the boundaries of political correctness, artistic liberty and free speech in provocative ways.“—Hollywood Reporter

BPM (Beats Per Minute)

Swallows and Amazons

Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic, 130 min.

Robin Campillo, France, 144 min.

Philippa Lowthorpe, UK, 96 min.

FRI. SEP 29 THU. OCT 12

SAT. SEP 30 MON. OCT 2

9:15 PM 3:45 PM

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, 1939: after the Gestapo arrest three men, a family friend provides for their wives and children, but over the years a forbidden love blossoms. An assured period piece which uses the familiar WWII backdrop as fertile soil, VIFF fave Jan H ebejk’s latest takes root as a moving, humane drama unafraid to wrestle with the fraught tensions of love, family, and betrayal with a twinkle in its eye. “Family Friend achieves an exquisite balance between comedy and drama.“—Prague Reporter

3:15 PM 6:15 PM

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

A crowd favourite at Cannes this year, Robin Campillo’s fast-paced drama positively vibrates with energy, commitment and joie de vivre. As the AIDS crisis claims more and more lives in early 1990s Paris, the AIDS activist group ACT-UP begins a heated campaign to raise awareness and disrupt the blasé middle class. “Five stars! Compellingly combines elegy, tragedy, urgency and a defiant euphoria… This film has what its title implies: a heartbeat. It is full of cinematic life.“—Guardian

SAT. SEP 30 WED. OCT 11

2:00 PM 6:45 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS INTL VILLAGE 9

Pippa Lowthorpe’s loving adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s 1930 novel is a delightful throwback, a Tom Sawyer-like tale of four children adventuring on a lake, where they encounter imaginary pirates and possibly less-imaginary spies. The past is as strange as an alternate universe here, but the film’s values (integrity and curiosity, endeavour and courage) are as potent as ever. “A charmingly old-fashioned family adventure— one that you can imagine several generations of a family gathering to watch…“—Time Out

The Divine Order Petra Volpe, Switzerland, 96 min.

FRI. SEP 29 MON. OCT 2

4:30 PM 6:30 PM

INTL VILLAGE 10 CENTRE FOR ARTS

Until 1971, women in Switzerland had no voting rights.

This startling fact is the basis for Petra Volpe’s small gem, which traces the political awakening of young wife and mother Nora (Marie Leuenberger). As news of the ‘60s counterculture finally reaches her quiet hamlet, Nora decides to go against “the divine order“ and advocate for enfranchisement in the upcoming referendum. This does not go over well… “Volpe dramatizes her action with a light touch that allows for flashes of pointed comedy…“—Variety

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

A Fantastic Woman

Yorgos Lanthimos, UK, 121 min.

Sebastián Lelio Germany/USA/Spain, 104 min.

MON. OCT 2

9:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

From the twisted mind of Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) emerges another wildly original, surreal and disturbing parable about what it means to be human.

Colin Farrell plays a heart surgeon whose happy home is threatened by a teenage interloper who convinces him that he must sacrifice one of his own family— son, daughter or wife (Nicole Kidman)—or lose them all. So: who to choose? This is a ruthlessly controlled but utterly unhinged shocker that is funniest when it’s scariest, and vice versa.

The Queen of Spain

Shut Up and Say Something

Fernando Trueba, Spain, 128 min.

Melanie Wood, Canada, 82 min.

WED. OCT 4 FRI. OCT 6

6:00 PM 3:45 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE

The sly Fernando Trueba (Oscar-winner for Belle Epoque) places Penélope Cruz front and centre in this farcical comedy about a Hollywood movie shoot in 50s Spain, when Franco was at the height of his power.

Cruz is beautiful, much-married superstar Macarena Granada, who gets mixed up in a leftist plot while essaying the role of Queen Isabella in a costume epic.

Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes co-star. “Cruz carries the film. She has a ridiculous kind of heroism, and her disguises are hilarious…“—Guardian

WED. OCT 4 SUN. OCT 8

6:15 PM 12:30 PM

MON. OCT 2 THU. OCT 5 WED. OCT 11

Dome Karukoski Finland/Germany/Denmark/Sweden, 116 min.

SAT. SEP 30 SAT. OCT 7

9:45 PM 1:45 PM

PLAYHOUSE INTL VILLAGE 10

LGBTQ icon Tom of Finland—the artist who saw his “pornographic“ drawings of well-endowed hunks go from criminal to celebrated—is the fascinating focus of director Dome Karukoski’s biopic, starring an excellent Pekka Strang. Moving from WWII through to Tom’s halcyon days and nights in the California of the 1970s and 80s, the drama “is most effective at showcasing the bountiful beauty of [Tom’s] fleshy, filthy sketches, as well as the empowered pursuit of pleasure for which they continue to stand.“—Variety

Call Me by Your Name

The Party

At the End of the Tunnel

In the Fade

Sally Potter, UK, 71 min.

Rodrigo Grande, Argentina/Spain, 120 min.

Fatih Akin, Germany, 95 min.

SAT. SEP 30 MON. OCT 9 FRI. OCT 13

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 5:00 PM

RIO PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS

When a Westminster politician (Kristin Scott Thomas) invites some of her most acid-tongued, comically contemptible friends (including Cillian Murphy, Patricia Clarkson and Timothy Spall) to a celebratory dinner, those subjects that aren’t to be discussed in polite company start being hurled around like pies in a food fight. Delightfully ill-mannered, wickedly dry and wildly entertaining, Sally Potter’s film is “a deliciously heightened, caviar-black comedy… played with relish by a dream ensemble.“—Variety

SAT. SEP 30 MON. OCT 9 THU. OCT 12

3:30 PM 1:15 PM 9:00 PM

RIO RIO PLAYHOUSE

Referencing Reservoir Dogs, Rear Window, The Maltese Falcon and more, Rodrigo Grande’s visually stylish and nastily entertaining thriller revels in its clever plot twists and reversals. After hearing voices on the other side of his basement wall, a paraplegic (Leonardo Sbaraglia) installs a camera and discovers a plot to rob a bank—and sees that his female boarder is deeply involved… “An expertly paced caper film with enough twists and turns to keep audiences in a heightened state of suspense.“—Variety

SUN. OCT 1 WED. OCT 4

3:15 PM 9:00 PM

Loveless

SUN. OCT 1 MON. OCT 9

5:45 PM 1:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE

Directed by artist-activist Ai Weiwei and filmed in 40 refugee camps in 23 countries, this stunningly cinematic documentary, reminiscent of the work of Edward Burtynsky, chronicles the staggering breadth of the global refugee crisis with uncommon insight, as Ai’s camera captures the condition of today’s morethan-65-million displaced individuals. “The film is made with deep beliefs in the value of human rights.

In this time of uncertainty, we need more tolerance, compassion and trust...“—Ai Weiwei

Andrei Zvyagintsev, Russia/France/Belgium/Germany, 127 min.

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

Fatih Akin’s (Head-On, Soul Kitchen) taut drama could not be more timely, as it deals with the resurgence of fascism plaguing the West in general and his native Germany in particular. When her Kurdish husband and young son are killed in a bomb blast triggered by neo-Nazis, Katja (a magnificent Diane Kruger) will stop at nothing to ensure the perpetrators pay for their senseless slaughter. “Kruger’s beautifully modulated performance as a woman seeking justice… anchors this skilled… drama.“—Variety

SUN. OCT 1 WED. OCT 4 MON. OCT 9

9:00 PM 3:15 PM 9:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

Once again, modern Russia comes under the knife of master vivisectionist Andrei Zvyagintsev (Leviathan, VIFF 14). The marriage of Boris (Alexei Rozin) and Zhenya (Maryana Spivak) is in its death throes when their son Alyosha (Matvey Novikov) disappears after hearing them fight. Was he kidnapped? As Boris and Zhenya face bureaucratic lethargy and their own selfish desires, time may be running out… “An eerie thriller of hypnotic, mysterious intensity… Zvyagintsev has produced another masterpiece.“—Guardian

22 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Sweet Virginia

Hollow in the Land

Jamie M. Dagg, USA/Canada, 92 min.

Scooter Corkle, Canada, 100 min.

FRI. SEP 29 SUN. OCT 1 SAT. OCT 7

9:30 PM 1:00 PM 6:15 PM

INTL VILLAGE 9 RIO RIO

Drawing comparisons with the Coen brothers’ work at its noirish best, Jamie M. Dagg’s dark drama is set in small-town Alaska and features a stone-cold killer (Christopher Abbot), a nasty femme fatale (Imogen Poots) and a retired rodeo star (Jon Bernthal) who cross paths when a murder plot goes awry, spreading collateral damage everywhere… “Part neo-noir, part latter-day Western, this exceptional indie thriller… yields one of the gnarliest and most unsettling movies we’re likely to get this year.“—Variety

SUN. OCT 1 MON. OCT 9

6:15 PM 11:30 AM

9:15 PM 1:15 PM

PLAYHOUSE INTL VILLAGE 10

Set in 1820s Brazil, Daniela Thomas’ first solo directorial effort (she co-directed three films with Walter Salles) centres on mine owner Antonio (Adriano Carvalho), a widower whose ineffectual colonial ways and fading estate, powered by increasingly rebellious slaves, mirror the decline of Portuguese fortunes in general. “[A] striking study of racial and gender politics in colonial Brazil… The arresting black-and-white cinematography and the intriguing, textured sound design [are] first rate.“—Screen

Michael Haneke, France/Austria/Germany, 107 min.

PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS RIO

In 1933, Chinese soldiers led by Shen Feixue defeat a Japanese attack on the Great Wall using only swords.

But Shen disappears, and an imposter takes his place.

Allied with the glamorous and lethal beauty Zhihui, they try to steal Master Kong’s ultimate sword techniques.

But heroic young Kong Dingyi stands in their way.

China’s new master of elegant chivalric swordplay, Xu Haofeng, spices brilliantly choreographed action with sparkling eroticism in this dazzling, star-studded, comic-action masterpiece.

TUE. OCT 3 THU. OCT 5 SUN. OCT 8

6:15 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

With Michael Haneke directing, you know the title of his latest work is nothing if not deeply ironic. As the Calais refugee crisis unfolds, the rich, disaffected Laurent family—including paterfamilias Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and aunt Anne (Isabelle Huppert)—is sundered by the arrival of Anne’s 13-year-old niece (Fantine Harduin, superb)... “Distinguishes itself from much of [Haneke’s filmography] in the deployment of unexpectedly approachable dark wit and thriller-ish sensibility.“—Sight & Sound

From intimate one-on-one conversations to dynamic panel discussions to live music, engage with the world's leading creators.

Luca Guadagnino, USA/Italy/France, 131 min.

THU. OCT 5 SUN. OCT 8 THU. OCT 12

9:00 PM 9:00 PM 3:15 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

Set in the sun-drenched countryside of Italy’s Lombardy region, Luca Guadagnino’s visually ravishing tale of first love is a flawlessly acted wonder.

Ensconced in his family’s villa for the summer, 17-year-old Elio (Homeland’s Timothée Chalamet, superb) finds himself drawn to his professor-father’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) research assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). What follows is guaranteed to stir your soul.

“Masterful… reminiscent of the best of Eric Rohmer, Bernardo Bertolucci and André Téchiné.“—Guardian

SEPT. 29, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

Ai Weiwei, Germany/USA, 140 min.

9:00 PM 2:30 PM 9:00 PM

TUE. OCT 3 THU. OCT 5

Happy End

Xu Haofeng, China, 136 min.

WED. OCT 4 SAT. OCT 7 WED. OCT 11

Daniela Thomas, Brazil/Portugal, 116 min.

Creator Talks

Carlton Cuse, Writer/Executive Producer, Bates Motel

Human Flow

PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

The Hidden Sword

Films+ Tom of Finland

3:45 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM

When her older lover Orlando (Francisco Reyes) dies suddenly, transgendered Marina (a stunning Daniela Vega) faces horrible prejudice from officials investigating his death—and worse from the man’s family.

Director Sebastián Lelio (VIFF 13 standout Gloria) has fashioned a radiant tribute to one woman’s strength.

“Five Stars! [This] trans tale stands alongside Almodóvar… It may be a timely film, but it is its timelessness, as well as its depths of compassion, that qualify it as a great one.“—Guardian

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

Internationally acclaimed spoken-word artist Shane Koyczan gives a poignant and powerful voice to those relegated to the margins: the bullied, awkward and visibly different. In this entrancing documentary, Melanie Wood reveals a bashful alchemist who creates dazzling rhetorical fireworks. With candour, Koyczan shares his momentous and deeply personal journey to finally meet his estranged father. The result is his most important poem yet—and the more intimate his words are, the more universal they become.

Vazante Chile/

Jeremy Podeswa & Greg Middleton, Director & DOP, Game of Thrones SEPT. 30, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

The VIFF Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization committed to supporting a diverse community through celebrating excellence in storytelling on screen. We foster variety in ideas, in content and most importantly, in audience and creators.

Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi, USA, 92 min.

When a body is found in a trailer park, and her missing brother (Jared Abrahamson) becomes the number one suspect, headstrong Alison (Dianna Agron) decides to take things into her own hands, setting out to track him down and clear his name before the cops find him first. The harder this amateur detective looks, the more people turn up dead, and soon she becomes a suspect herself. In a town tucked away amidst a mountain range, secrets get buried deep. If Alison’s not careful, she’ll get buried with them.

SUN. OCT 1 THU. OCT 5 MON. OCT 9

OCT. 2, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

Help expand the frame.

Chavela RIO INTL VILLAGE 10

Ane Crabtee, Costume Designer, Handmaid’s Tale

9:30 PM 9:00 PM 2:15 PM

INTL VILLAGE 9 PLAYHOUSE SFU-GCA

A towering figure in Mexican pop and favourite of Almodóvar, Chavela Vargas was both a myth and a cypher. A singer who turned Rancheras into dark journeys of the soul, Vargas endured a hard life but each trial (including her late-in-life coming out) made her deep, coarse voice richer. Directors Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi use the devastatingly beautiful lyrics of Chavela’s songs to illustrate the stages of a career punctuated by heartbreak. It’s a fascinating story with a killer soundtrack to boot.

During the 2017 Festival, we are proud to have a commitment from the Lochmaddy Foundation to match every gift up to $15,000.

Simon Barry, Creator, Ghost Wars Screening of Episode 1 of “The Bone Orchard” OCT. 10, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

David Slade, Director/Executive Producer, American Gods Screening of Episode 1 of “The Bone Orchard” OCT. 4, 6PM, VANCITY THEATRE

Join the VIFF family today by making a donation today, and double your impact.

goviff.org/donate

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23

Expand the frame.

Films+

Virtual Reality Day - Oct. 6

10:00am – 5:15pm, Vancity Theatre The Expanding Frontiers in Storytelling series will transport attendees into the new mediums of VR and AR, with key insights from some of the most respected futurists in the world as well as conversations and demos from leading VR creators.

Buffer Festival - Oct. 9

Sessions include: The Rise of Cinematic VR; Fireside Chat with creators of Bear71 VR (NFB); How and Where: VR Financing and Distribution; Case Study: Great Performers: L.A. Noir (New York Times Magazine); VR News and Documentary Best Practices and Brands Jump In: 360 Advertising and Branded Content.

More at: goviff.org/virtualreality

Presented by:

Creator Day, 10:00am – 3:00pm, Vancity Theatre

Buffer Gala Awards Screening + Red Carpet Event, 5pm

Want to learn more about becoming a YouTube Creator or elevate your content to the next level?

This full-day FREE event includes workshops and keynotes from some of this year’s Buffer featured Creators.

Vancouver fans come see exclusive YouTube premieres from acclaimed digital creators on the big screen. Plus, meet some of your favourite YouTube creators on the red carpet.

This event is free, please register at: goviff.org/buffer

More at: goviff.org/buffer

Supported by the Province of British Columbia

VIFF Industry Exchange Oct. 5

VIFF AMP - Oct. 2 & 3

A must-attend forum for executives and content creators to learn about the latest trends and join industry leaders in a discussion of the global environment and the opportunities it presents. Presented

by CMPA. Sessions include: Anatomy of a Digital Hit; JumpIn. The Emergence of Immersive Entertainment; Fireside Chat with Joe Staffel, President, Madison + Vine and Content with a Cause: The Changing Landscape of News and Documentary Filmmaking.

More at: goviff.org/vie

Totally Indie Day - Oct. 7 A dynamic day designed for independent content creators to gain insights from industry pros and rising new talent. Presented by STORYHIVE. Sessions include: In the Writers’ Room; Digital Storytelling Platforms; Innovations in Storytelling and Trending Now. More at: goviff.org/totallyindieday

Music In Film Summit Find out more about the creation of music and sound design for film and T.V. Oct 2 - SOUNDOFF – A “How-ToSeries” Event, 6:00pm, Imperial Vancouver From The Hurt Locker to Nike, world-class music supervisors discuss the ups and downs and challenges of music supervision, followed by live music by some of BC’s hottest new bands.

Presented by Music BC.

Oct. 3 – Conference Day 9:00am – 3:45pm Vancity theatre

Sustainable Production Forum - Oct. 4

Join us for panels, networking and workshops with conference delegates attending from across North America. Followed by another great night of live local music.

A FREE event focusing on the ever-changing nature of the sustainable production movement. Be part of the debate about these provocative topics and ultimately help advance sustainability in our industry.

Guests include industry leaders and music supervisors from Sony, Broadband TV, Nettwerk Music Group, Supergroup Sonic Branding, KCRW, Brightlight Pictures, Rock Steady Music and Warner Brothers.

