ARTS AND CULTURE

TIFF 2021: a return to in-person

TIFF is back to normal! Except not really. But kind of!

liam donovan

CONTRIBUTOR

If you grew up in Toronto, your relationship with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was likely a little strange. At first, hearing adults talk about something called a “TIFF” at the dinner table means nothing. Then, you realize it’s a cool thing called a “film festival” that happens in your city. Eventually, though, you find out that it’s not just any film festival, but a world-class one of considerable size that plays a large role in generating buzz for the upcoming Oscars season.

Together with the beginning of the school year, TIFF ordinarily imbues September in Toronto with a lively and unpredictable energy; however, in 2020, the festival, though technically hybrid, ended up essentially online due to limited availability of in-person tickets to the general public.

This year, though, there were more than enough tickets to go around.

That’s not to say things were as before— popcorn wasn’t sold, theatres ran at 50 percent capacity, and you had to show your vaccine receipt to bouncers in tuxedos who were far more imposing than the usually cheerful festival volunteers.

I had the chance to catch three screenings at the festival. At the Cinesphere, I saw Indian director Ritwik Pareek’s Dug Dug, a satire about the religious worship of a motorcycle. Then, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, I saw Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s English/Spanishlanguage debut, Memoria, a slow arthouse film starring Tilda Swinton about a mysterious noise in Swinton’s character’s head. Finally, also at the Lightbox, I saw this year’s Wavelengths shorts program, Present, Tense, which featured two hours’ worth of experimental short films.

All three screenings were embellished in their own way by the in-person TIFF experience.

In Dug Dug’s approach to satire, instead of setting up punchlines for individual jokes, the ridiculousness of the situation creates an atmosphere that is comedic throughout. As the film employed fast-paced montages to rapidly barrel through the exposition, waves of laughter rippled through the theatre as a collective acknowledgement of the absurdity of what the audience had gathered to watch.

Memoria has an opposite pace, employing long, motionless takes to build up the emotional world of the film. With a film so slow, many audience members would have likely paused to pee or check their phone if they had watched it at home, but the age-old social custom of sitting in darkened silence to view a film helped the audience get through the film as Weerasethakul intended it—boredom and all.

Finally, the Wavelengths program featured films projected from 35mm film, so the filmmaker’s experimental exploration of the physical qualities of filmstock were far more perceptible. Additionally, in the case of Daïchi Saïto’s earthearthearth, the booming speakers helped foreground Jason Sharp’s explorative score, which featured heartbeat-synced saxophone playing.

Even though TIFF is, on some level, all about the films, it is also not at all about the films. It’s about the shared rituals of viewing, from pre- and post-show chats to audience callbacks to suppressed giggling with a friend about an inside joke that happened to be featured in a film. So, in my books, TIFF is back.

ILLUSTRATION | SEAVEY VAN WALSUM

A Piece of Vic: Community in times like these

How VISA builds communities like no other

nathan ching

CONTRIBUTOR

When I was asked to talk about VISA (Victoria International Students Association), I couldn’t choose one story in particular that would encompass the multifaceted community-building exercises we’ve done. But just as I’ve mentioned community in my last sentence, I’ve realized that the story I need to tell is one that really reflects the common denominator of every VISA story—community.

As a student studying abroad for the first time, Toronto was a lonely city at times. It was often difficult being an outsider in a city you don’t truly understand, and so, during my first year at Vic, it was tough to meet friends and get to know people. But as it turns out, nobody’s truly alone—especially not at Vic. I remember meeting Faye (VISA’s co-president that year) during my international student orientation, as she was one of my mentors. During my second year, when COVID hit, Faye told me all about VISA and their work with the Dean’s Office in providing opportunities for international students to get to know each other. So, I applied to become the events director. I specifically remember the night before our flagship event, when I was panicking and told Faye over Zoom that I was worried about my performance as a director and that I didn’t feel like I was ready. She told me that whatever happens, the team would be there together to support each other—and it was at that moment that I felt I truly belonged at Vic.

I grew up in an intimate high school community in Hong Kong, which meant competition and friendship often went hand in hand. As a result, I was accustomed to having “work-hard-play-hard” friends. At UofT, you meet all kinds of people. While this diversity in students and personalities can create communities that may not always suit you, once you’ve found your people, you needn’t look any further. I’ve found my people at Vic through VISA, and I cannot tell you how much I’ve missed having this sense of community.

Community within this wild, wide world is difficult to find, but VISA has helped me build strong relationships between me, my friends, and the larger Vic community. This year, we’re expanding our operations and hiring sub-teams as part of a new membership experience in order to give back the feeling of community to students at Vic. As I serve as VISA’s co-president, Faye’s words are what drive me to bring the feeling of home to international students. So, to the international students reading this: welcome home.

