Category Archives: Canadian

Tara Thorne’s Compulsus screens in Halifax

July 27, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Tara Thorne | 80 min | Screening at Carbon Arc Cinema A version of this post first appeared on the blog in September 2022 during coverage of the Atlantic International Film Festival — this week the fest having shrugged off that awkward, unloved tag, FIN. So, this isn't a proper review…Read More

The 2023 Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival is here!

June 21, 2023 flawintheiris

Perhaps the most idiosyncratic and grassroots film festival in Halifax is on right now. I'm talking about HIFF, running from today through Saturday at the Light House Arts Centre (1800 Argyle, the former World Trade Centre). Things get going at 6:30 this evening with the feature, So Much Tenderness, from Canadian-Colombian filmmaker Lina Rodriguez. (Director…Read More

Adult Adoption review — The Queen of Twee

June 4, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Karen Knox | Written by Ellie Moon | 90 min | ▲▲△△△ | on Digital and VOD I have to say off the top I'm not a fan of indie quirk, nor am I of the shaky-cam. It hasn't been a good thing in feature films since Dogme 95. I understand it though…Read More

Bystanders review — Nova Scotia drama nails a serious discussion

April 21, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Koumbie | Written by Koumbie, Taylor Olson, and Lisa Rose Snow | 90 min | ▲▲▲▲△ A version of this review appeared on FITI in September 2022 during the Atlantic International Film Festival. Bystanders arrives with a courageous script. It wades into issues a lot of people are talking about that other screenwriters…Read More

You Can Live Forever review — Queer lovers in a dangerous time

April 20, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Mark Slutsky and Sarah Watts | 96 min | ▲▲▲△△| Carbon Arc Cinema It's the early '90s — only 30 years ago but a very different time for gay rights in Canada. Following the death of her father, an Ontario teen, Jamie (Anwen O'Driscoll) has been sent to live with her…Read More

Blood Quantum (2020) review — Zombie pandemic movie a solid brain eater

April 19, 2023 flawintheiris

Friday night (April 21st) at 9pm, Carbon Arc Cinema (in partnership with the Hellifax Horror Fest) will show this terrific zombie picture from the late Mi'kmaq filmmaker, Jeff Barnaby, as part of a celebration of National Canadian Film Day (which technically was Wednesday). Advance tickets are sold out but a few will be available at…Read More

Riceboy Sleeps review — An essential Canadian story of the struggle to be Canadian

April 10, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Anthony Shim | 117 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Crave It's 1990. A young woman, So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon), has come to Canada from South Korea, following the suicide of her husband, with her son Dong-Hyun (Dohyun Noel Hwang), who's just going into Grade One. You really feel for the kid — the…Read More

Simulant review — Replicant cinema

April 8, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by April Mullen | Written by Ryan Christopher Churchill | 95 min | ▲▲△△△ | Crave For awhile now I've been impressed by the influence of the Charlie Brooker science fiction show, Black Mirror. Since its debut as a deeply cynical but scarily prophetic tech-anxiety sci-fi series, I've detected the reach of its potent…Read More

Geographies of Solitude review — Sable Island paradise

March 22, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Jacquelyn Mills | 103 min | ▲▲▲▲▲ | CBC Gem We barely hear a voice for the first 10 minutes of this documentary. Instead, we get the pleasure of images and sounds from Sable Island, the almost mythical crescent sandbar off the coast of Nova Scotia, home to seals and horses and Zoe…Read More

Brother review — A powerful story unlike what we usually see in Canadian cinema

March 20, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Clement Virgo | Written by Virgo from the novel by David Chariandy | 119 min | ▲▲▲▲△ Clement Virgo is the director of solid dramatic features like the Halifax-set boxing picture Poor Boy's Game, Lie With Me, and Rude, and quality television like The Wire and Book Of Negroes — he's carved out…Read More