Sessions include: Collaboration and Collective Action, Policy Advances for Sustainable Production, Next Generation, Studio Roundtable, Power Hour

More at: goviff.org/amp

Sessions include: Collaboration and Collective Action, Policy Advances for Sustainable Production, Next Generation, Studio Roundtable, Power Hour

Discover more VIFF Films+ events and announcements on viff.org 24 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Sponsored by Creative BC, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Economic Commission.

This event is free, please register at: goviff.org/sustainableproduction

MOVIES

Winning the Battle but not the war KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

REVIEWS

Starring Taron Egerton. Rated 14A

BATTLE OF THE SEXES

Superspy action flick Kingsman: The Se-

2 cret Service was a sleeper hit, unexpectedly

Starring Emma Stone. Rated PG

Emma Stone has such a distinctively modern

2 vibe, it’s surprising to find her such a convin-

Hey there, clueless selfie kids in Times Square, You’re Soaking in It!

Festival flicks

from page 20

impression. SFU, September 29 (1:45 p.m.); International Village, October 4 (7:15 p.m.) > CT YOU’RE SOAKING IN IT (Canada) The classic subliminal advertising of Madison Avenue (repped by genius designer George Lois and other vintage survivors) meets modern social media for a brief but highly stimulating tour of where we’re at, and where we’re lost. Although the effects of social-media algorithms have proved to be even more deadly to democracy than we expected last year at this time, in some ways the digital era is just a highly atomized extension of what had already happened to movies and music, with number crunchers— mostly white men, of course—privileging statistics over head and heart.

International Village, October 2 (7 p.m.) and 4 (11 a.m.) > KE

SETTING IT STRAIGHT

A review in last week’s Straight mistakenly stated the running length of VIFF feature Bad Genius at four hours.

Blame the gremlins: the Thai teen dramedy, which we liked very much, actually runs for a brisk 130 minutes.

cing stand-in for Billie Jean King, who put an easily admirable face on “women’s liberation” in the 1970s (when many North Americans still found the whole idea silly, threatening, or both).

Stone takes on the budding women’s tennis champion as someone with steely resolve on the court and wavering strength away from it. Her mettle is really tested when, after winning the French Open and multiple events known as the Grand Slam in 1972, King finds herself being offered title money that’s only a fraction of what men are earning for sometimes lesser feats. When tennis honcho Jack Kramer, played by an extra-oily Bill Pullman, puts his financial foot on her neck, the 28-year-old King leads a walkout in which many top women form their own ad hoc league, backed by Virginia Slims and other healthy sponsors. (The period set dressing is delicious, of course.)

Among those joining her are future broadcaster Rosie Casals (Parks and Recreation’s Natalie Morales) and appropriately named Australian Margaret Court (Jessica McNamee), one of the first to notice that King’s personal inclinations are a bit more Sapphic than was allowed at the time. (The real-life Court has continued to be a world-class homophobe and all-around God botherer.) King herself doesn’t seem to know this until she encounters a comely hairdresser (England’s Andrea Riseborough) who joins the tour. And this complicates things with the tennis champ’s hunky husband (Austin Stowell), who’s also—uh-oh!—her manager.

This tricky territory is handled with care by Slumdog Millionaire screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who sticks relatively close to real events and people.

Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who proved their indie skills with Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks, head straight for the mainstream here, lingering too long on reaction shots, always underscored by syrupy music designed for audiences who need basic emotions explained to them.

An excellent antidote to the smarm is an unusually aggressive Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs, a prewar tennis champ who had fallen into gimmicky show matches to support his gambling habit—

Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) and Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) volley in Battle of the Sexes.

something presented as a domestic deal breaker for his independently wealthy wife, memorably played

by Elisabeth Shue, who is too rarely seen these days.

Riggs—who was 55 years old when he challenged King to the titular face-off that would eventually fill Houston’s Astrodome and reach another 50 million viewers on TV—falls easily into the self-appointed role of male chauvinist pig, offering her a cartoonish opponent who nonetheless brings out her best.

There are interesting undercurrents rippling through the film—perhaps unintentionally—such as having Pullman’s real-life son, Lewis, play Riggs’s grown offspring. The latter duo has an uneasy relationship that isn’t really explained. More striking is the array of social issues that this circuslike event brought to international attention more than four decades ago. The public seemed just about up to the challenge then, but progress ran hard in the other direction. The Equal Rights Amendment never passed, women still earn less than men, and a pig way worse than Riggs, or Nixon, became president. Anyone want a smoke? > KEN EISNER

netting millions at the box office on both sides of the Atlantic. With its brash, tongue-in-cheek humour riffing on everything from upper-class British suits to James Bond’s ridiculous gadgets, the movie established itself as a slick, unique take on the secret-agent genre that resonated with the Zeitgeist. The sequel? Not quite so much.

For the most part, the original’s charm is present in spades in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Following council-estate lad turned gentleman Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) as he navigates a doomsday scenario that leads him and fellow agent Merlin (Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes) to the States, the movie is founded on choreographed, slo-mo fight scenes that are both laugh-out-loud funny and endlessly creative. With the film built on poking fun at stereotypes, the introduction of a sister top-secret intelligence agency—straightshooting U.S. southerners the Statesmen—is a welcome addition to the comedy, with director Matthew Vaughn (X Men: First Class) pitching perfectly timed lasso and chewing-tobacco jokes.

The movie stumbles, however, with its political jibes. While taking aim at a bullish U.S. president is safe ground for satire, the film’s focus on the “War on Drugs” is not. Oscar winner Julianne Moore’s Americana-loving villain, Poppy, runs a worldwide cartel that peddles all kinds of narcotics and corrupts those substances with a poison that leads to a blue rash and eye-popping death. Although the opioid crisis might not have hit Britain yet, it has already been declared a public-health emergency in Kentucky—home of the fictional Statesmen—where fentanyl-tainted street drugs kill hundreds. Hyperbolic humour might be Kingsman’s calling card, but the decision to build a plot that echoes a heartbreaking real-life disaster seems more than a little crass.

Looking past its social tone-deafness, however, there’s plenty for fans of the original to enjoy.

Featuring even more ludicrous technology innovations and ultraviolence than the first—plus a bizarre star cameo from Elton John doing karate in a rainbow chicken outfit—the movie somehow manages to push the envelope even further with its gimmicks and gags. > KATE WILSON

NEW FROM CINEPLEX EVENTS

ONE NIGHT ONLY OCTOBER 11

VANCOUVER The Park Theatre - 3440 Cambie St.

OCTOBER 15 & 25

OCTOBER 29 & NOVEMBER 1

For tickets and participating theatres visit Cineplex.com/TheParkOctober

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 25

A FIREHALL ARTS CENTRE PRESENTATION PRODUCED BY RADICAL SYSTEM ART/ SHAY KUEBLER

FEASTING ON FAMINE

MUSÉE MARMOTTAN MONET

CL AUDE

MONET

CONSUME. GROW. ENHANCE. CONSUME. Artistic Direction, Sound Design & Performance

SHAY KUEBLER

Secret Garden

I will die before you beat me.

Until Oct 1, 2017

Extended hours for the final week vanartgallery.bc.ca

“mesmerizing and explosive.”

Vancouver Weekly

Major Sponsor

280 East Cordova Street

Supporting Sponsor

604.689.0926

firehallartscentre.ca Collaboratively organized by the Musée Marmottan Monet and the Vancouver Art Gallery

Claude Monet, Nymphéas, 1903, oil on canvas, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, Photo: © Bridgeman Giraudon/Press

SEP 27-30 Wed-Sat 8pm

Photo of Shay Kuebler by Abbey Dutton

Presenting Sponsor

2017/2018 LONDON DRUGS

VSO POPS! Robyn Driedger-Klassen: Romantic Pops Valentine

Tony DeSare: A Sinatra Celebration

J Tyzik: Classic Broadway Jeff

Lisa Vroman: Classic Broadway

Storm Large: The UK Rocks!

The Doo Wop Project

Chris Hadfield: Terra & Beyond

A SWINGING 6-CONCERT SERIES AT THE ORPHEUM The VSO Pops series is all about style and swing. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the biggest big band in town and this cool collection of concerts lets them really cut loose, with performances ranging from the classics of Broadway to old-time jazz through a modern lens, from the era of Sinatra-style cool to U.K.-inspired rock ‘n roll, and more.

SUBSCRIBE to the Pops series today for Guaranteed Seating & Savings up to 30% over single concert pricing MEDIA SPONSOR

@VSOrchestra

26 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR

VSO POPS RADIO SPONSOR

vancouversymphony.ca/pops

ARTS

Multiple love stories intertwine in Tet-

BY AL EX ANDER VARY

suro Shigematsu’s new 1 Hour Photo, but the Japanese-Canadian playwright and actor hasn’t made it easy to tease them out of their context.

Fortunately, said context is fascinating—and sadly relevant to what is going on in today’s world.

Love Story No. 1 is the prickly affection between Shigematsu and his father, Akira, which hovers in the background of the new play but was the central focus of 2015’s acclaimed Empire of the Son. The older man died just two weeks before Empire opened, but father and son had the pleasure of developing a deeper—if lateblooming—understanding of each other during the research that Shigematsu did for his first full-length production.

“That was a very rewarding experience,” the former CBC Radio host says, reached on his cellphone during a postrehearsal stroll from Chinatown’s Playwrights Theatre Centre to Waterfront Station. “And then when he died.…I realized that I felt very bereft, and there were still more questions that I wanted to ask him.

Sometimes I’d have the impulse to pick up the phone and call him, so on a certain level I just wanted this ritual to continue—to sit at the knee of an elder and be transported to the past.”

Enter Love Story No. 2: the playwright’s friendship with Mas Yamamoto, an elderly friend of the family. Well, “love” might be putting it too strongly: like many men of his generation, Yamamoto is not given to overt demonstrations of affection. According to Shigematsu,

A father, son, and friend story

For 1 Hour Photo, Tetsuro Shigematsu has created a diorama showing the kitchen where recordings of Mas Yamamoto’s stories were made. Raymond Shum photo.

over and reinventing “What I found,” he says, “was a trove of himself, he was able to photographs that Mas had sent to her over the sing a medley of songs. years: just little wallet-sized portraits of his When he dies, I don’t various incarnations. He was working on the In the multimedia 1 Hour Photo, Tetsuro Shigematsu revisits a think he’ll have as railway, in the orchards—all these blue-collar painful history that spans Japanese internment and the Arctic many regrets, because jobs. And he’d probably forgotten that they’d I don’t think he was existed, but finding them was like finding an some of Yamamoto’s daughter Donna’s friends living his life according to anyone else’s script.” X-ray of Mas’s heart.” would occasionally want to hug him, “and he And this, he adds, is all the more remarkable Building on techniques he developed during actually learned to start liking it. But at one in that, as a teenager, Yamamoto was swept up the creation of Empire of the Son, Shigematsu has point he looked up at me, a little concerned, and in one of the most shameful episodes of Can- worked those images into his multimedia storyhe said, ‘Now, don’t you go hugging me.’ And I adian history: the dispossession and internment telling, along with recently discovered Super-8 was like, ‘Here I come, Mas; here I come!’ ” of B.C.’s Japanese population. The 75th anni- footage of an internment camp, a customShigematsu laughs affectionately, and allows versary of this calamity lends a level of urgency pressed LP recording of Yamamoto reministhat he and Yamamoto—whose other daugh- to Shigematsu’s project: Yamamoto is one of a cing, and tiny dioramas showing two rooms: the ter, Naomi, was the first Japanese Canadian handful of internment survivors old enough bedroom where Akira Shigematsu spent his last elected to the B.C. legislature—seem almost to remember the experience, yet young weeks, and the kitchen where the Yamamoto preordained to enjoy their intergenerational enough to remember it clearly. Furtherrecording was made. These, in effect, are friendship. more, it ties the story into the disthe sets for the otherwise simply staged “Mas is short for Matsunobu, and the ideo- turbing developments south of the Check out… piece; as the show progresses, ShigeSTRAIGHT.COM gram for his name means ‘first to attack’ or ‘first Canadian border, with internment matsu manipulates objects in the Visit our website to charge’,” he explains. “And Tetsuro means camps on the horizon for many rooms, with the action projected onfor morning-after ‘a philosophical young man’. And I suppose Latin-American residents of the screen by tiny cameras. reviews and local that sums up our relationship. Mas has always United States, including thousands Like its predecessor, 1 Hour Photo arts news been the archetypal warrior on the battlefield of young “Dreamers”. And it’s also is both emotionally revealing and of life, and I’m just the curious scribe, asking the backdrop for the play’s third love formally inventive. Now, however, Shiquestions as I ponder philosophy’s most basic story: Yamamoto’s stymied passion for a gematsu is getting closer to answering the issues: ‘How does one live?’ and ‘What is a good fellow internee, Michiko “Midge” Ayukawa. questions Empire of the Son posed—although death?’ So, for me, Mas’s capacity for reinvenWar and life separated the two. Yamamoto audiences will have to discover those core truths tion, his ability to start over, and the fact that he worked north of the Arctic Circle, building early- for themselves. experienced so much hardship and injustice yet warning radar stations, before opening the camera “As a writer, I’m reluctant to define the story remained so free of bitterness were really quite business that gives 1 Hour Photo its name; Ayukawa, in a way that tells the reader what to think,” inspiring to me.” who died in 2013, moved to Victoria and became he says. “I feel like my role as an artist is less Shigematsu’s Japanese-born father, he notes, a historian and advocate for Japanese-Canadian as a teacher, but maybe more as a catalyst for died in pain, and without fulfilling his liter- rights. Both married, apparently happily, and had people’s own processes.” ary ambitions. “There was a song in his heart children. But while Shigematsu was going through that he never got to sing,” he says. “Whereas Ayukawa’s papers at the Canadian War Museum in 1 Hour Photo runs at the Cultch’s Historic Theatre from Tuesday (October 3) to October 15. for Mas, I believe that in his constant starting Ottawa, he made a surprising discovery.

THINGS TO DO

ARTS High five

Editor’s choice CREATURE FEATURE A circus for adults? That’s exactly what New Zealand’s Dust Palace serves up with The Goblin Market: breathtaking acrobatics mixed with nudity, naughtiness, and general debauchery. The artfully contemporary circus retelling of Christina Rossetti’s poem of temptation and salvation “Goblin Market” gets standing ovations everywhere it travels to around the globe. And seeing it within the intimate confines of the York should be eerily, mind-blowingly fun. Remember to watch out for the goblin! The Goblin Market is at the York Theatre from Tuesday (October 3) to October 14.

Five events you just can’t miss this week

1

KATE EVANS: THREADS (September 29 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts) This should be unforgettable, with projections from her graphic novel about the Calais refugee camps.

2

JANE COOP (October 1 at the Vancouver Playhouse) Piano heaven with one of our most powerful performers, complete with morning pastries.

3

PIANO QUARTET FAVOURITES (September 28 and 29 at West Point Grey United Church) More piano bliss, as Vetta Chamber Music kicks off its season.

4 5

In the news

PLAYWRITING PRAISE Vancouver theatre artist Marcus Youssef is nominated for a Siminovitch Prize for playwriting, the largest national theatre award. Youssef, who is also an actor and co–artistic JAPANESE PROBLEM (To September 30 at director of Neworld Theatre, has written and cowritten plays includHastings Park’s Livestock Building) A sobering, siteing Winners and Losers (one of Neworld’s longest-running and most specific look at an ugly chapter in Vancouver history. successful pieces), King Arthur’s Night, Leftovers, How Has My Love Affected You?, Ali & Ali, and Jabber. The Siminovitch Prize awards its BOOBIES AND WIENERS (September 28 to winner a whopping $100,000, rotating over a three-year cycle to honOctober 1 at the Gallery of BC Ceramics) Ooh la la: our directors, playwrights, and designers. Finalists get $5,000. Youssef Hot Art Wet City revives its beloved, explicit art show. is up against Hannah Moscovitch, Evelyne de la Chenelière, and Donna-Michelle St. Bernard. The winner receives his or her award on November 6 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 27

ARTS

Duo digs into web for Hyperlink > B Y JA NE T S M ITH

W

“Classy and Entertaining” – Vancouver Sun

hen theatre artist Itai Erdal saw TJ Dawe perform his solo show Medicine four-anda-half years ago, he could immediately see they had some things in common. Both played themselves on-stage, performing monologues mined from their own experiences.

But that’s not why he wanted to work with Dawe.

“He couldn’t be more different than me,” Erdal says over a speakerphone with Dawe, both of them on a break from their first collaboration, Hyperlink. “I’m completely gregarious and social, and TJ is more of an introvert—he even talked about that in Medicine. And then I just thought, ‘How interesting to put two people who are so different in a show.’ ” Dawe cuts to the chase: “He said ‘This guy couldn’t be more different than me. I want to work with him!’ ” As the two innovators began to discuss subject matter they could explore together, talk inevitably turned to a topic that’s ubiquitous right now—albeit not on-stage: the Internet, and how it’s affecting our lives. Erdal remembers showing Dawe a social-media post that ended up making its way into Hyperlink, a seemingly innocuous shot of four girls going to an all-ages club that had unleashed a viral torrent of abuse and debate. “They were dressed up slightly provocatively but this thread was so mean,” Erdal relates. “Some people called them fat, some told them to go to the gym… Not one of them was even slightly fat but it was the way they shamed them. And then there were all these comments, with some defending them. The conversation was so ruthless, the way that people would never do in real life.”