To learn more about VISA and/or to apply for an executive position, interested students can contact nathanchingtk.ching@mail.utoronto.ca or vicu.visa@gmail.com.

PHOTO | VISA

Beyond Monet

Accessible art in Toronto

stefania KucZynsKi

CONTRIBUTOR

As a university student, having a culturally educated aesthetic has always been incredibly enticing. I’ve made it my goal to become more educated and cultured through any experience available to me. This endeavour started when I attended the Van Gogh exhibit in the summer of 2020. While the tickets were a little pricey, I was blown away by the incredible composition of music paired with the stunning visuals from Vincent van Gogh’s portfolio; it was such a fun experience. So I knew, as soon as I saw advertisements for it, that I would have to see Beyond Monet: The Immersive Monet Exhibit.

Let’s start with prices. Basic tickets for students and seniors were both priced at $46 before tax, which is about $4 less than general entry. As I planned for this to be a date, the tickets for my boyfriend and me were over $100 with tax. My wallet hurt, but the day finally came, and we excitedly set off on a date in the city.

The exhibit consists of three main components: two rooms and a walkway. The first room is dimly lit with bridges throughout the room leading to various screens describing Claude Monet’s life and work. Then, you proceed through a trippy walkway with beautiful lights and hanging iridescent fabric. The walkway leads to the star of the show: the Infinity Room, a circular room with a gazebo in the middle and various seats throughout. Here, there is a constant 37-minute showing of Monet's work— animated paintings blend seamlessly into one another, accompanied by music and relevant text or quotes from Monet and critics.

While I loved going through the exhibit, I couldn’t help but be disappointed. It was a wonderful experience, but for a student on a budget, the exhibit is not exactly accessible or “worth it.” While there are some great, cheaper ways to experience art throughout Toronto, there is no push for youth to experience it due to a lack of affordable prices and lack of advertising towards youth for these experiences. I can’t help but think of the pilot project in France that gave €300 (around $448 CAD) to 18-year-olds to “bring young people to discover the realms of possibility of cultural life.” The project let youth discover any cultural experience they wanted, from books and manga to ballet shows and concerts.

We live in an incredible city with an insane amount of art and culture. I think it’s imperative that we have accessible cultural experiences as we grow up, including a push to learn and grow as adults. Being more cultured in the arts emphasizes the humanity in us all, and in a time where there is so much strife and anger in the world, I think it’s incredibly important to learn about culture and history in the hopes that we can all be a bit more empathetic and open.

PHOTO | STEFANIA KUCZYNSKI

Post-pandemic art

How might future media portray life during the COVID-19 pandemic?

rion levy

aSSOCIaTE aRTS aND CUlTURE EDITOR

Pandemic stories have been around for centuries. Humanity has long been fascinated by the presence of illness in society and how swiftly it can disrupt daily life. The arts have and will continue to communicate, alter, and create stories of people living through outbreaks of disease. Upon reflection, there are three rough categories of pandemic art that I have been able to identify:

The first is speculative. Typically, these stories describe horrifying, worst-case scenarios in which viruses spread uncontrollably, leading to the end of humanity. This category ranges from zombies such as those in The Walking Dead (2010–2022) to the sudden death of most of humanity, such as in Stephen King’s The Stand (1978).

The second is intimate. Stories such as Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year (1772) or Timothy Conigrave’s Holding the Man (1995) depict real (or close to real, in the case of the former) experiences of human life as we’ve adapted, struggled, and persevered through epidemics and pandemics that have actually occurred.

The third is a bit of a mixture. These art pieces take elements from real outbreaks and modify important parts of their histories for an artistic effect. One of the most famous examples is Albert Camus’s The Plague (1947), where the city of Oran undergoes a fictitious yet realistic epidemic based on previous outbreaks in the city.

As COVID-19 continues to rage on after almost two full years, artists will certainly take inspiration from their time spent in social isolation, and I suspect the pandemic will persist in art in a few different ways.

We will undoubtedly see memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies written by and about people who experienced the pandemic. Soon, any story about a person’s life will be incomplete without mentioning life during the pandemic, regardless of what shape it took for them.

Beyond the reflective, the pandemic will also—as with most major catastrophes in human memory— lead to a new era and style of art. Whether this takes the form of fictitious tales in which people live in a world where everyone wears face masks, or the next horror plague story, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a framework for storytellers and artists to work with from memory.

What is less certain is how day-to-day life will be depicted on-screen and in literature going forward. Most television shows, movies, and books coming out today still present the pre-COVID world, where viral transmission was not a common consideration. Will the next daytime sitcom be set in a world where everyone hangs out over Zoom or in six-foot distanced circles outdoors? Will characters forget to grab their mask the way they always forget their keys? Might routine vaccinations become a new part of storytelling?

