The Light Thief

Mr. Light is a thief. As the only electrician in a small mountain village in the Kyrgyz Republic, he gives light to the poor and disadvantaged. But Mr. Light has another dream – to bring wind-powered electricity to the entire town.

When a local businessman returns from the big city vying for a place in government, he makes Mr. Light a tempting offer – work together and power the town with wind turbines. The events that follow force Mr. Light to reevaluate his position in society and his own moral code.

One of my favorite things about many global films is the value they give to the seemingly mundane. Most Hollywood films, for example, fabricate the extraordinary. Nearly all of the global films I’ve seen this year appear to take a snippet out of the daily lives of average people – how they live their lives, their families, their struggles and accomplishments. If extraordinary things happen during that time, they’re still couched in the real.

With lingering, thoughtful pans of the landscape hold your attention long after the scene has ended, The Light Thief touches on issues of poverty, access to resources, class and social obligation, all within the framework of friendship, family, and just plain doing what’s right.

You can catch the North American premiere of The Light Thief at Eau Claire, Sunday, October 3 at 4:45pm.

The Happy Poet: A very happy movie indeed

It seems that these days there is no shortage of lo-fi, independent, mumblecore-esque films making the film festival circuit, and admittedly, The Happy Poet is another addition to the canon, albeit a rather welcome one. The story follows Bill, a jobless poetry major (played to perfection by Paul Gordon who also wrote and directed the project), who purchases a hot dog stand and converts it into an "all-organic almost-all-vegetarian" food caravan. Bill is a charming character who truly exemplifies the movie through his ironic, monotonous charm. The Poet is a simple and humble little film filled with good natured, light hearted, indie fun. It contains all the qualifications of a quirky independent comedy: just the right amount of awkward silence, and some (not too much) awkward romance, and enough giggles to keep you smiling. At times the movie will even surprise you with some loud laughs. The dry humour is executed with deadpan delivery and a certain quiet wit, and is often quite hilarious.

But where this movie truly stands apart from it's contemporaries is in it's sincerity. Through and through it is sincere, even throughout the duration of the long shots of awkward emotional insecurity, or boredom, it is true to itself, and that is what makes it such a joy to behold. The Happy Poet is not a "feel good" movie per say, but it is inspiring, funny, and dare I say it, cute. But the kind of cute that we all secretly like, not that fluffy kind. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of substance to this movie. It takes a playful jab at consumerism, idealism, and even the state of independent film itself, but the beauty in this movie is that it can be applied to almost anything, and it works on it's own as a warm, kind, piece of art. This year's lineup is very diverse, and as always, features some very ominous content. Amidst the dark, the gruelling, and the grotesque, The Happy Poet is a sweet little break. Light, charming, and fun.

You can catch The Happy Poet at the Eau Claire Market Cineplex Odeon on both Friday, September 24th at 9:15 PM and Sunday, September 26th at 2:30 PM

Tickets are available through the festival website (www.calgaryfilm.com) and can also be purchased at the festival headquarters, also found within the Eau Claire Market Mall.

VW, Rock and Roll, Free Cars...

Sorry, no free cars, just wanted to grab your attention.

Volkswagon sure knows how to put on a good party. Last night's VW Rock-and-Roll Party following the Rock Prophecies screening also served as one of the unofficial Canadian launch party for Volkwagon's newest vehicle, the Golf Wagon. The red carpet was rolled out for their newest model which was parked just outside the Barley Mill in Eau Claire.

In addition to the party last night, Volkswagon is once again providing the Calgary International Film Festival with vehicles which are used for a variety of purposes. Transporting delegates, supplies, staff and most importantly the actual film prints themselves. Big props to them.

Inside the Barley Mill, it was a packed house full of delegates, guests, staff and more as everyone enjoyed the music alongside the sodas courtesy of Stella Artois. Those looking for that extra kick, Jagermeister. In case you're wondering, that is not a real glass of Stella, there's a type of gel in there. Can't recall what kind but what's inside the glass isn't real Stella.

I snapped some shots of people enjoying the party, the beverages. Even I got into the act at one point.

Sorry for the late post...