From there, Dawe says, the two started digging into their own experiences with the wired world, and then mixing those with stories like the one Erdal had found.

“This subject is as vast as it is very much unexplored on-stage or on TV or in literature,” remarks Dawe, who has tackled themes of loneliness and alienation and stories about everything from ayahuasca trips to highschool athletics in his work. “It’s considered a difficult thing to perform because if someone is sitting at a computer and typing, they’re perceived as not doing anything.”

Dawe and Erdal, who has made his name as a lighting designer, have countered that idea by animating the Firehall stage, helped by three projection screens they not only use to

TJ Dawe and Itai Erdal could not be more different. That’s why they thought it would be fun to tackle a multimedia show about the Internet together.

illustrate, say, profile pages or videos they’ve found online but also more metaphorical visuals created by projection designer Cande Andrade.

Bassist Mark Haney also plays live on-stage, and the movements are choreographed by Kayla Dunbar.

Hyperlink is more like a collage of ideas than a narrative play, and true to its name, it tries to mimic the fleeting impressions of surfing the web. Expect Dawe and Erdal to abruptly jump from topic to topic or interrupt an idea, just as web users do when they head down the wormhole of hyperlinks.

What they won’t do is weigh in too heavily on whether they think social media is a harbinger of doom. The duo prefers to portray the web in all its colours, from Internet scams to cute pet posts to “like-farming”.

“We show how ugly it can be and how wonderful it can be,” hints Dawe. “There were many avenues where people were really awful to each other before the Internet; it’s very much an extension of who you are as a human being.”

Mostly, the pair concur, they just

want you to start talking about it— preferably in person.

“One of the things theatre has going for it is the potential for conversation and interactivity,” says Dawe, “especially in a digital age where we don’t get face to face. Emotions are amplified by people being in a room together.”

And what has been the result of Erdal and Dawe, who almost always creates his shows solo, “being in a room together”—along with director Rachel Peake, Andrade, Haney, and Dunbar?

“It’s a classic case of the sum being greater than the parts,” Erdal says.

“I’ve spent the bulk of my career without having a collaborator,” adds Dawe. “A big part of that was shyness. So it’s been truly rewarding to be part of a group. It really feels like being part of a superhero squad. I’d been conditioned to think I have to do everything.”

In other words, this group has become inextricably linked—and not at all in a “hyper” way. Elbow Theatre presents Hyperlink at the Firehall Arts Centre from Wednesday (October 4) to October 14.

Warren Kimmel & Katey Wright Photo: David Cooper

STEPHEN SONDHEIM HUGH WHEELER DIRECTED BY PETER JORGENSEN PRODUCED BY PATRICK STREET PRODUCTIONS MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BOOK BY

MAINSTAGE | OCTOBER 12 - 21, 2017 - TICKETS AND INFORMATION GatewayTheatre.com | (604) 270-1812 GatewayTheatreBC

@Gateway_Theatre

Gateway_Theatre

MEDIA SPONSOR

28 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

TRACES OF WORDS Art and Calligraphy from Asia Closing Performances Thursday, October 5: Night Shift: Body Language Friday, October 6 : Experimental Ink

Closing October 9

moa.ubc.ca

EVELYN GLENNIE

WITH THE VSO O C T O B E R 2 0 17 THE GLOAMING

Sun Oct 15, 7:00pm Presented by the Chan Centre Carving new paths within the tradition of Celtic music, Irish supergroup The Gloaming make an anticipated return to the Chan Centre in support of their latest album, 2.

BRAMWELL TOVEY

DAME EVELYN GLENNIE

SATURDAY & MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 & 30, 8PM , ORPHEUM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2PM , ORPHEUM Bramwell Tovey conductor Dame Evelyn Glennie percussion* JENNIFER HIGDON Percussion Concerto* SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10 in E minor PRE-CONCERT TALK 7:05PM, OCTOBER 28 & 30, FREE TO TICKETHOLDERS.

HUDSON

Wed Oct 18, 8:00pm

Dame Evelyn Glennie is the world’s foremost solo percussionist, and a passionate advocate of music education.

A prolific recording artist and champion of new works for percussion and orchestra, Dame Evelyn performs Jennifer Higdon’s fascinating Percussion Concerto. Maestro Tovey conducts in a program that also features one of the great symphonies of the 20th century, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. This work is filled with tragedy, fear, violence and emotion, but, finally, marked by the triumph of the human spirit over a crushing and oppressive regime.

MASTERWORKS GOLD SERIES SPONSOR

MASTERWORKS GOLD RADIO SPONSOR

SYMPHONY SUNDAYS SERIES SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

@VSOrchestra

TICKETS: vancouversymphony.ca

604.876.3434

Presented by Coastal Jazz An all-star band featuring drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Larry Grenadier, keyboardist John Medeski, and guitarist John Scofield.

FILM SCREENING: KATYAR KALJAT GHUSALI Thu Oct 19, 7:00pm

Presented by the Chan Centre in partnership with The Cinematheque A piece of musical Marathi cinema about rivaling Hindustani singers, featuring vocalist Shankar Mahadevan.

At The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St)

ANGELA CHENG PLAYS RAVEL Oct 20 + 21, 8:00pm

Presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Celebrated Canadian pianist Angela Cheng makes her welcome return to Vancouver, performing Ravel’s Piano Concert in G Major.

GEORGE LI, PIANO Sun Oct 22, 3:00pm

Presented by the Vancouver Recital Society An extraordinary young musician praised

by The New York Times for his “youthful abandon” and “utter command” performs works by Rachmaninov, Liszt, and more.

REIMAGINE YOUR WORLD

OCT 16–22 2017

110 + AUTHORS 95 +EVENTS DISCOVER THE 20 17 L I N E U P AT W R I T E R S F E S T. B C . C A

ZAKIR HUSSAIN AND DAVE HOLLAND: CROSSCURRENTS Sat Oct 28, 8:00pm

Presented by the Chan Centre Exploring new musical terrain at the intersection of jazz and Indian music with a stellar band including saxophonist Chris Potter, Bollywood vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, and others.

MONTEVERDI’S ORFEO Sun Oct 29, 3:00pm

Presented by Early Music Vancouver Stephen Stubbs leads Pacific MusicWorks in a concert version of this 17th century operatic masterpiece. Featuring Vancouver’s Colin Balzer.

CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 6265 Crescent Road, Vancouver (UBC)

Tickets and info at chancentre.com SERIES SPONSOR:

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 29

INCLUSION ART SHOW & SALE

TERRA AND BEYOND, WITH

CHRIS HADFIELD AND DANNY MICHEL

presents

misery made me…

2 SHOWS ONLY

Friday, October 6, 2017, 8 PM Saturday, October 7, 2017, 8 PM

CHRIS HADFIELD

DANNY MICHEL

William Rowson conductor

Chris Hadfield vocals/guitar

Danny Michel vocals/guitar

Share Canadian icon Colonel Chris Hadfield’s viewpoint “Beyond the Terra,” with music and inspiring images from the International Space Station, performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. As a special guest, Chris welcomes acclaimed singer/songwriter Danny Michel, his Juno®-nominated collaborator on the Kapitan Khlebnikov project, in this unique and exciting Pops concert. @VSOrchestra

VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR

TICKETS: vancouversymphony.ca

30 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

VSO POPS RADIO SPONSOR

Photo: Amanda Skuse

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 & 7 8PM, ORPHEUM

Scotiabank Dance Centre

677 Davie St, Vancouver (Faris Family Studio)

Loosely based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Monsters is a strongly anti-bullying, anti-violence, anti-racism play designed for young people aged 12 & up, and performed by youth.

www.miscellaneousproductions.ca

MEDIA SPONSOR

604.876.3434

Stay Connected @GeorgiaStraight

ARTS

Program m1 Eight Years of Sillence | Cayetano Soto B.R.I.S.A. | Joha an Inger

At the Indigenous-art hub, indie-poppers Sister Says perform a concert amid a weekend full of carving, painting, panel talks, and more. Leigh Righton photo.

Skwachàys Lodge comes alive for Culture Days > BY JA NET SM IT H

T

here will be barely an empty rehearsal hall, art studio, community centre, or gallery in the city this weekend as Culture Days celebrations take off.

The national grassroots festival hooks up artists and their communities through hands-on activities, demonstrations, and much more.

One of the new highlights during the Vancouver events will be an entire weekend of programming by the Indigenous artists in residence at Skwachàys Lodge Aboriginal Hotel and Gallery (31 West Pender Street).

A social-enterprise project built by the Vancouver Native Housing Society in 2012, it derives funding from its artist-designed hotel rooms and the Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery for its 24 studio apartments, all inhabited by Indigenous artists who pay minimal rent for a threeyear tenancy to develop their careers.

“It’s an opportunity for us to showcase our artists in residence and their unique skills and expertise,” says event coordinator Olivia Davies, a local dance artist. “We were able to program a great variety, with all the disciplines we have here.”

Among the draws: a fashion show of Jeneen Frei Njootli’s mixedmedia textile works, which include audio elements, on Saturday (September 30) from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Directly afterward, check out a music showcase that features fast-rising indie-dream-pop duo Sister Says

with Hannah Curr and Withe.

Carver Gerry Sheena demonstrates the way he turns West Coast cedar into stunning masks and other pieces (each day from 10 a.m. to noon), while Sharifah Marsden gives a hands-on workshop on Indigenous painting (Saturday and Sunday from noon to 1 p.m.).

Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m., check out the free panel called Red Uprising, in which film and TV artists talk about what it means to work in Hollywood and other arts environments today. Participants include Shayla Stonechild, Jordan Waunch, and The Revenant star Grace Dove.

And for a truly inside look at Skwachàys, make sure to catch former artist in residence Richard Shorty’s tour of the Feather Suite, which he designed, followed by an artist talk in the facility’s Smudge Room (Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.).

Davies stresses it’s a chance for the wider community to experience all that’s going on at the arts hive. “It’s really important for the community at large to understand what Vancouver Native Housing has done here, to promote the incredible diversity of Indigenous artists who may not be able to afford to live in this incredibly expensive city and to create incredible connections in the hub of the lodge itself,” she says. -

ber 2 3 4 Novemb Queen Elizabeth Theatre balletbc.com PERFORMANCE SPONSOR

COMMUNITY BALCONY SPONSOR

HOTEL SPONSOR

MEDIA PARTNERS

S BEEN GENER R OUSLY PROVIDED BY

DANCER BRANDON ALLEY. PHOTO MICHAEL SLOBODIAN.

Culture Days events take place at Skwachàys Lodge Aboriginal Hotel and Gallery from Friday to Sunday (September 29 to October 1).

FIVE MORE CULTURE DAYS PICKS are five activities you’ll want to catch at Culture Days, Friday to 2 Here Sunday (September 29 to October 1). (Plot out your roster from the dozens of activities at bc.culturedays.ca/.) And did we mention it’s free?

VANCOUVER OPERA ORCHESTRA IN REHEARSAL (At the O’Brian Centre for Vancouver Opera on Sunday, 1:30 to 4 p.m.) Here’s a rare chance to hear the tight VO band practise: they’re polishing up Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. The visit even includes a “Conducting 101” lesson with visiting maestro Jacques Lacombe. Register for one of 20 spots.

IMPROV SAMPLER CLASS WITH VANCOUVER THEATRESPORTS (At the Improv Centre on Saturday, 6 to 7:30 p.m.) For those who like flying by the seat of their pants, Vancouver TheatreSports’ biggest laugh-getters give a welcoming intro course to the wonderful world of improv comedy. Twenty spots available.

THREE SHADES OF EAST VAN (At the Kensington [1659 Venables Street] on Friday, 1 to 6:30 p.m.) Help the 18 artists of the Drive area’s Alternative Creations Studio create three mixed-media pieces that pay homage to the surrounding ’hood.

LIFE DRAWING WITH DANCERS (At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre salons on Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.) Arts Umbrella and Vancouver Civic Theatres host an all-ages life-drawing class where you can sketch dancers’ movements like an aspiring Edgar Degas.

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE ART FACTORY (At 281 Industrial Avenue on Saturday, 1 to 2:30 p.m.) The recently launched cultural hub opens the doors to its 21,000 square feet of workshops, studios, and more. The event includes a peek at the Great Northern Way Scene Shop, the custom-scenery maker for theatre, dance, opera, and more. > JANET SMITH

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 31

ARTS

Japanese Problem is no mere reenactment The site-specific play unites past and present to bring a shameful chapter of history to life T HEAT RE JAPANESE PROBLEM Created by Yoshié Bancroft and Joanna Garfinkel, with Universal Limited. Directed by Joanna Garfinkel.

At the Livestock Building across from Hastings Racecourse on Sunday, September 24. Continues until September 30

The power of place.

Japanese Problem addresses the incarceration of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War: in 1942, the Canadian government removed over 8,000 Japanese Canadians from their homes, seized their land and belongings, and held them captive on what is now the PNE site. This play, billed as a “historical re-enactment”, quickly mutates into much more as we follow the performers around the barn where a thousand women and children were detained, hanging blankets between the livestock enclosures to create makeshift rooms.

In a metatheatrical move that unites past and present, the actors introduce both themselves and the character they’ll be playing. Yoshié Bancroft’s Samantha dreams of being a dancer; we see her perform in a talent show. Johnny, played by Daniel Deorksen, is a sympathetic guard.

Brent Hirose shows a photo of his grandfather walking proudly down

2

M U S IC TIME TRACKS: THE VSO SEASON OPENER A Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presentation. At the Orpheum on Friday, September 22. No remaining performances

CONDUCTS THE VSO

OTTO TAUSK

A season opener, for a major arts

2 organization such as the Van-

VADIM GLUZMAN

SATURDAY & MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 & 16, 8PM , ORPHEUM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 7PM , BELL PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE, SURREY

GLINKA Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 2 in C-sharp minor* SIBELIUS Symphony No. 1 in E minor PRE-CONCERT TALK 7:05PM, OCTOBER 14 & 16, FREE TO TICKETHOLDERS. MASTERWORKS DIAMOND SERIES SPONSOR

> KATHLEEN OLIVER

VSO opens its season with fun and precision

OTTO TAUSK

Otto Tausk conductor Vadim Gluzman violin*

the streets of New Westminster three years before the incarceration, prior to telling us about his character, Kenji. And Nicole Yukiko, who is the nurse’s assistant Maggie, repeatedly breaks character to balk at having to play the scenes she’s tasked with, revealing the site’s inhumane conditions and the generational trauma that she’s inherited.

This layering effect plays out stylistically as well. In one scene, Samantha enumerates the few possessions she’s brought with her. Johnny’s voice overlaps hers, reading from a catalogue of another prisoner’s personal property—an archival document that we see projected on the wall. As each item is read out, a shadow of its shape appears, crowding out the text, while an auctioneer’s voice gradually drowns out the others.

Material goods are only a fraction of the story; Maggie recounts how prisoners died daily of tuberculosis; sick children were separated from their families and consigned to a windowless dungeon. Shizuka Kai’s shadow puppets illustrate these facts with the bold, simple strokes of children’s art.

There’s a lot packed into this short play, but its greatest impact comes from being invited to bear witness in the physical space where the events described actually took place 75 years ago. This is site-specific theatre at its most powerful.

One of the planet’s greatest and most accomplished violinists, Vadim Gluzman makes his much-anticipated return to perform Shostakovich’s dark and complex second violin concerto. Music Director Designate Maestro Otto Tausk presides over his first concert since being named the next VSO Music Director, in a performance that includes the expressive and lyrical first symphony of Jean Sibelius.

OCTOBER 14 & 16 CONCERT SPONSOR

SURREY NIGHTS SERIES SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

@VSOrchestra

TICKETS: vancouversymphony.ca 32 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

604.876.3434

couver Symphony Orchestra, doubles as an entertainment and a statement of purpose—and on both counts the first concert of the VSO’s 2017-18 campaign can scarcely be faulted.

So what did Friday night tell us?

That the VSO is committed to fun.

That it’s also capable of playing the most complex contemporary music with passion and precision. And that it can revert to some of the most familiar works in the classical canon and make them, if not exactly new again, living works of art.

Let’s get to the fun first—a decision VSO music director Bramwell Tovey made by programming his own Time Tracks as the opening opus.

The premise behind Time Tracks is, admittedly, not all that comical: it’s extracted from Tovey’s opera The Inventor, which tells the story of Sandy Keith, a 19th-century con man and fantasist. Keith, it should be remembered, committed suicide after causing an explosion that killed 80 people—and in Time Tracks we get that explosion, generated primarily by the VSO’s exemplary percussion section, with timpanist Aaron McDonald leading the way.

But we also get a kaleidoscopic tour through the music of Keith’s era and slightly beyond, a steampunk reenvisioning of Victorian salon music, ragtime, military-band pieces, early jazz, and the sweet-sour harmonies of Kurt Weill—along with melodies so evocatively played we can almost hear the singers.

True, it’s a magpie’s piece, with its invocation of multiple musical styles, but what better way to adorn a gala

than with something that glitters?

