Under Review
VIFF 2017: Unarmed Verses
From the opening shots of Charles Officer’s documentary, Unarmed Verses, it’s clear that this is a film that embraces its setting. In typical Canadian fashion,…
VIFF 2017
Under Review
VIFF 2017: Sweet Virginia
Marked by tension and atrocity, Sweet Virginia unveils a bitter yet beautiful view on human nature. It superimposes the relationship between necessity and sin over…
Under Review
VIFF 2017: Paradox
A psychopathic organ trafficker, a psychic Muay Thai cop and a desperate father out for revenge — I saw Paradox at the Rio Theatre during…
Under Review
VIFF 2017: Meet Beau Dick: Maker of Monsters
“How do you explain Beau Dick?” asks Pamela Bevan, Beau’s former partner, smiling at the camera. The audience laughs. It’s one of many interviews through…
Under Review
VIFF 2017: Indian Horse
Watching this movie on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish people adds to the allure and tragedy of the feature. The wounds of colonial…
Under Review
VIFF 2017: Thelma
A truly sinister scene opens Thelma, the fourth film by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, setting the tone for two fascinating hours that follow. A father…
Under Review
VIFF 2017: New Skins & Old Ceremonies
Short films have the difficult task of storytelling in limited time. There’s no slow unravelling of characters, lengthy development of relationships or plot thickening. But…