30 Planet of the Arts / December 1996 Vancouver international Pithy Film Reviews by RYAN Tunnicliffe Too Late Romania/France, 1995 Dir. Lucian Pintilie Buckets of full frontal Romanian nudity, a depiction of a country that wishes to have a short coma. The people are suffering from the “remains of a previous hell”, induced into a catatonic state, a plot that is more metaphoric than narrative- asks the audience, when is it too late? After Nicolae Ceaucescu brutally attacked a whole population, where is that nation now? Stuck deep in the mine shaft living on other miners’ lunches while it’s twin shadow brother aimlessly wonders the ECC, bombing. Who cares about the arts or the free Press when the history is so marred? Gonin 2 Japan, 1996 Dir. Ishii Takashi Gonin 2 is the floating world, a depic- tion of contemporary pleasure, geisha’s are call girls who aspire to be gangsters, samurai’s contrast to bondage gear gangsters and every- thing looks really good. Buddha Bless America Taian, 1996 Dir. Wu Nien Jen A tale of timeless political irony, Americans rent land from illiterate “Third World” villagers, build a whore house, play military games and then leave after having destroyed the villager’s cabbage. No Way Home USA, 1996 Directed by Buddy Giovinazzo Tim Roth is a soft spoken ex-con who returns home to find that home never existed. The circle of a small power brokerage has caught up with his brother, a marijuana/oregano dealer involved in successive attempts to live a life avoiding responsibility. Palookaville USA, 1995 Dir: Alan Taylor A movie about people who figured out that going to the mall is a waste of time, but really don’t have any- thing else to do. For example: three guys try to rob a jewelry store, and they rob a bakery instead. Airport In British Columbia, 1996 Dir. Erik Whittaker Falling asleep in front of the televi- sion. Watching Hockey, passing out, waking up and finding yourself watching a late night movie about mounties investigating a murder at a podiatry convention in Winnipeg. Falling asleep. A Summer in La Goulette Tunesia/France/Belgium, 1996 Dir. Ferid Boughedir | wanted to get on a plane and go to Tunisia and sit on the beach watching the ethnicities disappear as they are broken down by the libidos of adoles- cents. Box of Moonlight USA, 1996 Dir. Tom Dicillo The scheduled life isn’t working prop- erly when A! Von Turtuuro) Starts seeing things backwards. Al goes in search of his inner child to find it in a lake consumed by pollution. Then the magic begins. Zero Degrees Kelvin Norway, 1995 Dir. Hans Petter Moland Film Commentary on The Nest Latvia, 1995 dir. Aivars Fréimanis Parting, ee film festivals thrive upon the capacity of film to establish connections. These connections bring shared space into existence across time, across geography, and across any number of social impediments. Subtitles, a distinguishing marker of a film's foreignness, are a kind of literature that flows across borders the way books have throughout modern history. Attending a international film festival that’s worth its name would be incomplete without seeing a film that employs subtitles for the benefit of its host audience. My attendance at the 1996 Vancouver International Film Festival was anything but complete - | only paid to see one film. But the film | saw required subtitles for its host audience and for me. Its actors spoke Latvian and its title was translated as The Nest. VIFF organizers solicited it for their programme as part of an effort to screen work from post-Soviet Central and Eastern Europe. The title of the film seems to have been chosen as a way of referring Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills USA, 1995 dir. Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky Breaking The Waves Denmark/France, 1996 dir. Lars von Trier Memory, to a site at which the young are nurtured and therefore where one gener- ation entrusts its history to the next. | went to see The Nest because it is a Latvian film. Having switched to English from Latvian at about three years of age and not having used my first vocabulary (probably less than 300 words at its peak) since that time, | was relying just about as much as the next person on a narrative whose details were available to me by virtue of subtitles. My immediate experience viewing The Nest had parallels with the film’s narrative. In the film, a man returns to his childhood home after a forced departure and long absence in another country. While viewing of The Nest, | suddenly found myself recognizing the Latvian nature of many of the murmurs, gestures, and moods of the actors. This recognition occurred by way of flash backs to life in my childhood home, a return of