There’s also something glittering about John Adams’s Absolute Jest, in which the California-based composer surrounds a core of motifs borrowed from Ludwig van Beethoven with a sonic penumbra of his own devising. But where the shining in Tovey’s piece is mostly attributable to the composer’s wit, in Absolute Jest it’s animate—in the form of a cloud of orchestral textures that surround the work’s musical core, performed here by the lightly amplified Australian String Quartet. These textures morph and twist and glow, like a murmuration of starlings shining in the sun or a school of perch coursing through kelp, and Adams shows his minimalist origins by keeping the music moving inexorably forward. Minimalist, however, no longer serves to adequately describe this composer, who has gone beyond schematic abstraction to create gorgeous and challenging sonic ecosystems.

Fronted by first violinist and former VSO concertmaster Dale Barltrop, the ASQ performed impeccably in the soloist’s role, delivering the Beethoven quotes with suitable gravitas and Adams’s extrapolations with fierce focus. Percussionist Vern Griffiths also shone, playing an Indonesian bonang (a rack of kettle gongs) that added a surreal layer of alternative intonation to the music.

And then, after intermission, came Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E Minor—a finale that initially irked this listener, who would rather have gone off into the night still savouring Adams’s complexity. Tovey and the VSO soon won me over, however, taking the piece at an almost contemplative pace that allowed its rich textures to fully bloom—and that spotlit the sublime sound of the orchestra’s brass section.

Wit, adventure, and a warm place to recover: who could ask for anything more? > ALEXANDER VARTY

ARTS

D ANC E EMBRYOTROPHIC CAVATINA

By Kokoro Dance. At the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre on Wednesday, September 20.

Continues to September 29

The Japanese dance-theatre form butoh can be intense. Intense for the performer, who cycles through a range of emotional expressions throughout a production, as well as for the viewer, who watches dutifully as this usually slow, nonlinear, and imagistic performance unfolds.

It’s an approach to dance that is hard to define because it’s no one thing. Its ambiguity is part of what makes it powerful, which can also be part of what makes it challenging.

On September 20, the city’s resident butoh-inspired dance company, Kokoro Dance, premiered its new work Embryotrophic Cavatina. This fulllength quartet has reportedly been 20 years in the making, something choreographers and directors Jay Hirabayashi and Barbara Bourget started in response to an at times haunting but otherwise powerful orchestral score by cinematic Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner.

The first part of the evening is called “Requiem” and features Hirabayashi and Billy Marchenski at the back of the stage with Bourget and Molly McDermott at the front. The four are nearly naked (save for the skin-tone thongs), covered in butoh’s signifying white powder, and look statuesque as they move slowly through a variety of expansive and minute shapes, each at their own pace and intensity.

The beauty comes in observing the dancers’ differences. It’s here that something is revealed; as though suspended in time, each performer is embodying his or her own reality.

For Hirabayashi, that reality is of a man in his 70s who has had a career

2

of studying this form and a life of experiences to draw from. His jumps are lower and he only ever hints at back bends, but the emotional range he accesses is stunning and stands out onstage. McDermott, on the other hand, is much younger and filled with energy and an expansive physical range—her emotional response comparatively less nuanced, but never any less authentic.

The second part of the evening is called “Life” and is introduced by the projected paintings of costume designer and artist Tsuneko Kokubo. The projections revolve through a series by Kokubo called “Plant Memory”—all featuring very colourful but abstract plants. The movement vocabulary is amplified now and the dancers move freely throughout the space, having changed to silky dresses with plant-life patterns. Each explores his or her own solo with individualistic focus.

It’s this focus that prevented the piece from becoming something more than four solos next to each other.

Overlapping solos can often take on new forms, as accidental duets, or a contrasting trio, but those moments were hardly found because the dancers were so inside their own worlds.

Each performer alone was a wonder to watch but something bigger was missing between them all. And this missing link prevented “Life” from transforming into something new.

That was, at least, my experience—and the beauty of this indefinable art form is that it could be different for you.. > BRITTANY DUGGAN

SAUDADE A MOVE: the company production.

At the Scotiabank Dance Centre on Wednesday, September 20. Continues to September 23

Men touch gently in Joshua

2 Beamish’s new Saudade; they lie

side by side, they hold each other, and they stretch and pose bare-chested in

front of each other. But what’s so fascinating about the ever-shifting duets is the way the dancers never seem to really connect, or commit emotionally.

And then they go their separate ways.

In one repeated phrase a man moves tentatively toward another’s extended arm, intimately resting his head on the proffered hand—only to have it pulled away, his partner walking across the stage and then reaching out again. In another, a dancer walks past another over and over, turning to disappear into the darkness. They’re all like ghosts meeting and separating in the night.

You might think this strange, cold sense of detachment wouldn’t work in a piece about longing and relationships.

But, helped by Icelandic cello innovator Hildur Guðnadóttir’s eerily melancholic score, Beamish has crafted something as restless as it is relatable.

Saudade is a Portuguese word for an unattainable desire, and Beamish has said the work is about his own yearnings for home and lasting relationships as he lives on the road. But Saudade can also be read as a metaphor for our wired world, where relationships bloom and fizzle out over cyberspace, as fleeting as a Tinder swipe.

Beamish’s signature touches are immediately recognizable—the swivelling spines, the erupting body isolations—but the piece feels like new terrain for the choreographer, who often works with women and men together.

The psychosocial themes he’s exploring feel fresh, too—a bit broodier and more vulnerable than usual.

The cycle of meetings and separations, though they’re all subtly different, starts to feel too repetitive, like an endless loop of transactions, numbing in their romantic ambivalence.

For some, it will feel chillingly familiar; for others, it may leave them cold. But either way, Saudade gets under your skin. > JANET SMITH

A FIREHALL ARTS CENTRE PRESENTATION PRODUCED BY ELBOW THEATRE

HYPERLINK Written and Performed by

TJ Dawe Itai Erdal and

“Is it real love or Facebook love?”

280 East Cordova Street

604.689.0926 OCT 4-14

firehallartscentre.ca

Tue 7pm Wed-Fri 8pm Sat 3pm & 8pm Sun 3pm Wed 1pm (PWYC Oct 4 & 11)

TJ Dawe & Itai Erdal

Kokoro looks deeply inward

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 33

LITERARY EVENTS ET CETERA GALLERIES MUSEUMS OUT OF TOWN

THEATRE

ar ts/ timeout THEATRE DANCE MUSIC COMEDY

< (6354 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix $15/10, info www.theatrefilm.ubc.ca/. < < 13: THE MUSICAL Bring On Tomorrow < Co. presents a coming-of-age comedy about a young boy who tries to fit in at < a new school, plan his bar mitzvah, and

2OPENINGS

< < < <

THE PILLOWMAN Martin McDonagh's play tells the story of a writer who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of child murders. Sep 27–Oct 6, Orpheum Annex (823 Seymour). Tix $5-35, info www.thepillowman.ca/.

HAPPY DAYS UBC Theatre and Film presents Samuel Beckett's play that explores the complexities of relationships. Sep 27-30, 7:30 pm, Frederic Wood Theatre

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

BRINGING THE BEST IN COMEDY SINCE 1983

fix his family. Sep 28–Oct 8, Waterfront Theatre (1412 Cartwright St., Granville Island). Tix from $13, info www.bringon tomorrowco.com/.

1 HOUR PHOTO The Cultch and VACT are thrilled to present the world premiere of Tetsuro Shigematsu’s story of a man whose life was swept up by the major currents of the 20th century. Oct 3-15, 8 pm, The Cultch (1895 Venables). Tix $22-49, info www.thecultch.com/events/1-hour-photo/.

THE GOBLIN MARKET New Zealand circus troupe the Dust Palace presents a production inspired by Christina Rossetti’s poem of dangerous and delicious temptation. Oct 3-14, 8 pm, York Theatre (639 Commercial). Tix $22-49, info www.thecultch. com/events/goblin-market/.

HYPERLINK Elbow Theatre presents the world premiere of the show that delves into life online and the limits of digital empathy. Oct 4-14, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix from $25, info www. firehallartscentre.ca/onstage/hyperlink/.

For up-to-the-minute, searchable Arts listings on your phone, visit

www.straight.com

2ONGOING

GINA BRILLON

SUGAR SAMMY

ALONZO BODDEN

OCTOBER 14 • 7 PM CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ALSO APPEARING IN SURREY OCTOBER 13 TICKETMASTER 1-855-985-5000 WWW.TICKETMASTER.CA

Media partner

HAHAHA.COM/COMEDYTOUR

VANCOUVER CIVIC THEATRES

Watch this space.

ORPHEUM | VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE | ANNEX VANCOUVERCIVICTHEATRES.COM

34 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

ET CETERA 2THIS WEEK

A VIEW FROM CALAIS “The authorities have announced a final eviction of the Jungle. Hoshyar’s house is to be demolished, along with most of the camp.” This is just one brutally moving moment in Kate Evans’s Threads: From the Refugee Crisis, the graphic novel where she documents the Calais Jungle and follows the experiences of Iraqi refugee Hoshyar. Evans culled the stories and images from travelling to the beleaguered refugee city, and she’ll relate some of those experiences at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts’ Beyond Words series on Friday (September 29). Projections of her vivid drawings and live music by Iranian-Canadian hand drummer Hamin Honari liven up the readings; stay for a panel discussion afterward.

ANGELS IN AMERICA, PART TWO: PERESTROIKA The Arts Club Theatre Company presents director Kim Collier's version of playwright Tony Kushner's work that sees characters wrestle with their ideologies as the AIDS epidemic rages in 1980s America. To Oct 8, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville).

Info www.artsclub.com/.

YEKWON SUNWOO The Vancouver Recital Society presents the classical pianist in a program of works by Schubert, Grainger, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel. Oct 1, 3 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix from $25, info 604-602-0363, www.vanrecital.com/.

DANCE

COMEDY

2THIS WEEK

2ONGOING

KOKORO DANCE: EMBRYOTROPHIC CAVATINA The local butoh ensemble presents the world premiere of a new work choreographed by Barbara Bourget and Jay Hirabayashi. To Sep 29, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews). Tix from $25, info www.kokoro.ca/.

THE COMEDY MIX 1015 Burrard, Century Plaza Hotel & Spa, 604-684-5050, www. thecomedymix.com/. Comedy club with pro-am night Tue at 8:30 pm, showcase Wed at 8:30 pm, and featured headliners Thu at 8:30 pm and Fri-Sat at 8 and 10:30 pm. 2JOHN ROY Sep 28-30 2PETE ZEDLACHER Oct 5-7 2DEANNE SMITH Oct 12-14 2LACHLAN PATTERSON Oct 19-21

FEASTING ON FAMINE Radical System Art presents Shay Kuebler's story of one man's journey through the extremes of bodybuilding and fitness. Sep 27-30, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix from $25, info www.firehallartscentre.ca/ onstage/feasting-on-famine/.

YUK YUK'S COMEDY CLUB 2837 Cambie, 604-696-9857, www.yukyuks.com/ vancouver/. Comedy club with Top Talent Tue at 8 pm, amateur night Wed at 8 pm, and professional headliners Thu-Fri at 8 pm and Sat at 7 and 9:30 pm. 2TAYLOR WILLIAMSON Sep 28-30

MUSIC

VANCOUVER THEATRESPORTS LEAGUE Some of the world's most daring and innovative improv. #NoFilter (Thu, 9:15 pm); Ok Tinder (Fri and Sat, 11:15 pm); Rookie Night (Sun, 7:30 pm); TheatreSports (Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sat, 7:30 pm; Wed, 9:15 pm; Fri and Sat, 9:30 pm). Sep 27–Oct 4, The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau, Granville Island). Info www.vtsl.com/.

2THIS WEEK ARIEL BARNES AND MANITOBA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Vancouver cellist Ariel Barnes and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra present an evening of classical works by Haydn, Michael Oesterle, and Mozart. Sep 30, 7:30-9:30 pm, Kay Meek Centre (1700 Mathers Ave., West Van). Tix $29-55, info www.kaymeek.com/.

JANE COOP, PIANO Canadian pianist performs music by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff. Oct 1, 11 am, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Tix $15-49, info www.musiconmain.ca/concerts/janecoop-piano/.

of 50 years of Georgia Straight covers that contains background for each of the covers along with some detailed history of both the counterculture and Vancouver.

Sep 27, doors 6:30 pm, event 7 pm, Book Warehouse (4118 Main St.). Info www. facebook.com/events/147668235823478/.

KATE EVANS: THREADS Cartoonist, activist, and author Kate Evans recalls her experiences at France’s Calais Jungle refugee camp as told in her 2017 graphic novel Threads: From the Refugee Crisis.

Sep 29, 7:30-9:30 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC).

Tix from $20, info www.chancentre.com/ events/kate-evans-threads/.

AS YOU LIKE IT Studio 58 presents Michael Scholar Jr.'s version of William Shakespeare's comedy that flips the traditional rules of romance. Sep 28–Oct 15, 8 pm, Studio 58 (Langara College, 100 W. 49th). Tix from $12.50, info www.studio58.ca/.

on the web!

HOSTED BY

straight choices

LITERARY EVENTS 2THIS WEEK THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Celebrate the launch of Doug Sarti and Dan McLeod's The Georgia Straight, A 50th Anniversary Celebration, a collection

B.C. CULTURE DAYS Celebrate B.C.'s culture with over 7,500 free activities in 900 cities and towns. Highlights include digital photo restoration, pianos on the street, a scavenger hunt, open studios, exhibitions, art walks, and workshops.

Sep 29–Oct 1, various B.C. venues. Info www.bc.culturedays.ca/.

GALLERIES VANCOUVER ART GALLERY 750 Hornby, 604-662-4719, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/.

2CLAUDE MONET'S SECRET GARDEN (exhibit showcases 38 paintings that span the career of the French artist who is regarded as a master of the impressionist movement) to Oct 1

MUSEUMS THE MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC 6393 NW Marine Drive, www.moa. ubc.ca/. 2TRACES OF WORDS: ART AND CALLIGRAPHY FROM ASIA (multimedia exhibition examines the physical traces of words, both spoken and recorded, that are unique to humans) to Oct 9

OUT OF TOWN 2JUST ANNOUNCED WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL The 16th annual celebration of the written word features 60 authors and publishers.

Oct 12-15, various Whistler venues. Info www.whistlerwritersfest.com/.

straight choices

GET THE DIRT Prepare for the shock of seeing the merrily babbling Winnie (Beverly Barda) buried up to her waist in dirt when the curtain rises on the ironically titled Happy Days, UBC Theatre and Film season opener and a particularly bleak little offering from Samuel Beckett.

Fellow alumnus Joe Procyk plays Willie, and faculty of arts assistant dean and MFA directing alumnus Gerald Vanderwoude directs this absurdist look at relationships.

Expect to be as puzzled as you are fascinated by this woman engulfed in earth, Wednesday to Saturday (September 27 to 30) at the Frederic Wood Theatre. Small wonder the New York Times has called it “one of the most unsettling and unforgettable plays in the modern canon”.

TIME OUT ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

FOOD

Experts offer tips on pairing sake with food

W

hen Osaka native Iori Kataoka says. “A lot of people still Kataoka opened her say, ‘Oh, I can’t drink sake.’ But Japanese restaurant there’s not just one kind of sake. on Vancouver’s West There is so much to explore.

Side in 2005, she hoped to offer a “Pairing it with food has the menu that paired the dishes of her same rules, the same ideas, as home country with sake. She found wine,” she adds. “You look for herself making matches with wine something that’s going to compleinstead—but not for lack of trying. ment or contrast the f lavours.”

“There wasn’t enough sake availKataoka is a certified advanced able,” Kataoka says in an interview sake professional with Tokyo’s Sake downtown. “There was industrial Education Council and a kikisakesake in a box that shi, or sake sommeyou heated up to lier. In 2008, she hide the f laws. opened ShuRaku There were only Sake Bar and BisGail Johnson three kinds, and tro (833 Granville they all came in boxes.”

Street), which serves about 30 differThings have changed since her Zest ent types of the fermented rice wine.

Japanese Cuisine launched more than Both it and Yuwa offer sake pairings a decade ago. That restaurant has just and sake flights. been reborn as Yuwa Japanese CuiSake is made from rice that is polsine (2775 West 16th Avenue), with ished, washed, and steamed. Different a mission to highlight the country’s categories of sake are broken down in regional variations. Well-known res- terms of how much each grain of rice taurants everywhere from Paris to is milled. Premium sake has been polNew York are specializing in sake, ished at least 30 percent, which means and given the proliferation of high- that 70 percent of each grain remains. quality sake available on local liquor- It then gets more complicated than store shelves now, Kataoka is going that, depending on whether any disback to her original plan. tilled alcohol is added.

“Doing sake and food pairings World Sake Day takes place every was a dream from the beginning,” year on October 1. That date was

ENTRÉE SPECIAL

Iori Kataoka says the same rules apply to pairing wine and pairing sake.

chosen because it’s the traditional starting date of sake production in Japan. San Francisco, which has the largest Sake Day celebration outside of Japan, has celebrated for the past 12 years. The Sake Association of British Columbia, meanwhile, kicked off its annual celebration last year. This year’s event will include a trade portion featuring products from 21 brewers and importers from Japan, Canada, and the United States, as well as consumer

tomatoes and peppers and cheese.

On a cold and rainy day, Victoria would serve sake with a pot roast containing root vegetables. She says it even goes nicely with desserts, including chocolate.

Food-and-sake pairings at Yuwa include sockeye salmon sanshozuke-ae, a dish found in Hokkaido or Tohoku.

Served with taro chips, it consists of salmon and avocado tartare marinated in shio-koji malt soy sauce with spicy green pepper and bits of rice cracker.

