tiff.festival'13

Super stoked to learn that two projects that I did the costumes for will be playing at the juggernaut of a festival: the Toronto International Film Festival (tiff is alot easier no?)

First up, Daybreak or Éclat du jour directed by Ian Lagarde about a group of kids on bikes, rebellion and pack mentality.  Some behind the scenes images here.

Film number two is The Sparkling River directed by Felix&Paul.  This 3D short has undergone various incarnations and had received the Guillaume Corbeil touch in its final stages.  We shot this many many moons ago, and I have yet to see the end result!

Here I will take a moment to say that a dear friend, Daniel Allen Cox has co-written Gerontophilia with THE Bruce LaBruce, Canadian queer filmmaker/artist extraordinaire.  I don't know how many more excuses I need to go to tiff now.

Eastern Bloc: Data Salon II

I'm a little late to the posting party. Things got busy, but it's never too late to share!

Sometime back I went down to the Eastern Bloc to check out Data : Salon II, featuring the works of Alexandre Larose and Félix & Paul.  The evening was an off-site presentation in conjunction with the "Looking through time" event organised by McGill University’s Moving Image Research Laboratory.  

Félix&Paul presented two 3D works and judging by the image above, there is no way I can do it any justice without sticking a pair of 3D glasses on you!  And yes, that is the head of a caribou.  This is a still from the film "Kobe" that was shot in and around Igloolik (yes, that is the arctic!) revolving around a young boy and his daily life.  In case you're expecting the caribou head to come out and jump off the screen as we've come to know commercial 3D films, let me assure you that is not the case.  In fact it is the inverse that takes place, the depth of space is what is most remarkable here, alas, I can only describe it to you!

Above, “Aller/Retour” is Alexandre Larose's film installation/performance of one mega film loop that passes through each of the four 16mm projectors, displaying four images following each other through time and space.  Larose moves back and forth between the projectors, maintaining the tension of the loop and compensating for the not perfectly sync 24fps vintage beasts.

Some seating, placed with a slight curve to reduce the parallel distortion of the projectors.

The projectors, some gobo stands and the giant loop! Projectors also placed on a slight curve to compensate for distortion.

Close-up of the loop at work. Rad!

I like GIFs, Larose at work

Pina

Dance film, dance on film, dance theatre, documentary, Pina Bausch... and all of it in 3D!

Wim Wenders' Pina (2011) is a stunning film that allows the audience to get up close-really close- with the dancers of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, where Bausch was the artistic director.

The above still (by Donata Wenders taken from this site) shows us the rig used to capture the dancers' performing Bausch's Rite of Spring (1975).  I was really pleased to see this movie before it left the theatres, as a 2D rental wouldn't have cut it.  While the film is considered a documentary, Bausch died before shooting began and Wim Wenders restructured the concept of the film which now contains very little dialog.  By doing so, my movie date and I enthusiastically concluded that the potential for future 3D feature length dance film is FRIGGING MIND BLOWING!

That's how excited I was.  

Here is another awesome still from the film, a bit Roy Andersson-ish.

Other films that pop to mind: La La La Human Steps' Amelia (2002) is stage to screen adaptation that was smartly redesigned to suit the medium (film), I have too much to say about that in this space, but don't be shy if you're curious.  Of course there's the (art) films of Matthew Barney. Do I need to elaborate?  Basically I'd like more of this in my theatres.  Please and thank you.

I must mention the awesomely stunning and intriguing short film that preceded Pina called ORA, choreographed by José Navas.  The film is shot using 3D thermal imaging. What?! Je capote.