Still from the documentary Honeyland, directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov. (Photo courtesy of NEON)
This past year, I followed a honey gatherer up Macedonian hills, watched a recording session with a legendary jazz singer, witnessed the political turmoil within Denmark’s parliament, and traveled throughout Canada to the strains of Handel’s music. All these adventures happened while I lounged on the living room sofa.
It may have Manitoba’s capital in its name, but anyone anywhere will be able to attend this year’s Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival as it moves online for 2021. The 11th annual festival, which bills itself as cool, clean and compelling, takes place Sunday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 28. It will feature more than 50 films from around the world. In a video on the festival’s website, Paul Boge—the festival’s founder and coordinator—muses about whether or not now is the right time for a film festival.
'Why do I enjoy watching horror movies?' (Image by Sammy-Williams/Pixabay)
Halloween is a few weeks away, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to watch some horror movies to get into the spirit.
(Photo by Aaron Epp)
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down concert venues and sports stadiums. Even movie theatres have locked their doors. Over the past several months, many people have found themselves stuck at home with more free time and a new Netflix subscription. Six Mennonites talk about the films that have been formative in their lives:
"Everyone has their own needs, their own ways of engaging with film..." (Image by Jan Vašek/Pixabay)
Looking for a movie to watch? Sue Sorensen has some suggestions for you.
Sorensen, an English professor at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, is featured in a series of five short videos CMU posted to its YouTube channel earlier this month.
Each video features a film that Sorensen recommends watching, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"And the Birds Rained Down" is 'a profound, stunningly beautiful film,' Vic Thiessen writes.
For various reasons, I watched fewer films in 2019 than in any of the previous five years. In general, the films listed below are not as strong as films on previous lists. In the end, though, there were enough good films to make a Top 15 list.
Here’s my list, counting down—with a reminder that this is not my list of the year’s best films, but a list of my personal favourites:
Watching great films is a spiritual experience for Winnipeg filmmaker Paul Plett. (Photo by Aaron Epp)
Paul Plett calls Citizen Kane ‘such an amazing representation of what film can do.’
For Paul Plett, watching Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope is ‘a religious experience.’
That filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was able to make Apocalypse Now given the obstacles he faced is part of what makes the film great, Paul Plett says.
‘If I could make one movie . . . that is to people what The Princess Bride is to me, then I’d be happy,’ Plett says.
“Watching great films is a very spiritual experience for me,” says Paul Plett. “It hits a tuning fork in [my] heart and my whole soul reverberates.”