“When you are having a spicy item, go with sake that’s slightly sweet,” Kataoka says. “It’s the same idea as Riesling with spicy Chinese food. I would suggest nigori sake, which is cloudy sake, as it complements the koji rice malt and it has sweetness.”

Sizzling wagyu steak, meanwhile, would go nicely with a junmai yamahai sake, which has a wild, gamy flavour.

“This sake’s higher acidity level cuts through the oiliness of wagyu beef,” Kataoka says. “Its mushroom and earthy tones complement beef. When it’s warmed gently, it’s very comforting in colder weather.” The Vancouver Sake Fest takes place on Thursday (September 28) at the Imperial (319 Main Street).

(with the purchase of beverages)

2 FOR 1

ONE PER DINING EXPERIENCE

Best Eats

tasting of dozens of different grades and classifications.

Lara Victoria, founder of Cru Classe Hospitality Corp., is another local sake expert. She travelled to Japan earlier this year to become certified by the London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust as a sake educator in a program sponsored by the Japanese government. She was one of eight people from around the world (and the only Canadian) to be invited.

(Victoria is teaching a WSET Level 1 Award in Sake class on October 7 at VanDusen Botanical Garden.)

While in Japan, Victoria learned this expression: “Sake does not fight with food.”

“I have yet to find a food that does not go nicely with sake,” Victoria says in an interview in Chinatown. “It’s amazing with fish and chips or with clam chowder. I would like to see every seafood restaurant in B.C. carry sake.

“It’s great with spicy food,” she adds. “Sake and Indian food are best friends. Or Malaysian food; it would be great with beef biryani.”

Victoria notes that sake is naturally gluten-free and is devoid of sulphites, unlike most wine. She says sake would also pair well with something simple like a grilled panini with roasted

(se (second entrée of equal or lesser value) up to $1 Valid until Oct. 28, 2017. Not valid with other $15. co coupons or other in-house offers or event nights.

Gr Gratuities based on TOTAL bill before discount.

Free Street Parking!

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

#thetipperrestaurant #lovestories #dineindiner #thetipper

2066 KINGSWAY (at Victoria) Victo | 604.873.1010 | www.thebottletipper.com

> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < HALLOWEEN AT THE POLICE MUSEUM

r

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: OCTOBER 31, 2015 WHERE: Vancouver Police Museum You were the over-enthusiastic girl who jumped at the chance to head into the autopsy. I was the “cute pathologist” who led the tour. You posted an I Saw You asking to grab a drink. It’s been the best two years of my life. Will you marry me?

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 10, 2017 WHERE: Rickshaw Theatre Should have asked you guys for a nightcap... doh!

PRETTY GIRL OUT FOR BREAKFAST

r

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 WHERE: De Dutch in Port Coquitlam You walked in and there were several people in the waiting area, including me. We kept looking at each other. I was the tall guy with sweats, a hoodie and hat on. You had brown hair, brown eyes and were wearing black Nike spandex.

You were with a couple and were seated near me. I’d love to know your name and connect with you somehow.

BEAUTIFUL BLONDE IN LINE

r

r

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 WHERE: Value village on Hastings We were waiting in line at Value Village and then u had mentioned the long wait. We started chatting for a bit then it was time to buy my shit (Stupid ring). I was the tall guy in the white shirt with dark hair and a bit of facial hair. You were the cute blonde with brown eyes. I think you were buying a skirt or something like that. I wish the line was longer so I could try to get your name. Maybe we’ll meet again.

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 WHERE: Wreck Beach I think you were with many of your sorority sisters. I was leaving the beach wearing a black Under Armour cap. I like what I saw and I think you did too.

Want to talk?

SAVVY BLONDE GROCERY SHOPPER DESPITE DANGEROUS CART DRIVING

r

THE CHURCH

r

STUNNING BEACH GIRL

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 WHERE: Your Independent Grocer on Davie You were studiously buying bacon when I gracefully interrupted to reach my sandwich meat. Afterwards in the dairy/ freezer aisle I joked about the perils of Friday night shopping when you hit a display with your cart. As I was hurriedly on my way to work, I had hoped to banter with you at the checkout line up & seek out further conversation. Tremendously bad decision on my part, so I grasp at this straw... Enjoy your bacon!

VERY CHARMING, BEAUTIFUL AND SEXY

r

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 WHERE: Starbucks at Canada Place I was sitting at Starbucks on the left side of Canada Place at 6 pm. You were wearing beige coat, blue jeans and brown shoes. Your hair was beautifully dressed. You passed by me while I was drinking my coffee sitting outside the coffee shop.

FETISH BALL

r

r

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 29, 2017 WHERE: Harbour Event Center Me petite blonde pink collar and ball gag being led around by my owner. You tall dark raven hair wearing full leather you seemed to be there alone asked my owner if you could spank me! I loved it would love to get together for another spanking and what ever else you may be into !!

CANADA POST ENCOUNTER

s

r

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 WHERE: Canada Post, East Vancouver

SATURDAY SEPT. 30

I work at Canada Post and you (and your friend) came in to drop off some parcels on Tuesday I believe? You complimented me, and I couldn’t help but feel like we had a real connection. You were younger, well kept, and dripping with charm. I doubt you will see this, but if you do - I’d love to connect. Wine?

11 A.M. – 7 P.M.

GARDEN CITY LANDS RICHMOND BC

BRAZIL AGAIN? TALL HANDSOME MAN ON FLIGHT FROM CHICAGO TO VANCOUVER

s

r

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 WHERE: Flight from Chicago to Vancouver We sat beside each other on the fight from Chicago and chatted quite a bit. You were interesting and charming, but we never exchanged names! I didn’t realize this til the last minute, but then it was too late and we parted ways... In case a friend of your's reads this, you are tall/fair, fit, midaged, grew up in Campbell River, now live in Langley (with horses?), and you raced cars with your son - now 21 and off to Europe this weekend to work in a winery! Would love to connect... swap more travel stories... have a glass of wine ourselves!

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:

COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE | MUSIC & PERFORMANCES LOCAL FOOD, BEER & WINE | AGRICULTURAL DISPLAYS FAMILY FRIENDLY | STRAW BALE SLIDE

FEATURING A HEADLINER PERFORMANCE BY

JON AND ROY

I WANT UKE BACK

r

RICHMONDHARVESTFEST.COM

s

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 WHERE: Creekside Tap & Barrel or Somewhere Nearby Me: sad cyclist You: a tan pannier with red trim containing a black ukulele case Ukulele: mahogany, made by Kala. We Biked the Night together, went for drinks at the Tap & Barrel, then somewhere along the ride home you totally bailed on me. I searched and searched but couldn’t find you. I just want to make sweet music together again, plus you took my iPod with you.

CITYOFRICHMONDPARKS

MAIN STAGE SPONSOR

MARKET SPONSOR

CULINARY STAGE SPONSORS

COMMUNITY PARTNER

MEDIA SPONSORS

Visit straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _ SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 35

FOOD

Full Moon

are

KARAOKE SEP 28 SEP 29 SEP 30 OCT 1

you

HARPDOG BROWN BLIND PIGEON FULL MOON SONS OF THE HOE

HOSTED BY:

NO COVER

7 DAYS A WEEK

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!

NO COVER • FREE MEAL WITH A PURCHASE OF A DRINK ON MONDAY IS BACK

9:30PM-CLOSE

EVIL BASTARD KARAOKE EXPERIENCE OPEN UNTIL 3AM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

OCT

6 THE MENZINGERS

OCT

7

PETUNIA AND THE VIPERS

OCT

8 BORIS

OCT

SAM COFFEY

OCT

13

ACTORS

PURITANS (ALBUM RELEASE),

CROATIA

OCT

14 COMEDY SHOCKER XIV

OCT

14 THE ACCIDENTALS

OCT

17 AFGHAN WHIGS

JANE STANTON, EMMA COOPER, ASHKAN MOHAMMADI, MIKEY DUBS, SAM TONNING, HOST MARK HUGHES

WITH WEST OF MEMPHIS AND GUEST JAKE ALLEN

HAR MAR SUPERSTAR

OCT

22

*EARLY SHOW* 7 PM *LATE SHOW* 9:45PM

REVOCATION, FULL OF HELL, ARTIFICIAL BRAIN, EVILOSITY

SECONDHAND SERENADE

27 GENITORTURERS

UPTIGHTS, PET BLESSINGS

( VIDEO RELEASE )

18 CATTLE DECAPITATION

OCT

THE BALLANTYNES,

THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

To subscribe visit STRAIGHT.COM/NEWSLETTERS

OCT

THE CROW QUILL NIGHT OWLS, OCT THE BURYING GROUND 26

SUMAC, ENDON

12 & THE IRON LUNGS

LIST?

1038 Main Street IVANHOE PUB

BROADWAY CALLS, CARPENTER

(ALBUM RELEASE)

on the

SIGN UP FOR

& MORE

& MORE

OCT

28 ILL PHIL & AVERAGE GYPSY

HOSTS LITTLE T, BOTE, LUPO THE WOLF

OCT

SUFFOCATION, DECREPIT

BIRTH, NECROT, ANGELMAKER, 31 THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER WORMWITCH, REVENGER

NOV

1 BUTCHER BABIES

NOV

2

HELLCHAMBER AND ANARCHEON

NOMADIC MASSIVE

NOV AN EVENING WITH

3 DEER TICK

& MORE

JENA FRIEDMAN

HUSKER DU, & SUGAR LEGEND

BOB MOULD

(SOLO/ELECTRIC) FIRST VANCOUVER SHOW IN 9 YEARS! (S

WITH SPECIAL GUEST FORD W

PIER

TICKETS: RED CAT, HIGHLIFE, ZULU, NEPTOON & WWW.RICKSHAWTHEATRE.COM T

Authentic Greek Food Extensive Wine & Bar List

1830 Fir St. Vancouver | 604.736.9559

www.apolloniagreekrestaurant.com CLOSED MONDAYS

36 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Wine veteran isn’t going out to pasture

O

h, what a summer we’ve had had was a bowl of dirt from one of his in the B.C. wine industry. vineyards. Before we talked grapes, As local wildfires and before we talked wine, and way bethick smoke dominated fore we talked sales, we talked soil the conversation almost as much and why it mattered. The vineyard as they did our skies, there were a was his first priority and, to him, the few seismic shifts on the business most important part. side of things that had heads turnBack to this summer and the aning and jaws dropping throughout nouncement of his retirement. the province.

Although he’d had a lengthy, laudIt was the third week of June ed, and award-winning career, he is when Ontario-based Andrew Peller a family man and it seemed logical Limited, the parent company of that this would be a good time to B.C.–based wineries Peller Estates, put his feet up. At the same time, Red Rooster Winery, and Sand- in this industry—which is driven, hill (among others), announced the in large part, by passion—it’s rare coming retirement of its long-time that its legends call it quits for good. master winemaker, Howard Soon.

One only has to look at other CanSoon—who was raised on Van- adian wine veterans to see the truth couver’s West Side and graduated of this: Harry McWatters of Sumac from Kitsilano Secondary School— Ridge fame is commemorating his worked toward what would be his 50th year in the business and is now lifelong career by studying bio- just beginning his new Time Winchemistry at UBC and then busi- ery project in Penticton, and Don ness administration at the Univer- Triggs of Jackson-Triggs fame is sity of Manitoba. now at the helm of He then joined his newish OliAndrew Peller’s ver project, the family business at Culmina Family Kurtis Kolt Calona Wines, beEstate Winery. ginning what would be 37 consecuThose curious about what, if anytive vintages working as winemaker thing, Soon was going to do next for the expanding company. were immediately distracted by the Nowadays he’s best known for the early-September news that Andrew Sandhill wine project, which began Peller had acquired the Okanagan in 1997 with a focus on single-vine- Valley’s Black Hills Estate Winery, yard wines and an innovative “small Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, and Gray lots” project where Canadian wine Monk Estate Winery. enthusiasts were exposed to uncomIt was as the dust was settling on mon (around these parts) single- that news that the question about varietal wines like Sangiovese and Soon got answered. On September Barbera, along with takes on red 25, a news release landed in indusBordeaux blends and the Super Tus- try email inboxes announcing that can wines of Italy.

Similkameen Valley–based Vanessa Soon, an enthusiastic ambassa- Vineyards have brought on Soon as dor for Canadian wines, was known their master winemaker. Hardly new for ensuring the vineyard where the to that land, Soon has been working grapes grew shared the marquee with with Vanessa’s fruit since its incepthe brand name on the front of his tion in 2006, as much of it was sold wines’ bottles, along with each vine- to Peller for its Sandhill wines and yard’s grower getting name-dropped others, and the sturdy and concenon the back of the bottle. Although trated wines under the winery’s this may be de rigueur now, shining eponymous label were made under a light on terroir, back in the day it licence by Soon and his team. certainly wasn’t as common. Local The Similkameen’s hot, dry conwinemakers barely encountered their ditions, coupled with well-drained fruit or put much stock in growing soil rich in calcium carbonate, make conditions until it was purchased and Vanessa Vineyards’ 30 hectares arrived at the winery for processing. prime for the Cabernet Sauvignon, I first met the guy back in 2000, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, when I was serving and oversee- Petit Verdot, and Syrah that occupy ing the wine program at (the re- much of their land. Soon’s appointcently shuttered) Trafalgars Bistro ment is also a hearty endorsement of in Kitsilano, not too far from where the Similkameen region as a whole: Soon grew up. With his Vancouver- although it makes up less than 10 based wine agent, he had come in percent of B.C.’s vineyard acreage, to meet me and taste me through a I’d venture to say that a higher perflight of his wines. The moment he centage of our quality wines is comwalked into the restaurant, his dedi- ing from there (see Orofino Winery, cation to the vineyard was appar- Clos du Soleil Winery, Little Farm ent. Actually, the very moment he Winery, and the like). walked in, I thought he was bringing Let me be among the first to welhis own food or something, because come Soon back to the industry afhe was carrying a big pasta bowl ter what must be one of the shortest covered with plastic wrap. As we sat retirements ever. I look forward to down and he began to remove the seeing what comes out of this new covering, I saw that what he actually bowl of dirt. -

The Bottle

UPCOMING ISSUES

9th Year Anniversary All Dosa’s on special

$699*

Expires Oct. 15 /17 *some exceptions apply

OCTOBER 10 Fall Food & Drinks

OCTOBER 12 Writers Festival

Tues. - Sun. 11:30am to 10pm (Closed Monday)

5656 Fraser St. @ 41 st Ave, Van

604-327-1233

madrasdosahouse.com

OCTOBER 19 Healthy Living To advertise contact 604.730.7020 or sales@straight.com

MUSIC

As artistic goals go, it’s a strange one: to creBY MIKE US IN G ER

ate the sort of recording that’s best enjoyed as an unobtrusive aural backdrop. But that’s very much the blueprint Austra was working from when she was making her gorgeous third album, Future Politics.

“I definitely, when I started out making this record, had this idea that I wanted to make background music,” says the artist known to her mom as Katie Stelmanis, on the line from a Winnipeg tour stop.

“I don’t really know where that came from. When I started making music, I kind of had this idea that I wanted to make music that was sort of at the edge of what people were capable of listening to. I put out a record as Katie Stelmanis before Austra, and that record was really harsh—it’s a really intense listen.

I’ve kind of been toning down since then. Before this record, I guess I was listening to a lot of jazz and also a lot of chilled-out music. So I really wanted to make background music—music you could put on in a coffee shop and it would sound good.”

Swaths of Future Politics are indeed beautiful enough to lose yourself in: the album traffics in futuristic synth-pop dressed up with dreamcatcher vocals, regal strings, and tribal percussion.

Despite Austra’s original intentions, the album

Out of the background

Austra’s Katie Stelmanis (flanked by bandmates Dorian Wolf and Maya Postepski) says she found new hope in the possibilities of the human imagination.

end the need for labour.

All this gave her a fresh perspective on our increasingly complex times.

While Stelmanis might Katie Stelmanis channelled her worries about have started out thinkthe state of the world into Austra’s Future Politics ing about background isn’t without an edge; consider the rumble-in-the- music, Future Politics is a smart record that takes jungle electrocumbia backbone of “Freepower”. on big themes. The title track, which works a deli“Throughout the writing process, I started to cious retro disco groove, has her declaring “A grave realize that I couldn’t really play any of the songs has been dug/I’m looking for something/To rise that I was making live,” Stelmanis explains. “We above,” followed by “I’m not a coward like them/ survive by being a live band, so I definitely needed I don’t need more money.” The bass-bombed “Utoto pick things up a little bit.” pia” takes a look at what happens when cities are The singer freely admits that she wasn’t in the taken over by those for whom maximizing profits best of places mentally leading up to the writing is more important than building communities. of Future Politics. After touring hard for 2013’s “The record started out very bleak because I critically celebrated Olympia, the Torontonian was feeling kind of hopeless about, really, the state relocated to Montreal, a decision that eventually of the environment and the state of the world,” started to feel like the wrong one. That likely ex- she says. “I kind of made it my job to figure out plains Future Politics tracks like “I’m a Monster” a way to fix it—which obviously I’m not going to and “I Love You More Than You Love Yourself”. do. Still, I get really obsessive about reading about The former is a disembodied dream that finds the economy and reading about the environment.

