Spotlight On Canadian Films

Toronto Stories

Thursday, September 4-------Following the lead of the selection of a Canadian film to open the Festival this evening (the World War I epic Passchendale by Paul Gross), the Toronto International Film Festival has laced all of its program strands with some highly anticipated local films. This is not only critical for the Toronto audiences but for the cadre of international film buyers and programmers who have descended on the city to discover, among other things, the next Canadian film gem.

Five Canadian feature films will screen as part of Contemporary World Cinema, a program showcasing the best in international cinema. All are world premieres, so this will be their initial debuts on the Canadian and international stages.

Lost Song (Rodrigue Jean, Quebec)
Elisabeth (Suzie Leblanc), Pierre (Patrick Goyette) and their new-born baby move to a summer cottage in a remote area north of Montreal. Isolation and the difficulty of coping with her new situation and surroundings send Elisabeth into a spiral of depression.

Maman est chez le coiffeur (Léa Pool, Quebec)
Infused with Léa Pool’s celebrated personal vision, Maman est chez le coiffeur is a heart-warming and heart-wrenching family drama that chronicles a separation seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Élise (Marianne Fortier). After the sudden departure of her mother (Céline Bonnier), Élise is left to deal with her despondent dad and troubled younger brothers.

Mothers & Daughters (Carl Bessai, British Columbia)
Mothers & Daughters is a touching and often hilarious look at the strained relationships three women have with their daughters. Featuring three of Canada’s finest actresses (Tantoo Cardinal, Gabrielle Rose and Babz Chula), Bessai’s latest film stems from a collaborative and mostly improvised script.

Toronto Stories (Sook-Yin Lee, Sudz Sutherland, David Weaver and Aaron Woodley, Ontario)
A tribute to the city, Toronto Stories is a passionate collection of four stories witnessed by a nameless boy in the course of a single day. Each story was directed by one of the city’s most intriguing filmmakers.

Un Été sans point ni coup sûr (Francis Leclerc, Quebec)
In the summer of 1969 (the same summer that brought the world the Woodstock Festival and the first walk on the moon), a 12-year-old boy dreams of making the neighbourhood baseball team. When he gets cut, his father steps in, sets up a team, and together they spend a summer full of hope and disappointment, surprises and foul balls.

Sandy Mandelberger, Toronto FF Dailies Editor