Generation D.I.Y. Film Festival
 |
Assembled by Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential) and promoter Gary Topp (who has worked with, among others, The Police, The Ramones, and The Dixie Chicks), the Festival runs this weekend at Toronto’s Bloor Cinema, before moving on to Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver. What makes Generation D.I.Y. stand out from the already-full film festival scene is the nature of the films, their linked themes, and the ways in which they can be accessed. Many of the works explore relationships first and foremost, as befits the obsessions and concerns of the generation making the works. However, the relationships portrayed are viewed through the lens of a modern, technologically savvy perspective, and they’re injected with a good deal of cutting humour and brutal honesty. Riffing on the theme of love and the internet, it’s ironic to note that many of the films –and filmmakers –also have their own websites, where clips from the film, release dates, blogs, and links to other works can be found. Unlike Hollywood, these are filmmakers one can actually reach out and touch –virtually or otherwise. |
The festival kicks off with Nights and Weekends, by indie filmmakers Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig, and details the slings of arrows of a long-distance relationship. Swanberg and Gerwig (herself a darling of the indie film scene) also star in the picture, which is heart-rending in its honest portrayal of love, loss, and longing. Another film that offers an honest look at modern relating is Funny Ha Ha, a brutal, unpretentious look at the life of Marnie (Kate Dollenmayer), who can’t keep either a job or a man. For any woman who’s struggled to land the perfect job and ideal partner, the film offers a compelling look at the challenges of balancing work and love. Four Eyed Monsters, co-directed by Arin Crumley and Susan Buice (who are also the featured performers) is another film that explores the ups and downs of modern relating. The film is a true account of how Crumley and Buice met online, and wound up dating, but made an agreement never to speak in-person. The film is a fascinating commentary on the nature of connecting and socializing in the twenty-first century; the directors effectively portrays the mélange of isolation and intimacy that has been ushered in with the omnipresent dominance of internet culture.
Continuing with the exploration of the internet’s role in modern life, Joe Swanberg’s LOL explores the relationships a trio of friends have with women through electronic means. Whether it’s a computer monitor or a camera phone, the three friends struggle with notions of their own masculinity and what it means to connect with others. Hilarious, honest, and thought-provoking, the film is compelling in its portrayal of the ways in which definitions of masculinity, femininity, relationships, obsession and connection are changing in tandem with technology.
Less focused on technological networking and more with in-person connection is Quiet City, directed by Aaron Katz, which explores the relationship between two characters who meet on an empty New York subway platform, and spend the next twenty-four hours at various city spots, talking, sharing, relating. With shades of Before Sunrise, the film underlines, in both theme, style, and look, the theme of the D.I.Y. ethos, and in so doing, salutes the movement’s forefathers, Jim Jarmusch and Richard Linklater (the director of Before Sunrise, in fact). Another nod to the past is glimpsed in Todd Rohal’s film The Guatemalan Handshake, a surreal work that has echoes of Tom DeCillo’s 1992 film Johnny Suede and Jim Jarmusch’s Last Night On Earth, from 1991, though there’s also a nod to George Miller’s gritty Oz car-fest Mad Max from 1979. Set amidst a power outage, The Guatemalan Handshake also has strong echoes of David Lynch, with its mix of bizarre characters, seemingly random events, and distinctly eerie atmosphere. There’s a clear reference to the July 2003 power outage that affected much of the Eastern seaboard, and director Rohal has crafted a compelling musing on the events that may have occurred that night.
Shot with less visual references, but with no less passion or dedication is The Death of Indie Rock, Rob Fitl’s debute feature that details the ups and downs of a band chasing their dreams. Shot in a gritty, reality-television style, the film is an unblinking look at the hard-scrabble lives of young musicians who move to Montreal to pursue their music dreams. It’s an honest look at hopes raised, plans pursued, and dreams dashed, with a refreshing style that strips away the glamour of nights filled with gigs and girls, while offering a gentle, humorous exploration of friendship, and the ties that bind –and break. Closing the festival is Mutual Appreciation, directed by Andrew Bujalski. Like The Death of Indie Rock, the film portrays the trials and tribulations of a young musician chasing his dreams in New York City, and encountering both professional and personal challenges along the way.
Many of the filmmakers behind the works featured in the Generation D.I.Y. Festival will be on-hand to discuss their works. The festival runs at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto June 19th to 22nd, before moving onto the Winnipeg Film Group June 26th to 29th. From there, it travels to the Metro Cinema in Edmonton July 4th to 10th, and winds up in Vancouver, where it runs July 11th to 17th.
For more information, go to www.filmswelike.com.
Login
Create an account