Austra sinking into lines such as “I don’t feel Eventually, the concept of science fiction really nothing anymore,” the latter a neon-glow post- started to make me optimistic. The possibilities of house thumper where the title says it all. the human imagination became something that “It’s hard transitioning out of the touring life I found super inspiring. It gave the record much to the being-at-home life,” Stelmanis says. “It’s a more of an uplifting outlook.” shock—there’s definitely such a thing as post-tour Of course, staying positive these days is condepression. When you’re touring, you kind of lose siderably more challenging than it was a year ago. touch with your friends and your community. Then It often seems like the planet has been turned upyou come back and it just feels weird. For me, I made side down, thanks to the lunacy of an American the choice to move to Montreal, where I know a lot president who seemingly has the world on the of people, but I don’t have a lot of super-close friends. brink of a nuclear war.

And so it ended up being kind of a lonely time.”

“It’s definitely a process—I don’t think that I’m Out of that came something good. Determined ever fully out of the darkness,” Stelmanis says. to shake things up, Stelmanis—who speaks only “It’s always like I’ve got one foot on either side. basic survival Spanish—decided to move to Mex- I guess I’m a little bit manic like that, where I can ico City, where she had friends. That sparked a have a few hours of being completely depressed creatively fertile period when she was inspired not and then just come right out of it and be super only by a new world around her, but also by her stoked about everything.” discovery of books that ask some big questions, Despite it all, Stelmanis says she is indeed hopeincluding Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and ful about where the world is headed, noting that a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Future Politics is meant to be about the potential Williams. The book argues that technology will of the human race rather than its failings. eventually free us from capitalism because it will “I made a record that was really about being

optimistic,” she says. “I felt like ‘I have this message and I really want it to get through to people.’

Then Brexit happened and Donald Trump happened, which I didn’t anticipate at all. That completely changed everything. It’s definitely hard for me to keep being optimistic, but the message that I once felt sure about is still something that I think I should still pay attention to. We need to change the way that people think on a mass scale. Encouraging people to think outside the box really is important to get where we need to go.” Austra plays the Imperial on Friday (September 29).

in + out

On Mexico City: “I booked a one-way ticket without really knowing anything about the city. It was an extreme contrast that proved to be super beneficial. I had a bunch of acquaintances that I randomly hung out with, and because of that ended up meeting some of the right people right away.”

On science fiction: “Some of it is bleak, but then there’s also Star Trek, which is kind of like this semi-utopian world without money that’s postwar, postpoverty, and all these other things.

There’s a book I want to read called Trekanomics, which is all about whether the economics of Star Trek is possible, which I believe it is.”

On Toronto and Vancouver: “Both are becoming rapidly financialized—where the idea is to take advantage of every single square inch of the city to make a profit on it. Everybody is being strangled by rent. When I first started in music I was also working in restaurants, and I never paid more than $300 in rent. I don’t know how I would have gotten to where I am now if I’d been paying $900 in a shared apartment.”

☞

NEW PORNOGRAPHERS TACK LE ANXIE TY >>> If you’re the analytical sort,

2 and have time on your hands,

let me introduce you to how you might want to spend your weekend: listening to the latest New Pornographers album, Whiteout Conditions. And maybe taking notes.

As singer, guitarist, and songwriter-in-chief Carl Newman readily notes, on the line from his home in upstate New York, he’s often been accused of willful obscurity.

But rarely have his songs been as nuanced or as layered as they are on the bicoastal ensemble’s seventh release. Although each stands alone as a study in pitch-perfect pop craft, together they dip in and out of at least four distinct thematic strands, including submersion, whether in a rising tide of emotion or the floodwaters of global warming; travel’s dislocating blur; and the shifting boundaries of the social and political rules we live by.

Plus, not surprisingly, the overwhelming presence of anxiety in all of our lives.

“Lyrically, a lot of stuff just comes out,” Newman says, adding that much of Whiteout Conditions was written during the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in 2016. “Like, ‘High Ticket Attraction’ ended up being quite a political song, although I didn’t know it as I was writing it. I was just writing.

Stuff comes out, and you try not to second-guess it. It’s only when you go back and listen to it that you realize that ‘Oh, I was completely singing about the anxiety of 2016.

I was singing about the anxiety of a possible Trump presidency.’

“Sometimes I think I’m writing something that’s very cryptic, and then I look back and think ‘Oh, this isn’t cryptic at all,’” he adds wryly.

“Essentially I was putting down what I was thinking on paper.”

President 45 makes a return appearance on “Avalanche Alley”.

“Jewels in your crown/are loud and proudly fake,” Newman sings, in a clear dig at a certain political carny. But could those words be

Carl Newman (left) found liberation in coming to terms with depression.

read as pointing inward?

“Obviously I deal with impostor syndrome, like a lot of people,” he says. “But I don’t think I was talking about impostor syndrome there—or maybe that’s just a permanent subtext to everything.”

Whiteout Conditions’ primary

Katie Stelmanis sounds off on the things that enquiring minds want to know.

subtext, Newman goes on to say, is his realization that, for years, he’s been a high-functioning depressive.

“I’ve been dealing with anxiety and depression, to varying degrees, all my life,” he contends. “And coming to terms with it, there’s a certain sort of liberation that comes from ‘Oh, that was it! It just makes sense now.’

So I’ve kind of embraced it—like ‘Oh, thank God that’s what it is. I’ve just suffered from something that massive amounts of people suffer from, and now I know what it is.’ ” Newman’s relief is palpable. And even though his lyrics are still dark enough to fascinate any shrink, his music already seems to embody this new reality. Whiteout Conditions—which Newman penned singlehandedly, without the help of his bandmates and occasional songwriting partners Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, and Dan Bejar— is more straightforward and less filigreed than its 2014 predecessor, Brill Bruisers. For the New Pornographers, it rocks hard—although

Newman contends that its newwave overtones have always been part of the band’s makeup.

“I was a kid when all those records came out: the first B-52’s record, the first Cars record, [Blondie’s] Parallel Lines, Cheap Trick at Budokan, Joe Jackson’s first album,” he says. “It’s music that I consider classic, and it takes me back to a nice part of childhood, so that’s what I’m always going for.” > ALEXANDER VARTY

The New Pornographers play the Commodore Ballroom on Friday (September 29).

Soul Clap duo found funk at an impressionable age According to DJ and producer

2 Charles “Cnyce” Levine—one

half of house duo Soul Clap—the expense of sending kids to summer camp is worth it. see next page

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 37

Soul Clap

from previous page

When he was packed off to his local establishment as a child in the ’90s, Levine encountered a number of counsellors who were, bizarrely, obsessed by funk and soul. Playing artists like Parliament-Funkadelic, Barry White, and Earth, Wind & Fire, the group of teens unwittingly converted a generation of campers to the velvety tones of Otis Redding. It was a formative moment for the youngster.

“I wanted to be with these camp counsellors all the time because they were so cool,” Levine recalls, on the line from New York City. “There was a camper band, and they ran it, so I joined the group. I was the lead singer and played guitar in a P-Funk cover band before I even hit puberty.”

Eli “Elyte” Goldstein, his musical partner, has a similar story.

“I didn’t discover the genre through camp, but it definitely came at a younger age for me too,” he tells the Straight on a conference call with his bandmate. “I was playing jazz saxophone, and I was really into it when I was a child. Through that, I discovered jazz funk.”

That love never left the pair. Now producing records and spinning tracks with a disco-funk feel, Soul Clap has teamed those early influences with electronic beats, creating two full albums of original music that match thumping house rhythms with smooth vocals, energy-filled synths, and horn sections. Given the duo’s motto, it’s not hard to see how they arrived at that sound.

“We had this teacher in Boston, a woman at a record store,” Goldstein says. “She was one of our mentors. She taught us that house wears many hats.”

“That’s how music was when the genre came about,” Levine jumps in.

“That kind of mix that people like Frankie Knuckles were playing in warehouses was really eclectic and across the board. We still follow that.

We love all kinds of electronic music, and we try to mix it up.”

Soul Clap’s dedication to pushing

Cousins Kacy & Clayton—or Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum, according to their driver’s licences—began performing together in rural Saskatchewan.

the boundaries of funky house hasn’t gone unrecognized. In 2011, along with red-hot jazz-funk outfit Wolf + Lamb, the pair was commissioned for a prestigious DJ-Kicks mix. They’ve been tapped four times to record a Boiler Room set. And a few months ago, the group was awarded one of the highest honours in the DJ world: its very own Fabric mix series. Submitting 80 tracks to the label that were distilled down to 34, Soul Clap has created a record that moves through spacy, mellow synths to woozy disco and left-field, laid-back funk.

“The Fabric mix was really up in the air, so we’ve been really lucky,” Goldstein says. “They’re actually wrapping up the series soon, and it was great to get in there with whatever opening they had. We’ve been speaking to them about doing it for years. They were waiting for the club to reopen before we could release it.

Thank god it did.” > KATE WILSON

Soul Clap plays M.I.A. on Saturday (September 30).

Kacy & Clayton still humble despite wowing famous fans A great way to avoid being

2 disappointed by life is to keep

one’s expectations modest—a reality that’s not lost on Clayton Linthicum

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.

Scan to confess I liked life so much better before social media...

People connected in real life, you didn’t have to be hurt by other people’s posts, and you didn’t have to know what your ex was doing (or who they’re doing). I miss the simple days.

Oder Eater Sometimes my association with fake smells that are used to cover up body smells become as bad as the smell that they were meant to cover up.

First World Problems I saw someone walking by the news on TV about hurricanes in the Caribbean, muttering “There’s not going to be anywhere to go on vacation.”

People rarely change... so please save your time and heart and if someone does you wrong (like a bf or gf), move on. Don’t waste your energy or tears on anyone who disrespects you. You’ll feel like you are on a rollercoaster unless you decide to get off the ride.

The worst part about getting is old.. ...is that I seem to have become invisible. I don’t seek attention but it would be really nice to have a cashier acknowledge my existence

running for trains Everyday I see people running for the skytrain, I don’t understand why, it runs quite frequently.

Visit 38 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

to post a Confession

of Canadian psych-tinged Americana duo Kacy & Clayton. When the guitarist and occasional singer first started getting serious about music with his honey-voiced cousin Kacy Anderson, neither was dreaming about scoring platinum records or selling out Madison Square Garden.

“I would say that all I wanted to do was do one tour, and then make the next one better,” Linthicum says with a laugh, speaking from his home in Saskatoon. “You know, like ‘Let’s try not to take so much time between songs on our next tour.’ Or ‘Let’s try and stay in a hotel.’ Those were the sorts of things that we dreamed of. But over time, it’s really become pretty nice.”

That’s something of an understatement, but perhaps that’s to be expected, considering Linthicum comes across as a humble and modest guy. Over the course of four albums, including the recently released The Siren’s Song, Kacy & Clayton have been gushed over by publications ranging from Rolling Stone to No Depression. Along the way, they’ve made some high-profile fans, including Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.

Linthicum and Anderson opened for Wilco in San Francisco, leaving the singer so impressed he decided to produce The Siren’s Song.

For Linthicum and Anderson—who started performing as Kacy & Clayton in rural Saskatchewan—working with Tweedy was, understandably, both daunting and a learning experience. One of the most striking things about The Siren’s Song is how warm the record feels, from the shuffling funk of “Just Like a Summer Cloud” to the gorgeously tape-hissed acoustic ballad “Go and Leave Me”. It’s the sound of a band that’s playing live off the floor.

“Not only was that encouraged, but there was no other option,” he says with a laugh. “We were all in the same room—everything was set up when we got there with our names written on our little areas. There’s no changing things once you get a little piece of tape with your name on it to let you know where you have to be. We had to fit into their style of working, which was that you get four takes on a reel of tape. It was some kind of two-inch tape machine that had about 20 minutes of recording time.”

While Linthicum says that was a challenge, the results are pretty magical, with Kacy & Clayton sounding like British-folk obsessives who might also be familiar with such landmarks as Gram Parsons’s Grievous Angel or Linda Ronstadt’s often overlooked but essential Hand Sown…Home Grown. The duo hunkers down on the porch for the Appalachia-flavoured “Cannery Yard” and dips into Bert Jansch territory for the surreal—and surreally funny—“The Siren’s Song”.

The duo is definitely onto something, as proven by the effusive praise for The Siren’s Song. Unsurprisingly, however, Linthicum isn’t getting swept up in the hype. Sometimes you have to keep your expectations low.

“Ever since I was about 14, doing music is how I’ve spent my time—all my time,” he says. “So I think being able to see whatever success we’re having is hard when you’re so busy with the daily tasks of being in a band and making music. But I will say that every time we go out on the road, something new and exciting happens.

So I guess we’re pretty lucky.” > MIKE USINGER

Kacy & Clayton play the Biltmore Cabaret on Thursday (September 28).

Boogie Nights presents

THU SEPT 28 The blaZing arrows FRI SEPT 29 SAT SEPT 30 SUN OCT 1

The Railway Stage presents

rampant lion

Lust For Life presents

Emily rowed w. gert Taberner Railway Stage presents

OZZTOBER ROCK BAND KARAOKE

Oct 5 Boogie Nights w. ELECTRIC MONKS Oct 6 Railway Stage w. THE ORANGE KYTE W. THE GODSPOT Oct 7 Lust For Life w. THE ROYAL FOUNDRY W. WINDMILLS

@RailwaySBC

579 Dunsmuir St

MUSIC IN FILM SUMMIT Find out more about the creation of music and sound design for film and T.V. Take part in networking opportunities with some of the industry’s top music supervisors and enjoy music-packed showcases of BC talent.

Oct. 2 Music BC presents SOUNDOFF a "How To" event Imperial, 6pm

Oct. 3

More at: goviff.org/amp

Full day summit Vancity Theatre, 9am-3:45pm

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3

LIINKS

Jon and Roy

So Loki

The Zolas

Sam the Astronaut

Brasstronaut

Desi Sub Culture

Louise Burns

Horsepowar

Little Destroyer

Tonye

Harj Nagra

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4 grafitician with visuals by Roxanne Nesbitt Full Schedule: goviff.org/live

Doors 7:00pm Show 8:30pm (8:00pm Oct. 4)

Fortune Sound Club

Tickets: $15

147 E Pender St

Live Score of Dead Shack: performed by Humans with visuals by Genki Nishida Live Score of Hollow in the Land: performed

by Edo Van Breeman with visuals by Scooter Corkle I M U R w/ live visuals by Laine Butler

SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 39

SARAH SLEAN This show marks a return to the stage by the singer-songwriter known for evocative lyricism—and daring live performances—after a six-year musical hiatus that fueled the profound observations in her latest work, Metaphysics. Oct 6, 8 pm, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts (2055 Purcell Way). Tix from $32, info www.capilanou.ca/centre/.

music/ timeout CONCERTS CLUBS & VENUES EVENTS OUT OF TOWN

HARRY MANX AND THE YALETOWN STRINGS Salt Spring Island blues/worldfusion singer-songwriter performs with the Yaletown String Quartet. Oct 21, 8 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix $40 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketfly.com/.

< < < <

CONCERTS 2JUST ANNOUNCED FROM NYC: GEORGE COLLIGAN TRIO One of the great jazz pianists of his generation, and a winner of the 2015 DownBeat magazine critics poll, George Colligan has worked with legends Buster Williams, Cassandra Wilson, and Ravi Coltrane, among others. Presented by Coastal Jazz.

Oct 5, 8 pm, Frankie’s Jazz Club (765 Beatty).

Tix $15, info www.coastaljazz.ca/.

JESSE COOK Canadian world-fusion guitarist tours in support of new album Beyond Borders. Oct 26, 7:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix $65160 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketmaster.ca/.

THE KILLERS American rock band tours in support of latest studio album Wonderful Wonderful. Dec 6, 8 pm, Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre (UBC). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, $95/75/55 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

CONTACT Winter music festival features performances by Marshmello, Armin Van Buuren, Adventure Club, Carnage, Tchami, Rezz, Alan Walker, Mr Carmack, Malaa, Cash Cash, Ekali, Destructo, Ghastly, Henry Fong, Tokimonsta, Say My Name, Falcons, Melvv, Parker, and Whipped Cream. Dec 26-27, BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Boulevard). Tix on sale Sep 27, 10 am at www.contact-festival.com/.

HIGH TIDE - SEPT 30

CORB LUND AND IAN TYSON Canadian country-roots artists coheadline in a performance of songs and stories. Jan 11, 8 pm, Vogue Theatre. Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, $55/42.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

YUNG LEAN Swedish rapper tours in support of upcoming new release. Jan 24, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, $30 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat Records and www.ticketfly.com/.

HEDLEY Canadian pop-rock group tours in support of seventh studio album Cageless, with guests Shawn Hook and Neon Dreams. Feb 5, Abbotsford Centre (33800 King Rd., Abbotsford). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, at www.livenation.com/.

THE BOOTS AND BABES BALL Country music by the James Barker Band, Meghan Patrick, and JoJo Mason. Feb 10, 8:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Sep 28, 10 am, $25 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketmaster.ca/.

on the web!

