With the ReFrame International Film Festival just around the corner, I thought it would be best to ask the Arthur team to contribute their top picks for your film-going pleasure.
The festival takes place Friday, Jan. 29 to Sunday, Jan. 31, and will be hosting films from all over the world. There’s a lot to choose from, so let us help you choose something that may tickle your cinematic fancy:
Rebecca Harrison
(Staff Writer)
Burden of Peace
Sunday, 2:15 p.m., The Venue
The Netherlands | 2015 | 74 min
Everyone wants to change the world, and we love to praise the accomplishments of those who do, but it is rare that the public gets an insight on the process of change. This film offers exactly that: an insight into the incredibly hard work of one of the many incredible women that dedicate their lives to improving the future.
A Dangerous Game
Friday, 4 p.m., The Venue
UK | 2014 | 90 min
Though I am annoyed and tired of hearing about Donald Trump’s presidential campaign run, it is important to recognize how destructive our educational and bureaucracy systems continue to be.
It is easy to detest the man, but to criticize the law for allowing him to carry out such projects as these golf courses is to overlook the main issue: The Law. I hope that this film will inspire many student and community members to critique our laws and how they allow destructive enterprises to be established.
Deep Web
Saturday, 5 p.m., The Venue
USA | 2015 | 90 min
I thought the “deep web” Internet was just a concept used in drama and action films. I am excited to learn more about this secretive, international drug trade centre.
Yumna Leghari
(Co-editor)
A Nation Without A Homeland
Friday, 4 p.m., Market Hall
USA | 2015 | 11 min
There is a diaspora, a certain purgatory where generations are affected by the follies of those who came before them. This film delves into current reality of displaced humans. Warith Kwaish’s aim to help Mohamed search for his parents triggers a much larger concept; a journey to find one’s roots before the ravages of war.
The Beekeeper
Sunday, 12 p.m., The Venue
USA | 2013 | 107 min
Within the narrative of war, where high numbers of casualties become
unfathomable statistics that our brains cannot process are real human stories. Gezer is a Kurdish beekeeper who has lost everything, his friends, family, and his 500 colonies of bees. This film portrays how the turmoil between the Turkish state and the Kurdish guerrilla has affected one man and forced him to begin a new life in Switzerland.
Keith Hodder
(Arts Writer & Columnist)
Frame by Frame
Friday, 1:45 p.m., Market Hall
Afghanistan | 2015 | 85 min
Coming in with a slew of awards, Frame by Frame is sure to impress. This documentary follows four Afghan photojournalists who, after surviving decades under the oppression of the Taliban regime, strive to build a free press that can give their country a better name. Not only is this film topical, it also goes to show how an ambitious mission can make its way around the world.
Gayby Baby
Friday, 1:45 p.m., Showplace
Australia | 2015 | 85 min
Kids say the darnedest things, but are freed by their innocence to say the most profound. Four children speak on what life is like being raised by same-sex parents. Not only do I expect this to stir the pot of the same-sex controversy, but I also hope to see some emotionally gripping and memorable storytelling.
Hard to Believe
Sunday, 10 a.m., The Venue
China | 2015 | 56 min
As much as it pains me to admit it, I find this film’s dark story incredibly intriguing. It’s one of those seemingly impossible
stories, which explains the film’s moniker. If exploring China’s criminal underbelly to study physicians who are forced to do live organ harvesting on Chinese political prisoners sounds like your bag of blood, Hard to Believe is not to be missed.
Passes are $20 for students. The pass allows you to see whichever films you’d like and is incredibly affordable given the amount of films you can see on a given day. To get more information on the slate of films, and to purchase festival passes online, please visit reframefilmfestival.ca.