We will likely begin to see stories told from a world where COVID persists, along with social isolation, distancing, and health measures—but will they become the norm? Furthermore, will we wish to consume such stories, if what they depict is our normal life for the foreseeable future?

ILLUSTRATION | AMIE LEUNG

Boba is NOT good.

Y’all just have too much indigestion to see the truth

don't come for us

CONTRIBUTOR

Picture this: You’re walking through the mall with your bestie, and she decides to get boba. You decide to join her. At first sip, you’re intrigued, but a couple of sips in, something starts to feel wrong. The slimy texture combined with the sheer volume of boba is so overwhelming, you start to worry. You look over at your bestie, who seems fine—nay, she’s enjoying it—so you trudge on. After a few more sips, you can no longer deny it: boba sucks. You try to avoid the boba so you can at least enjoy the drink… but the boba DEMANDS to be tasted. You can’t escape the small balls of hell crawling up your straw. You manage to finish your drink (and somehow there’s still boba left at the bottom!!!). You think the hard part’s over, but you’re gravely mistaken. Now, you must suffer the pain of post-boba bloating. So painful that you fear you won’t survive it. Your day is ruined and you’re down one friend and it’s all the fault of the abomination of a drink called boba.

Not convinced by this stomach-wrenching narrative? Below is a comprehensive argument to further explicate our point.

5 reasons why boba is trash:

1. Flavour (or lack thereof)

Someone please tell us what boba is supposed to taste like. You can’t? That’s because it doesn’t taste like ANYTHING! You expect some sort of flavour explosion, but it’s just bland, tapioca-filled sadness. If you’re going to put little giblets of solid gel at the bottom of a drink, at least make them worth our while. 2. Mouth feel

Drinks are liquid. They do not require chewing. Boba is a drink, but requires chewing?? Honestly a choking hazard, if you ask us. 3. Stomach feel

Boba defies biological reason. It does NOT digest like normal food (drink? Idk). Those chewy orbs sit in your stomach like rocks. Nothing is worth that level of indigestion. 4. Cult status

You know what we’re talking about. 5. Resemblance to Orbeez

Orbeez are fun. They are silly, squishy orbs. They are, however, NOT edible (trust us). Boba is basically Orbeez but without fun colours. Why would someone create such a mind trap?

So, we want to know: who’s forcing you to uphold this grossly false narrative that boba is *choke* good??! Is Big Boba paying you all??? Are you being held at gunpoint?? Blink twice if you need help!!

If you are part of the cult of boba worshippers, we hope our entirely logical (and correct) argument can help you see the light (and regain your taste buds).

Boba lovers have reigned for too long. It’s time for boba haters to rise up and proclaim the necessary truth that boba is just plain bad.

PHOTO | KIM NGAN PHUNG

A tour of Robarts's Area 51, A.K.A. the seventh floor

(Caution: Enter at your own risk. Escape is NOT guaranteed.)

maX lees

CONTRIBUTOR

For those who have not had the chance to visit the massive 14-story concrete turkey that is Robarts Library, please be advised that this establishment does not come with instructions. Although its imposing structure makes it deceivingly easy to locate and enter, navigating and exiting the building is a different story.

If you are like me, you might decide that the best way to find where you want to go is to get on the elevator, pick your favourite number from one to 14, and hope it takes you there. (Directory? What directory?) As the doors close behind you, the seventh floor welcomes you with a blank wall, a deafening silence, and the creeping feeling that you are trespassing on a secure government facility.

The central, hexagonal room feels mildly suffocating, so you head for the doors around the edge that surely lead to somewhere with windows. They do not. None of the doors open, with no indication of what’s on the other side except a few signs reading “IT” and “Staff Only.” This feels deliberately vague and cryptic. On the other side of the blank wall, there are a few desks and a man who does not acknowledge your presence. There are no stairs. Naïvely, you decide that this floor is boring and you’d like to leave. A friendly little sign above the elevator you just exited informs you that the elevator does not service this floor. Neither does the next one, or the third, or the fourth. The fifth services only a few floors which are not open to students. What are they keeping there? Aliens? A map to the Northrop Frye McDonalds?

You press the “down” button and the elevators glide past, ignoring your request. The light behind the button turns off. Rude. You try the “up” button with no success. While you stand there trying not to look like a fool, several people appear out of nowhere pushing a black cart. They do not look at you, and proceed through a set of metal doors without saying a word. Robots? Central Intelligence?

After circling the room again, your options for escape are: a) call security; b) call a friend; or c) pray to the elevator deities. That is, assuming you don’t get kidnapped by Big Brother first.