For up-to-the-minute, searchable Music Time Out listings, visit

www.straight.com

28 TOY ZEBRA 01 29 COMPASSION GORILLA 04 30 RAWTHORNE, KELSO , 05 THE PHONIX RIDEOUT SUNDAY, OCT. 1

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE PRESENTS

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE PRESENTS

SUNDAY SOUL DJ K-TEL

POP ROCK COVERS DOORS 8PM SHOW 9PM

WITH

DJ K-TEL PLAYING 45’S ALL AFTERNOON CEASARS ON SPECIAL!! 1-5PM FREE

THURSDAY

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE PRESENTS

WEDNESDAY

“WEDDING SINGER WEDNESDAY”

KARAOKE NIGHT

HOSTED BY STUNING STEVE, FRANK CHINATRA, ALEJANDRO BIEBER WEDNESDAY WING SPECIAL CHEAP PINTS & KARAOKE DOORS 8PM SHOW 9PM $5 @THE DOOR

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS MNGWA DOORS 8PM SHOW 9:30PM-$10

SATURDAY

HIGH TIDE PRESENTS

THURSDAY

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE PRESENTS

QUALITY HOUSE MUSIC DOORS 9PM SHOW 10PM - $12

R&B / SOUL / FUNK COVERS

FOOD. DRINK. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. *** VISIT US ONLINE FOR UP TO THE MINUTE LISTINGS, DRINK SPECIALS AND MORE www.thebackstagelounge.com ***

EMPLOYMENT

HEALTH CARE TALENTED MASSAGE PROFESSIONALS needed. Massage Minute is Hiring to fill evening shifts for the Poker rooms at the New Parq Vancouver Casino as well as RiverRock Casino QUALIFICATIONS: Massage skills to brag about Entrepreneurial drive, the ability to speak Cantonese or Mandarin would be an asset, Massage Certificate and Liability insurance required, skilled in various modalities PAID DAILY Back and upper body massage only $48.00 per hour massaged - plus tips Contract position. massageminute2@gmail.com

MIND BODY SOUL

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS Treatment for Perfectionism Study

Dr. Paul L. Hewitt from the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia is conducting a treatment study for problems with perfectionism. If you have difficulties with perfectionism and would like to receive treatment as a part of this project please contact the UBC 2017 Perfectionism Treatment Project at hewittlab@psych.ubc.ca or (604) 822-5827 for information.

Eligible participants will be asked to complete a clinical interview, questionnaires and complete a 16-week treatment protocol.

All inquiries will remain strictly confidential.

TOM JONES Welsh pop-rock singersongwriter known for hits like "What's New Pussycat?" and "It's Not Unusual".

Jun 2, 7:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, $125/99/69/48 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

GAME OF THRONES LIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE Composer Ramin Djawadi leads an orchestra and choir in a performance of music from all seven seasons of the HBO series. Sep 5, 2018, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, at www.livenation.com/.

2THIS WEEK NEW FORMS FESTIVAL Take in music by Aileen Bryant, Aïsha Devi and Emile Barret, Aleksi Perälä, Archetype, As Longitude, Beatrice Dillon, Bill Converse, Carlos Souffront, Charles Manier, City, the Creatrix, Das Ding, DJ Lag, DJ Stingray, E3, Edna King, Electric Indigo, Endgame, FIND MUTYA, Goo, Hamid Drake and Hieroglyphic Being, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Jonathan Scherk, Juliana Huxtable, Madam X, NAP, Peverlist,

SUMMER SPECIAL Bodyscrub $65/70min. Waxing 20% off. Massage $28 604-438-8714

Leelawadee Thai Spa 889

Helmcken St. 778.886.3675 www.leelawadeethaispa.com

VANCOUVER TAP DANCE SOCIETY

ADULTS & YOUTH TAP CLASSES From La La Land choreo to youth beginner classes, to the professional, we have a unique class for YOU!!

Accepting registration in September, drop by: 2775 E Hastings, or check us out: www.vantapdance.com

Classes begin week of Sept 11 ◗ 604.253.0293

STAMP, HOP, FLAP,

2CELLOS Canadian cello duo performs on its 2Cellos: The Score Tour. Apr 25, 8 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, at www.ticketmaster.ca/.

CERTIFIED MASSAGE

www.straight.com

BALL CHANGE!!!

THE GEORGIA GEORGIA STRAIGHT STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER28 28––OCTOBER OCTOBER55/ /2017 2017 40 THE

COLDPLAY British rock band led by Chris Martin performs on its A Head Full of Dreams tour. Sep 29, doors 5 pm, show 7 pm, BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Boulevard). Tix $199.50/139.50/89.50/59.50 /29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

MIRANDA LAMBERT American country singer-songwriter performs on her Highway Vagabond tour, with guest Brandy Clark. Sep 29, 7 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix at www.livenation.com/.

NICKELBACK Multiplatinum hard-rockers play tunes from new album Feed the Machine, with guests Cheap Trick and Shaman's Harvest. Oct 1, 6:15 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix from $25 to $125 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

VIFF LIVE: SOUND AND VISION The WALK THE MOON American indie-rock Vancouver International Film Festival band tours in support of new album What presents music by So Loki, Desi Sub If Nothing. Feb 15, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Culture, Horsepower, Harj Nagra, Louise Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix on sale Burns, and Brasstronaut (Oct 2), LIINKS, Oct 6, 10 am, $39.50 (plus service charges Sam the Astronaut, Tonye, Jon and Roy, and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

Little Destroyer, and the Zolas (Oct 3), and Gratification, HUMANS, Edo Van Breeman, JUDAH AND THE LION Nashville alt-folk and I M U R (Oct 4). Oct 2-4, doors 7 pm, band performs on its Going to Mars tour.

Fortune Sound Club (147 E. Pender). Tix Feb 17, 8:30 pm, Commodore. Tix on sale $15, info www.goviff.org/live.

Sep 29, 10 am, $29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

ALAN DOYLE Newfoundland folk-rock singer-songwriter tours in support of third solo album A Week at the Warehouse, with guest Fortunate Ones. Mar 10, 8 pm, The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts (777 Homer). Tix on sale Sep 29, 10 am, $55/39.50/29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

THURSDAY

Raica, Sinjin Hawke and Zora Jones, SKY H1, Thighpaulsandra, Vladimir Ivkovic, and ZutZut. Includes art by DYOR, Jennifer Chan, Joey Holder, Julian Hou, Kareem Lotfy, Mackenzie Davidson, Marian Nicolson, Nicolas Sassoon, Sabrina Ratté, Sara Ludy, Sylvain Sailly, Team Lab, WALLPAPERS, and Wild Life Archive. Sep 28-30, Western Front (303 E. 8th). The event also runs at The Centre for Digital Media and SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts., info www.newformsfestival.com/.

CLUBS & VENUES

BACKSTAGE LOUNGE 1585 Johnston, Granville Island, 604-687-1354. Hot Jazz Jam night on Tue. 2KARAOKE NIGHT Sep 27 2TOY ZEBRA Sep 28 BILTMORE CABARET 2755 Prince Edward, 604-676-0541. 2BROCKHAMPTON Sep 27 2OCTOBURLESQUE Oct 8 2COLTER WALL Oct 11 2SINGLE MOTHERS Oct 19 2SONGHOY BLUES Oct 27 BLUE MARTINI JAZZ CAFE 1516 Yew, 604-428-2691. Live jazz, soul, and blues.

Closed on Mondays.

COBALT 917 Main, 778-918-3671. 2RAINER MARIA Oct 6 2MICKEY AVALON Oct 7 2THE CRIBS Oct 10 2BEND SINISTER Oct 13 2WAND Oct 21 2THE BABE RAINBOW Oct 25 2HOCKEY DAD Oct 28 2LEE RANALDO Oct 29 COMMODORE BALLROOM 868 Granville, 604-739-4550. 2GOLDLINK Sep 27 2ELLIOTT BROOD Sep 28 2THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Sep 29 2BILLY BRAGG Sep 30 2STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES Oct 1 254-40 Oct 6 2BASS COAST FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Oct 8 2KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD Oct 9 2GAVIN DEGRAW Oct 14 2PAUL WELLER Oct 16 2STRIKE A CHORD GALA Oct 19 2BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE Oct 20 2THE BLACK ANGELS Oct 22 2SLOWDIVE Oct 23 2MILKY CHANCE Oct 24 2TASH SULTANA Oct 25 2SILVERSUN PICKUPS Oct 26 2ACTION BRONSON Oct 27 2THE BACARDI BOOHAHA Oct 28 FRANKIE’S JAZZ CLUB 765 Beatty, 778727-0337. 2FROM LA: TAMIR HENDELMAN

Thai Massage

778-886-3675 D/T.

AESTHETICS $50/1hr Massage.

Air-Conditioned. 604-709-6168

TRIO Sep 29 2TAMIR HENDELMAN TRIO Sep 29 2FROM NYC: GEORGE COLLIGAN TRIO Oct 5 2JOHN STETCH AND VULNERAVILLE Oct 19 2MARQUIS HILL BLACKTET Oct 21 FUNKY WINKER BEANS 37 W. Hastings.

Evil Bastard Karaoke Experience seven days a week.

THE IMPERIAL 319 Main, 604-868-0494.

2AUSTRA Sep 29 2GRYFFIN Oct 8 2LEON Oct 13 2DAVID DUCHOVNY Oct 14 2NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS Oct 15 2PAUL KELLY Oct 16 2NOTHING BUT THIEVES Oct 19 2THE PAPERBOYS Oct 20 2BOOBYBALL Oct 21 2YELLE Oct 23 2MARTHA WAINWRIGHT Oct 29 IVANHOE PUB 1038 Main, 604-608-1444.

Open at 9 am with breakfast and daily food specials. Pool tourney Thu. No cover.

2HARPDOG BROWN Sep 28 2BLIND PIGEON Sep 29 2FULL MOON Sep 30 2SONS OF THE HOE Oct 1 268 LIPS Oct 6 2PURPLE GANG Oct 7 RAILWAY STAGE AND BEER CAFÉ 579 Dunsmuir, 604-564-1430. Comedy Tue, darts Wed, live music Wed, Thu, Fri, and all day/night Sat. $3 Beers til 3, $5 beers til 5. 2THE BLAZING ARROWS Sep 28 2RAMPANT LION Sep 29 2EMILY ROWED AND GERT TOBERNER Sep 30 2JOKES Oct 3 2MAKE IT POP! QUIZ Oct 5 RICKSHAW THEATRE 254 E. Hastings, 604-681-8915. 2DARK TRANQUILLITY Sep 28 2VOODOO GLOW SKULLS Sep 30 2THE MENZINGERS Oct 6 2PETUNIA AND THE VIPERS Oct 7 2BORIS Oct 8 2SAM COFFEY AND THE IRON LUNGS Oct 12 2ART D'ECCO, ACTORS, PURITANS, AND CROATIA Oct 13 2POPTONE: CANCELLED Oct 13 2COMEDY SHOCKER XIV Oct 14 2THE ACCIDENTALS AND WEST OF MEMPHIS Oct 14 2THE AFGHAN WHIGS Oct 17 2CATTLE DECAPITATION Oct 18 2BOB MOULD Oct 22 2SECONDHAND SERENADE Oct 26 2GENITORTURERS Oct 27 2BLING OUT THE DEAD TOUR Oct 28 2THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Oct 31 ST. JAMES HALL 3214 W. 10th, 604-7363022. 2EARLY SPIRIT Sep 29 2MOSES SUMNEY Sep 30 2DON ROSS AND CALUM GRAHAM Oct 5 2TRIO DA KALI: MASTERS OF MALI Oct 6 2KITS CLASSICS AND WORLDS BEYOND Oct 22 2RUSSELL DECARLE Oct 26 VENUE 881 Granville, 604-646-0064.

2GOLDIE Sep 27 2WE CAME AS ROMANS Sep 30 2SHOUT OUT LOUDS Nov 12 2COLLIE BUDDZ Dec 13 VOGUE THEATRE 918 Granville, 604-5691144. 2VANCE JOY Sep 27 2BEN FOLDS Sep 30 2FEIST Oct 1 2JON BELLION Oct 2 2NICK MURPHY Oct 9 2HANSON Oct 18 2WHITEHORSE Oct 19 2THE BOOM BOOMS Oct 20 2HARRY MANX AND THE YALETOWN STRINGS Oct 21 2YELAWOLF Oct 24 2HOODIE ALLEN Oct 25 WISE HALL 1882 Adanac, 604-254-5858.

2BALKAN SHMALKAN Sep 27 2A GIRL IN TEEN CITY Oct 12 2A NIGHT OF STORY AND SONG Oct 12 2THE CREEPSHOW Oct 24 2DAVID MYLES Oct 29

TIME OUT MUSIC LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

MOVING & STORAGE Moving & Storage, Free EST. Visa Okay.

604-628-7136

RECORDING STUDIOS

MONTGOMERY MOVING CO.

M R & D Studios Vancouver's most comfortable 2"-24 track, ADAT & ProTools HD. Mastering $55/hr eng, prod. & arranger incl. 604-421-2988

Moving Made easy Since 2007

Call 604-710-5253

MontgomeryMoving@hotmail.com

HOME & GARDEN SERVICES

www.MontgomeryMovingCo.com

CLEANERS

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

MORE THAN TIDY CLEANING Beyond a touch up! $45/hr. 2 hr. minimum.

Call Gail 604-441-7281

MUSIC

TwoGuysWithATruck.com

CONSULTANTS LEGALLY GROW YOUR OWN/BUY FROM PRODUCER

We can help you get licensed. We help with forms.

We have real Medical Doctors ready to write Medical Documents for Health Canada. Call Licensing Solution (778) 255-2724 Talk to Jody. He has answers to questions you didn't even know you had!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

REHEARSAL SPACE

Suna Studios Rehearsal M-F 6-12, Sat/Sun 12-12 East Van Hourly ($16.66/hour) & L/O, www.sunastudios.ca 604-563-5460

PANDORA'S BOX STUDIOS

Full Drum Kit, PA, 4x12s and Bass Amp inc. www.pandorasboxstudios.com

REPAIRS

BASONE • GUITAR SHOP •

COMING EVENTS

EVERYTHING

West End Community Centre Flea Market

GUITAR

Sunday, October 1st! Funds raised from flea markets go to WECC Youth Programs and the King George Secondary School Grad Committee.

Flea markets are held in the West End Community Centre Auditorium. Admission is $1/person.

10 am to 3 pm. 870 Denman St. Vancouver

YOU THINK A

SHOP

LD BE! SHOU

318 E. 5th Ave • 604.677.0311

BASONEGUITARS.COM

............................................................................................................................................................... CLASSIFIEDS MUSICIANS WANTED ★ Relieve Roadrage ★ BODYWORK MASSAGE BATH HOUSES

Musicians

Place your FREE musicians WANTED & AVAILABLE ads by going to www.straight.com create a classified account & place your ad for Free or fax to 604-730-7016 All FREE ads are based on space availability.

FALL SPECIAL BODY SCRUB

(Incl. 45 min. Hot oil massage)

75 MIN

3272 W. Broadway

(& Blenheim)

COMFYSPA .CA

MATURE MAGIC TOUCH

202-1037 W.Broadway 604-739-3998 Hotel Service

Exotic E/Indian (48) Coq incall. Van. & Hotel service

Meena 778-839-6583

I Spa

19+ SWEET GIRLS

Lotus Beauty Spa NEW GIRLS

$ 70 /30 mins (incl. tips)

10:30am-8pm Daily 5336 Victoria Dr. Vancouver A/C AVAILABLE 604.327.8800

PERSONALS

20437 Douglas Crescent, Langley (@ 204th St. beside HomeHardware) Front & Back Door Entrance Free Parking

604.510.6689 9am-10pm

Hiring

MASSAGE $60/30 mins (incl tips)

$80/30 min.(incl.tips)

& W. 17th, Van. 10am – 10pm

#3-3490 Kingsway

dragonspa.ca dragonspa a .ca

NEAR JOYCE NEXT DOOR TO SUBWAY

(New) min.. (incl tips) min

$60/30

D-768 Princess St., New Westminster (@ 8th St. between 6th & 7th Ave behind New Walmart) 9:30am-10:00pm

CoverGirlEscorts.com is now Hiring.

Seeking all nationalities 19+ No experience necessary.

COCO'S THAI MASSAGE

12551 Vickers Way & Bridgeport Rd, Rmd

RADIANT BODY MIND SPIRIT

BBY. $40 & up! No F/S 10am - 8pm 604-619-7453

SacredTantraMassage.com RICHMOND - 2 RD / WESTMINSTER Hwy

604-788-7723 Divinea 8am-8pm

Tantra Massage

Absolutely Wonderful, Healing & Joyful!

CHINESE BEAUTY - HELEN Warm & loving - complete body massage.

All incl. Reasonable low price. R/mond new home.

Korean Massage $60 Lisa 778-251-0859

1050 Marine Dr. North Van

Zara 604-222-4178 Jericho

MARKETING MANAGER PERMANENT FULL-TIME POSITION

REQUIREMENTS: • A university degree in arts is required; • At least one year of experience as a marketing manager in child care industry is required; • Strong ability of communication, cooperation, analyzation and programming; • Bilingual (English and Chinese) is preferred; • Having Valid BC Driver License required; • Be good at grasping the hot spots of markets and be sensitive to the markets

South Central Montessori Child Care 6020 Steveston Hwy, Richmond, BC, V7E 2K8

HONG KONG STYLE MASSAGE

Please email your resume to centralmontessorihr@gmail.com

$60 / 1/2 HR (Incl. tips)

104 - 15240 Thrift Ave., White Rock | 604.345.8158

HIRING

PANTERA SPA 604.553.0909

JAPANESE $60 4095 Oak St. Vancouver 604-266-6800 New Staff! Relaxation Massage.

