Posted by Sheryl Kirby in events, events upcoming, films on October 20, 2008 at 8:02 am
Every year, the Planet in Focus film festival includes a number of films about food, but this year 15 titles have been selected as part of a series entitled Food: The Big Picture. Running from October 22nd to 26th, the series looks at food from every angle.
On October 23rd, Norman Lofts’ film Michael Schmidt: Organic Hero or Bioterrorist (Canada, 2008) launches the spotlight program, followed by a panel discussion - In the Name of the Public Good? Food Policy & Food Security in Ontario. The International and Canadian Eco-Hero Awards will also be given out that evening. Slow food pioneer and Italian author Carlo Petrini will be awarded the International Eco-Hero Award; author and long-time sustainable food policy advocate Wayne Roberts will be given the Canadian Eco-Hero Award.
On Friday, October 24th, food films dominate the evening at two screening locations. The Beggars in Addis Ababa (Denmark 2007) runs at 9pm at Innis Town Hall. Jakob Gottschau's documentary poignantly personalizes the stories of millions facing hunger and displacement in the developing world. At 7pm, Tableland (Canada, 2007), a film about sustainable small-scale artisanal food producers, screens at the Gardiner.
Food: The Big Picture features the world premiere of Return to Nepal (Canada, 2008) on Saturday October 25th at 7pm at the ROM. This film by Robert Lang tracks Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn as he returns to this former kingdom, now under a Maoist regime, after twenty years. In the world's most majestic mountainous terrain, Cockburn encounters an organic farmer, a woman milling flour and witnesses the tenacity, spiritual wisdom and interdependence of a vibrant community in this remarkable journey. A portion of the proceeds from this screening will be donated to USC Canada, an aid organization featured in the documentary. Specifically, the proceeds are earmarked to help support the distribution of improved cook stoves to homes in the remote region of Humla; a district beset with poverty and hunger.
Also screening at the ROM on the 25th is the Canadian premiere of Eternal Mash (Netherlands, 2007) at 5pm. This documentary is about the mysterious disappearance of master Dutch horticulturist Ruurd Walrecht who had sorted, protected and preserved the seeds of rare vegetables on the brink of extinction. At 1pm the same day at the Bata Shoe Museum during the Children's Program, Global Food-Once Upon a French Fry (France/Italy 2007) celebrates one of the world's most ubiquitous foods.
A selection of global short films celebrating the beauty of age-old food traditions will be screened throughout the festival. Titles include The Poet of Grappa (Italy, 2006), a loving tribute to grappa master Romano Levi and One of the Last (Italy, 2007), a film about the daily routines of Italian peasants. Canada's Next Floor (Canada, 2008) gleely sharpens its focus on gluttony as a group of diners feast on wild meats. Birth of the Smoked Meat (Canada, 2006) is a tale of enduring tastes in a constantly evolving urban setting while Iran's Boomrang (2007) is a magnificently shot short about a special little boy, fishing in a very different way. Greina (Switzerland, 2006) is a beautiful piece that documents cheesemaker Giovanni Boggini's final year of churning cheese and butter in his wood-fired cauldron while Alchemy (U.K., 2007) brings the act of baking into a high art form.
Other entries in the series include Breadmakers (UK, 2007), Crabs on the Road (Colombia, 2006), Diet Leibovich (Israel, 2005), Enjoy Your Meal (Colombia, 2008), Farms Without Farmers (Paraguay, 2008), How to Save a Fish From Drowning, The Hunger Season (UK, 2008), The Sacred Food (USA, 2006), Silent Snow (Netherlands, 2007), Slow Food (Norway, 2008), and The Squid Daddy's Labour Room (Taiwan, 2008).
Tickets to Planet in Focus screenings are $10 ($8 seniors and students, $5 children under 12). For tickets call 416-967-1528, and for full schedule details, visit the Planet in Focus website.