TL;DR: Don’t come here. Or do, if you don’t plan on leaving. Happy studying :)

PHOTO | MAX LEES

Woman Committed to Overcoming Oppression Also Interested in Making Life Harder for Herself All of the Fucking Time

You have to pick your battles and I guess I choose those big systemic ones

sarah burns CONTRIBUTOR

I am interested in ending all oppression, including my own. Even though I am wealthy, white, and physically and emotionally able, most of the time I just... can’t. This is because I am a woman, and, when it comes to the marginalized, teeechnically I am a part of this group— thanks, Kimberlé Crenshaw! But don’t get me wrong—as grateful as I am to the women who paved the way before me, actualizing change is not as simple and easy as they made it seem. Nevertheless, I am still 110% committed to making my life and the lives of everyone, across all intersections of oppression and every marginalized social stratification, free from and unburdened by all the patriarchy.

The other day, for instance, when I went out for drinks with friends, I managed to successfully monopolize the conversation for an entire 45 minutes discussing issues disproportionately facing women today. In a moment of extreme passion, I threw my drink in the face of a passing waiter and exclaimed, “If women did not have to face such high beauty standards, we would have time for other pursuits deemed valuable by capitalism!”

Who knows if any marginal change came from this act of public defiance, or whether the alienation of my friends really does count as a form of social resistance. But what I do know for sure is that, when it comes to eliminating the hurdles women must jump over so that they are able to delight in the fruits of waged labour and the thrills of temporary gratification, my level of determination knows no bounds.

I have found, however, that this personal propensity for change is very much at odds with the choices I make in my everyday life. These choices do not necessarily have anything to do with the patriarchy, but rather with a perverse inclination to self-sabotage that is almost equally as harmful (if not more so) to my ability as a woman to self-actualize!

For example, I have noticed that I am not only uninterested in streamlining my mornings, but that I also like to make life harder for myself in avoidable ways. During my commute to work, for instance, I often wait until the bus has arrived to both put on my mask and search for my bus card within the labyrinthesque reaches of my tote bag. In the ten minutes beforehand, I usually become aware that I should prepare myself for the possibility that the bus should, say, arrive. However, I always find something better to do, such as wondering if I will ever learn my times tables. And then, when the bus does arrive, I am forced to fasten my mask and dig through my bag at a standard of athleticism more characteristic of a low-level tennis match.

Some might conjecture that my procrastination stems from an inability to confront challenges, a result of being cushioned from all hardship throughout my entire life. But what I have discovered through processes of unlearning and relearning is that my self-sabotage is more rooted in a lack of self-confidence due to—you guessed it—being a woman. So sure, maybe I would prefer to scroll through Instagram than buy an NFT, no matter how valuable and non- fungible they are to our communities. But that is not because I am bad at creating change in society; it is because society made me that way. Now go and think about that at happy hour

Incoming: Hot Girl Fall!

Don’t let the lack of sunshine rain on your hot girl parade—here are 5 tips to rule Hot Girl Fall

ILLUSTRATION | SEAVEY VAN WALSUM

iman hussain CONTRIBUTOR

As the temperature drops and we’re forced to exchange bikinis for sweaters, Hot Girl Summer officially ends and midterm season looms over our heads. BUT who said we had to stop channeling our inner “Hot Girl”?

Introducing: Hot Girl Fall—where pumpkin spice lattes are always on hand and the “Hot Girl” vibes never end. Being a Hot Girl is not actually limited to a season; in fact, it’s a mindset. Anyone and everyone can be a “Hot Girl” by simply following the tips below.

1. Celebrate yourself and the people around you

Being a Hot Girl means always lifting up yourself and the people around you. It’s acknowledging all of the everyday achievements, like getting out of bed in the morning to finish an assignment earlier than planned. This also means honouring the people around you and their accomplishments, too!

2. Channel your highest self

A Hot Girl never stops growing, and growth only comes when you’re uncomfortable. Every day, when you wake up, make sure you’re striving to be the best version of yourself and better than who you were yesterday—always channel your ultimate Hot Girl.

3. Focus on the things that are important to you

Priorities. Priorities. Priorities. If waking up early is important to you, start setting your alarm and doing it! If checking up on friends is your focus, then go shoot them a text! Whatever it is that you prioritize, make sure you keep at it in order to really embody Hot Girl Fall.

4. Practice self-care

Self-care—not to be confused with treating yourself (they’re different, I promise)—is the act of doing the things that you don’t necessarily want to do. This can be cleaning your room, taking a shower, finishing some homework, or even reading a book. To be a Hot Girl this fall, you need to ensure that you’re taking care of yourself both physically and mentally.

5. Be unapologetically yourself!

Coming from the OG Hot Girl herself, Megan Thee Stallion: “Being a Hot Girl is about being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth, being the life of the party etc.” You are in control of your reality, so don’t let people tell you how you should be. After all, being a Hot Girl is all about the attitude and confidence!

So what are you waiting for? Take these tips and go rock Hot Girl Fall!