LEZ-BE-[CANADIAN]
Monday, Oct. 21, 9 p.m.
JCC Theatre, $9
These Canadian shorts, curated by Kathleen Mullen, director of programming for Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival, is a diverse take on the Canadian lesbian culture, showing everything from undergarments to mother and daughter relationships.
Bon Bon (), from directors Allison Mitchell and Lex Vaughn, opens the program, to the chagrin of the audience. The only reason this film seems to be included is because the directors are lesbians and are "prolific local artists who on a regular basis make quirky, animated short films." This film is cute, if you are five-years-old. Animated sugar candies and chocolate monkeys dancing in a parade is not my idea of entertainment, but if you’re hungry, you may enjoy this one.
Taking a different look at the way we view lingerie is Cherries in the Snow (), from director Melissa Levin. This four-minute piece shows various lesbians hanging their lingerie in a grassy field while explaining what they find sexy in women or why they choose to wear that particular piece of clothing. It’s a witty piece of filmmaking and surprisingly good.
How to Mend a Broken Heart (), directed by Lyndsay Moffat, is an ode to activist Joan Nestle. Although the filming is good, the subject matter is too interesting and complex for a five-minute film. Moffat does not even explain who Nestle is, assuming too much knowledge on the part of the audience.
Interviews with my next Girlfriend (), directed by Cassandra Nicolaou, is a hilarious look at lesbian stereotypes and how lesbians process everything. Viewers are introduced to an eclectic and varied set of lesbians, ranging from the Ani Di Franco look-alike college student who doesn’t "believe" in monogamy to the 30-something preppy lesbian couple looking for a third. This collection of characters will give you the best laugh you will have all year, poking fun at the way lesbians act in relationships and dependency issues, how they attract other women and how they, of course, process. This is by far the best film in the program.
Le Tourbillion (), directed by Lise Beaudry, is a cute look at her obsession with Jeanne Moreaua, a gutsy French Canadian actress. Beaudry pulls clips from Moreaua’s old movies and expresses her love for the famous actress by pretending to be in the movies with her.
Play, she said (), directed by Lex Vaughn, is a short but sweet document of a mother and daughter duo. Through old family videos, the mother recounts how she tried to instill the love of play and freedom into her daughter and how carefree she wants to be. The camera angles are interesting in the dynamic undertaking, but it falls short, leaving the viewer wanting more.
Also showing: Lakme takes Flight, Lesbian National Parks and Services: A Force of Nature, and Papi. — KF
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