604-985-4969 HIRING

1 FULL HOUR

Rose Body Massage 49 E. Broadway @ Quebec St. open 7days/9am-midnight

Sexy Thai Girl Jessica Burnaby 604-336-4601

778-323-0002

207 W. 2070 W. 10 10thh A Ave v V ve Van an an

Good Price, Good Service D931 Brunette Ave. 7 Days a Week

Lini 778-668-2981

MERIDIAN SPA LTD.

604-568-2248

PHOENIX

NOW HIRING

MASSAGE

BUTTERFLY 11am MIDnight MASSAGE

New Back Door Entrance from Underground Parking

All New Models & Rooms

1st Time Visit FREE

$80 SUMMER SPECIAL PKG 4536 Hastings St. Burnaby near Willingdon Ave.

Hiring BACK ENTRANCE + FREE PARKING

604-299-1514

New Star Massage Grand Opening • $30/30min.

Open from 10am

604-780-6268

HIRING

3468 E.Hastings/Skeena. Van. Front & Back door entrance. Free Parking

It is no accident we are #1

Serving Van. for 19 years! Best Experience! Best Service! Best Choice! Steam Room and Sauna!

Free underground parking.

NOW

60 4 7 604 738 38 3 3302 3 02

Perfect Sensual Oil Body Massage. 1Hr/$80.

45min/$60, 30min/$50 INC. TIP 223 W/ Broadway.

2blk E/of Cambie 6am-1am. 7 days. 5min from D/T

20 E/Pender $60 37.50 HOURS/WEEK SALARY: $77,025/year

ESTABLISHED 1993 HIRING: 778.893.4439

604-270-6891

604.986.8650

LOTS OF PARKING AT THE REAR

5-3490 Kingsway, Van.

Grand Opening

MASSAGE

10am - 2am. 778-322-1583

SERVING NORTH VANCOUVER FOR 17 YEARS

www.greatpharaoh.com

Best Body Rubbing $120/45 min

Lily’s Bodycare

CHINESE, JAPANESE & KOREAN MASSAGE

604.436.3131

GRAND OPENING!

Call 604-438-7119

Control Ejaculation, Maintain Erection, Cure Herpes. $120.00 herbalbathclinic.com 604-271-4148

NASA’S PEMF MAT SESSION FREE 1st APPT ELIMINATE SENSUAL and OTHER ISSUES WAKE UP VITALITY – SENIOR SPECIALS

Fully Air-Conditioned

EMPLOYMENT

(All included) New 22 yrs Busty & Petite. Private.

Healing for Sexual Problems

NOW HIRING

604.872.8938

604.523.6689

E. 49th Ave & Victoria Dr. 10am - 8:30pm • HIRING 604.500.9082 • 778.379.7736

TANTRA

WWW.STEAM1.COM

3286 Cambie St.

MASSAGE

Alex 778-828-4683

SATURDAY OCTOBER 14TH 11AM ‘TIL 7PM CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS

604.568.9238

$60/30 mins

Sensual Massage

BLACKOUT PARTY

MASSAGE

N W PROMO NEW

Experienced, discreet, and clean for men only by a mature male. 9 am to 10 pm in-calls only.

Student rates. Burrard & 6th

STEAM 1

#1 Friendly Service

GAY PERSONALS

Robert 604-857-9571

SUNDAY OCTOBER 8TH 6PM ‘TIL MIDNIGHT

10AM - 10 PM Hiring

Package Deal

BODYWORK MASSAGE

CO-ED NIGHT

4969 Duchess St. Van. Just off Kingsway Between Earles and Slocan NOW HIRING CHINESE, THAI, JAPANESE, VIETNAMESE & CAUCASIAN GIRLS

New Westminster • 430 Columbia Street

Gemini Studio

(incl. tips)

MEN’S BATH

HOUSE

Variety of Masseuses

Aqua Spa

In a peaceful setting in Langley Because you deserve it! 9am - 8pm

604.430.3060

STEAM 1

DEEP RELAXATION MON-FRI

M.S. Oriental Dating Service

Meet Russian Ukranian Ladies 604-805-1342 or 604-873-8266

RAINBOW MASSAGE

$80/30 MIN (INCL. TIPS)

Kitsilano 604-739-6002

DATING SERVICES

604-583-8800

70

604-558-1608

PERSONAL SERVICES

For singles looking for meaningful relationships.

All Nationalities Welcome. Since 1987.

NOW $

COMFY WELLNESS SPA WWW.

Emerging Original/Cover Band Seeks Female Singer You are ideally a good singer who is easy going and friendly with a professional attitude.

Candidates preferably would be 40+ years-of-age. Goal is to continue playing some shows and do some more recording.

Email Glenn at matthesg@telus.net

Reg $ 120

HIRING

FOR NEW CLIENTS Mon - Fri 12pm - 6pm

2263 KINGSWAY

FREE PARKING HOTEL SERVICE

@

NANAIMO

6043770028

Best Relaxation 10am EAST VANCOUVER - 10pm

spa

604 . 998 . 4885 50% OFF:

HIRING G

Your first call when an accident strikes AY TOD CALL IL A B L E AVA

24/7 FREE CONSULTATION 604.737.3300 720 Robson Street, 5th Floor Vancouver, BC V6Z 1A1

warnetthallen.com

$28=45MINS 50% OFF: $25=30MINS $38=60MINS TEL 604-564-1333 • 5531 Victoria Dr Vancouver SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 41

CLASSIFIEDS ...............................................................................................................................................................

Oakridge Mall 24hr Savage Love Diamond Near $100 GRAND Chinese.w41st & Cambie. In call from page 43 Bodycare OPENING!

Sa Sa Massage

VARIETY OF GIRLS (19+) V.I.P. ROOM $80/30 MIN INCL. TIPS

604.433.6833

$60/30 MINS $80/45 MINS

$100 1 HOUR SPECIAL! 5 4 HANDS $2E!) (HALF PR IC

ORGANIC TOUCH

Starlight

HEALTH CENTRE

Day Spa

UNDER

VARIETY of

15244 Russell Ave. White Rock

604 998.7831

778.321.2209

NEW MANAGEMENT

2583 Kingsway, Vancouver 604.428.2002

management

4095 Oak St. vancouver

(Incl. tips)

3519 KINGSWAY, VAN NEAR BOUNDARY • HIRING

NEW

JAPANESE

SPA PACKAGES

girls (+19)

$80/30 mins

HIRING incl. TIPS 604.620.7879

5766 Victoria Dr. & 42nd

New Team

50% OFF!

BEST MASSAGE IN TOWN

30 min / 30 $

3671 EAST HASTINGS

604-568-0123 NOW HIRING

778-710-8828

$60 or $80 F/S! 630 E.Georgia

778-251-5367 NEW..NEW..NEW..MASSAGE Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese & Philippines Girls (19+) In/Out calls

PROSPER City

LUXURY* STEAM BATH

604-600-6558 Fun Classy Blonde Beauty In calls & Out calls locally Private upscale condo

FREE BIRTHDAY MASSAGE Best Chinese Massage

BETTER

funlovinxoxo.me 604-773-8876

$62/30 Min (incl tip) • $77/50 Min (incl tip)

BEST

NEW GREAT HOURS!! 11:30am - 9pm. Sometimes weekends. I'm well proportioned, HOT& READY with a BIG BOOTY! 38 yrs old. Kind, Clean, Pretty & love to enjoy! Let's have an amazing non-rushed experience in my classy apt. Fetish by request. No text or Blkd. calls. Sarah 604-441-5440 Appts preferred.

$28/50 Minutes

than

3488 MAIN ST. @ 19TH AVE

SARAH in SURREY

10 AM TO 10 PM 8642 Granville & 71 Ave., Van. OPEN TILL MIDNIGHT 5 Min. from the Airport • Near Richmond, Marine Dr. (70 & 71st) beside 7/11 • Free Parking

604-568-6601

Emax Massage

604-568-5255 604-568-

NOW HIRING

604 879 5769 SPASIA WELLNESS centre

GRAND OPENING HIRING NEW GIRLS

BEAUTIFUL OLDER WOMAN 36D - 26 - 36. 36th@ Victoria

604-671-2345 GORGEOUS BEAUTY Gentle & Sweet, Petite and Exquisite.

Local, Elegant Super Service!

Call 778-926-1000. Van East.

BEST MASSAGE Daily Different New Girls!

Discount Price!

3322 Main St. 604-872-1702

#3 - 3003 Kingsway @ Rupert, Van. - N/E Corner CLOSE TO O

Airpor t

HIGH CLASS FEMALE ESCORTS & INTIMATE COMPANIONS

$80/30mins (INCLUDES TIPS)

BoBo’s Massage HOT ~ SWEET GIRLS

778-297-6678 1090 – 8580 Alexandra Rd. Richmond

INTERVIEWS DAILY

HIRING

OPENING MIYA GRAND $10 OFF

BEAUTY SENSATIONAL MASSAGE

COV ERGI R LESCORTS.COM

778.379.6828

3041 Main St & 14th Ave COMPANION

604-957-1030 MING, Nice & Mature.

GENTLEMEN DISCREET ATTRACTIVE MATURE EUROPEAN LADY OFFERS DELIGHTFUL RELAXATION SESSIONS.

604-451-0175 EuropeanLady.ca www.EuropeanLady.ca

World Class Breasts

Genuinely Spectacular NATURAL G CUP! Come visit Hooter Heaven! Canada's #1 Erotic Destination.

604.875.8844

Private 778-838-9094

miyabeauty@hotmail.com

Sweet & Petite Hot Mature ♥ Female loves to pamper!♥ ♥

www.miyabeauty.com

HIRING

121 W. Broadway at Manitoba

R I L E Y

♥ ♥ ♥ REASONABLE RATES ♥ ♥ ♥ In/Out calls. Early risers welcome!

Kayla 604-873-2551 NEW HOT ASIAN GIRLS No Restrictions. Good Service!

Joyce & Kingsway & Vancouver 24 Hrs.I In/Out calls

778-960-7875

funlovinxoxo.me 604.773.8876 INDEPENDENT CHINESE PLEASURE PROVIDER For polite gentlemen Accompanied shower Submissive or curious also welcome Discreet,North Burnaby location Parking available Actual Recent Photo.

Fluent in English.

ANGELA

778-317-3888

You are always talking about adult children coming out to their fundamentalist parents about being queer, poly, kinky, et cetera. But how should older adults handle coming out to their batshit-fundamentalist adult kids, especially when these kids control access to grandchildren?

Just as an adult child’s presence is their only leverage over their parents, your presence is your only leverage over your adult children. (Unless you’re sitting on a large family fortune, of course, and you can threaten them with disinheritance.)

And just as queer kids are sometimes forced to lie to their parents—they sometimes have to tell hateful parents what they want to hear in order to avoid being cut off or thrown out— you may have to tell your kids what they want to hear (or not tell them what they don’t want to hear) in order to avoid being cut out of your grandchildren’s lives. It sucks, and I’m sorry— but once your grandchildren are grown, you can say whatever you like and tell your batshit-fundamentalist adult kids to go fuck themselves.

When is the

best time to tell my married, ostensibly straight coworker that I want to have sexy gay times with his bubble butt?

Hmm… maybe once you’ve updated your résumé, seeing as your gay trouble butt may get fired after you grab his straight bubble butt?

What are some ways to overcome shyness and tell your partner what you want?

Think how soon you’ll be dead (soon!) and how long you’re gonna stay dead once you’re dead (forever!). Then tell your partner everything. Do it in an email if you can’t do it face to face—but do it! Donald Trump is president and we could all be dead tomorrow. Don’t delay!

WHY MESS WITH THE REST? Call me and get Vancouver's BEST, Sweetest, Young, Exotic and Unforgettable Girl! In/Out calls

604-363-3044 Let me take your breath away.. ....and leave you with a memory you won't forget.

Vancouver area. Young, talented & beautiful!

778-714-0824 THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SUNDAY Special Promotion! $70 Includes Tip 3517 Kingsway, Vancouver

604-558-0228

!WILD★MOM! 5PM-3AM 778-654-6000

Thanks to everyone who came out to the sold-out show in San Francisco. Savage Lovecast Live is coming to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 6; Madison, Wisconsin, on October 7; and Royal Oak, Michigan, on October 8. For ticket info, go to facebook.com/dansavage/. On the Lovecast , Eli Finkel, author of The All-or-Nothing Marriage : savagelovecast. com. Email: mail@savagelove. net . Follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage. ITMFA.org.

LIVE. DISCREET. UNCENSORED.

1-604-639-3040

Open desires...

Hidden identities...

Seattle: 206-576-1825 | Victoria, BC: 250-220-3334

GET YOUR FREE TRIAL TODAY Ahora en Español/18+

More local numbers: 1.800.550.0618 interactivemale.com

42 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017

Try FREE Now: 604-639-3011 More Local Numbers: 1-800-700-6666

redhotdateline.com 18+

savage love

I

had a blast hosting Savage Lovecast Live at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. Audience members submitted questions before the show, and I consumed a large pot edible right after the curtain went up and then raced to give as much decent sex advice as I could before it took effect. Here are some of the questions I didn’t get to before my judgment became too impaired to operate a sexand-relationship-advice podcast.

I’ve been on the dating apps a

while. What’s up with serial firstdaters?

Back when people primarily met at parties, bars, clubs, et cetera, we established baseline physical/chemical attraction before learning someone’s name and long before a first date. (We eyeballed ’em, we said hello, we made a moment’s small talk.) With apps, however, we can’t establish baseline physical/chemical attraction until our first face-to-face meeting—until after that “first date”, which itself comes after we’ve swapped flirty messages, sent additional pics, and made a plan to meet. Since apps mean more “first dates”, it feels like we’re meeting a lot more “serial first-daters” these days. We aren’t—it’s just that now

PRESENTS

we have to meet up with people to eyeball ’em, say hello, and make small talk.

Don’t think of that first meeting with someone you met via an app as a “first date”; think of it as the preinterview before the first date.

girlfriend is cheating on him. Or maybe it didn’t occur to your best friend to cheat on her boyfriend until after he accused her of cheating for the millionth time—maybe she figured she might as well commit the crime since she was already being punished What is the appropriate amount for it. Or maybe they’re both terrible of side boob? people who deserve each other and neither is your responsibility.

Th is is outside my area of expertise/ giving a shit. So I’m going to pass My partner and I are a straight this question on to Tim Gunn. I’ll couple in our 20s/30s. We’re curilet you know what Tim has to say ous about straight PDA in gay bars.

She feels it should be kept to a minshould he respond. imum, but a little is okay. He feels My best friend is in a relation- it shouldn’t happen, as it may make ship with a really jealous, controlling people uncomfortable. Thoughts? guy. He guilt-trips her constantly and gets passive-aggressively mad when- I think this is something you and ever she tries to hang out with people your opposite-sex partner should besides him. When she complains discuss over drinks in one of the about him, I want to say fuck him, he’s thousands of straight bars in the San a dick, except… She’s having a full-on Francisco Bay Area. affair with another guy and seems not to feel bad about it! I don’t know what I feel like all my friends resent me advice to give or how to make sense of for getting married. How do I make the situation. What’s my responsibil- them feel less insecure about my new relationship? ity to her? To her boyfriend?

> BY DAN SAVAGE they resent you for getting married or you were a megalomaniacal bride— or groom or nonbinary—zilla and behaved so atrociously that you managed to piss off all your friends? If it’s the (less likely) former, make better friends. If it’s the (more likely) latter, make amends.

ship? Best sex of my life, BTW. Elope. For your own sake, for the sake of friends and family members who will inevitably be sucked into your conflict about your wedding plans, for the sake of all that excellent sex… just fucking elope.

My brother’s fiancée told my

and ready to start a family. Will you be our sperm donor?

mom that she doesn’t like my mom’s usual lipstick colour and asked my mom to wear a shade she picked out for the wedding. My mom is 75 and wears cute pink lipstick. Is it wrong if both my mom and I wear the pink in solidarity?

We are two lesbians in our 20s Nope!

I want to

try the new cannabis lubes. Should I tell my girlfriend first or just do it? It’s expensive, and I’m afraid she’ll say no since she doesn’t You should absolutely wear your smoke the ganja. mom’s shade in solidarity—and send me a pic of you two at the Do not dose your girlfriend without wedding, please! (Hey, person who her consent. If it’s smoke she doesn’t asked the previous question, did like, ask her how she feels about exyou pull this kind of shit? Did you perimenting with pot edibles and order your friends around the way spreadables. And if the answer is this woman’s future DIL is ordering no, the answer is no. Spiking your girlfriend’s twat with pot lube withher around?) out her consent is not an option—it Since my man and I got engaged, would be an unforgivable and very we’ve been fighting about wedding likely criminal violation of her bodMaybe your best friend’s boyfriend Ask yourself which is likelier: all of planning. We never fought until now. ily autonomy. Do not do it. is jealous and controlling because he your friends—every single one of How can we move forward with the senses—or because he knows—his them—are so petty and insecure that wedding without ruining our relationsee previous page

DAN SAVAGE WITH ESTHER PEREL

FRI. OCT 13TH

Orpheum Theater

, E L I M S , P U E K A “W , F L E S R U O Y L L E T AND ” !

Y A D Y M S I Y A D TO 2 2nd

LET’S GET MOVING, VANCOUVER! 2017

1807 West 1st @ Burrard, Kitsilano | www.ronzalko.com | 604.737.4355 SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 5 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 43

FIGHT FOR BEAUTY The fights that build cities and culture OPENS OCT 14 Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

FightForBeauty.ca #FIGHTFORBEAUTY

44 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT SEPTEMBER 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OCTOBER 5 / 2017