it was in February, but feels much farther away than that now: we were having production meetings, and targeting deadlines for programming, key art, advertising, and marketing. and then COVID-19 happened. originally scheduled for a May 7 2020 launch, DOXA announced in mid-March that it was being postponed. and although outright cancellation would have been devastating ... Read More
The World is Bright 世明
Ying Wang's award-winning film follows an elderly Beijing couple for 10 years as they investigate their son Shi Ming's mysterious death in Canada. rooted in devotion, loss and grief, the documentary opens like a slow-reveal thriller but becomes a heartbreaking indictment of mental health support systems and bureaucratic black holes of immigration policy. visually, the ... Read More
Eddy’s Kingdom
Greg Crompton's debut feature-length documentary recounts one of the more batshit crazy episodes in Canadian history. in the '70s and '80s, an immigrant barber from Lebanon had a singular obsession: build a family-friendly Middle Eastern island theme park in the Okanagan. offering submarine rides and mini-golf under the shadows of a giant camel and replica pyramid on a ... Read More
Haida Modern: The Art and Activism of Robert Davidson
in designing the poster for the world premiere of Charles Wilkinson's new film at VIFF 2019, there was no lack of sublime Robert Davidson masterworks that could have been referenced. the trick was going to be placing Robert — with his personal history, far-reaching artistic influence, and cultural activism — in the context of the modern world. initial rounds ... Read More
Aim For The Roses
i first came across Aim For The Roses during pre-production for DOXA in early February, while rolling through various possibilities for festival art. the stills were amazing: a defiant, hairy-chested man in a tight, yellow jump suit; smartly dressed musicians with choreographed back-up singers/dancers on a racetrack; and a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental with wings, ... Read More