sorts for me prompted by the film. The stirring of these memories while watching The Nest seemed like a bridge over the interruptions of time, space, and imagined and forgotten personal history. Overall, it was a bridge spanning the distance between being a child with a “concentration camp-style haircut” according to a nasty angloas-they-come neighbour in Montreal and being an assimilated- as-they-come adult in Vancouver. Visually rendered movie reviews by ERIN Gillgannon 30 Planet of the Arts / December 1996 Vancouver International Pithy Film Reviews by RYAN Tunniciffe Too Late Romaniarrance, 1995 Die Lucian Pinte ‘Buckets of fll frontal Romanian rualty, a depiction ofa country that (wishes to have a short coma, The people are sutfering fom the remains of a previous hel into a catatonic stat, a plot thats ‘more metaphoric than naratve- asks the audience, when ist t00 late? [After Nicolae Ceavcescu brutally Stacked a whole popu is that nation now? Stu ‘mine shaft living on other miner Tunches while is twin shadow brother aimlesly wonders the ECC, Bombing. Who cares about the arts forthe free Pres when the history is fomared? Gonin 2 Japan, 1996 i hl Takashi Gonin 2is the floating world, a depic tion of contemporary pleasure, ‘eiha’s are call gis who aspire to be Sangster, samural’s contrast to Bondage gear gangsters and every: thing look realy ood Buda Bless America Talan, 1996 i Wu Nien Jen A tale of timeless political irony, ‘Americans rent fand from literate “Thied Worl vilagers, build a whore house, play military games and then leave after having destroyed the villagers cabbage. ‘No Way Home USA, 1996 Directed by Buddy Glovinazz0 Tm Roth is a soft spoken excon who returns home to find that home ‘ever existed. The citcle ofa small power brokerage has caught up with Fis brother, a marjuanaloregano dealer involved in successive attempts tole a life avoiding responsibilty Jookaville USA, 1995, Die Alan Taylor ‘A movie about people who figured ‘out tat going fo the malls a waste (of time, But really don have any thing ese to do. Fr example: three guys ty to rob a jewelty store, and they rob a bakery instead, Airport in Brith Columbia, 1996 Dir rik Whitaker Falling aslep in font of the tele: sion, Watching Hockey, pasing Out waking up and finding youre ‘watching alate night movie about ‘mounts investigating a murder at 2 podiatry convention in Winnipeg, Falling asleep. ‘A Summer in La Goulette. TunesiafFrancefBelium, 1996 Dir Fed Boughedir ‘wanted to get on a plane and go to Tunisia and sit onthe beach watching the ethnicties disappear a5 they are broken down by the ibidos of adoles- cents. Box of Moonlight USA, 1996 Die Tom Diao The scheduled life int working prop- erly when I on Turtuure) Stars Seeing things Backwards. Al goes in Search of his inner child to fina tin 2 lake consumed by pollution. Then the magic beains Film Commentary on The Nest Latvia, 1995 dir. Aivars Fréimanis Parting, Inertia sin esa ine pon he aac of fin oe connector hse onions ig hed pce exten a STOR er es Bea of Ieratre tat lows ro Border teway Books ave iroughout om fi ‘tending inten ln eal hats worth name woul be inaplte nou ain fim ta ply sie fre ne ot anything bt company pits an iy Bu the fan ear spate Ltn an ews Ware ar The Nest VF erga slated torte proroespart st eet seen The th afte fm sees tore Bean Cont ae way of ferog oe reg: te Sy Memory, toa site at which the young are nurtured and therefore where one gener- ation enteusts its history to the next. went to See The Nest because it sa Latvian film. Having switched to English from Latvian at about three years of age and not having used my fist vocabulary (probably less than 300 words at its peak) since that time, | was relying just about as much asthe next person on a narrative whore details were available to me by virtue of subtitles. ‘My immediate experience viewing The Nest had parallels with the fils narrative. n te film, 9 man returns to his childhood home after a {forced departure and long absence in another country. While viewing of ‘The Nest, | suddenly found myself recognizing the Latvian nature of many, ‘of the murmurs, gestures, and moods ofthe actor. This recognition ‘occurred by way of flash backs to life in my childhood home, a return of sorts for me prompted by the fl. The string ofthese memories while watching The Nest seemed lke 9 bridge over the interruptions of time, space, and imagined and forgotten personal histor. Overall it was a bridge spanning the distance between Being a child with a “concentration camprstye haircut” according to a nasty angloasthey-come neighbour in Montreal and being an asimilated- ‘asthey-come adult in Vancouver Visually rendered movie reviews by BRN cagennon