Trent Film Society is a student run group entering its 43rd year of providing a space for the Trent and Peterborough communities to come together and experience film as an engaging and social event. Throughout cinema’s short history, film has been taken in several different directions and TFS put together an installation in late August titled, “Things That Quicken the Heart: Cinema and (Non-) Narrativity,” to expose this fact. The installation pointed to the break between narrative and non-narrative cinema since the first films of the Lumiere Brother’s back in 1895. Fast-forward to the present and it is easy for us to see how the beckoning of flashy theatres to “come escape” into Hollywood’s punch-run-kiss narratives (that are, let’s admit it, well over played) dominates our film culture and pushes out of sight alternative styles and narratives.

To help keep the diversity of cinema alive, Trent Film Society explores a vast array of film not offered in mainstream cinemas. Instead, we show a selection of foreign, independent and forgotten films. After each screening is an open discussion to further support an active consumption of art and the opportunity to participate, during which anyone may offer a response to the film or at the very least nod their heads a little. The knowledge and passion of last year’s directors Troy Bordun and Tyler Prozeniuk made for a very successful and enjoyable year of screenings. They provided a number of accessible films such as Hitchcock’s Rope, which brought in a full house, and they also provided more challenging films such as Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates, which sparked an intense and rewarding discussion.

However, this year there has been a switch up of directors, as Tyler hands off his position with TFS and the August installation acting as wonderful closure to his contribution with the group. Taking over for Tyler will be myself, Stephanie Arnold. I am an undergrad in cultural studies and I hold an interest in film as a superior mode of communication over words, still images and sound as they stand alone. My focus lies with the relevance of film art to life and the role of the audience. Troy, who will be continuing on as a director, places emphasis on the films themselves and his enthusiasm for shocking and erotic cinema will be manifested as a three-part theme on adolescent sexuality. Other themes include silent comedies and food and drink, while the films vary from science fiction, mystery, psychological thrillers, and much in between.  Each film explores ideas individually and in contrast to one another, creating a sort of montage that carries a dialogue from one film to the next.

So, if you’re tired of watching movies on your laptop and seek a change from Hollywood’s repetitive narratives, you should absolutely come out and a enjoy a flick with us! Keep your eyes peeled for posters and “like” us on Facebook to keep updated on upcoming screenings. Oh, and did I mention it’s free?!

Term 1 Schedule

Thursdays 8pm at Artspace (378 Aylmer St)

Sept 13: Luchetti’s Ginger and Cinnamon (2003)

Sept 20: Menzel’s Closely Watched Trains (1966)

Sept 27 w/ Ger Zielinski:

Bergman’s Summer with Monika (1953)

Oct 4 @ 9pm: Breillat’s Fat Girl (2001)

Oct 11: Chabrol’s Les Cousins (1959)

Oct 18: Malle’s My Dinner with Andre (1981)

Oct 25: Leigh’s Another Year (2010)

Oct 30: Vigalondo’s Timecrimes (2007)

Nov 8: Psychological Thriller?

De Palma’s Blow Out (1981)

Nov 15: Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954)

Nov 22: Tati’s Mon Oncle (1958)

Nov 29: Chaplin’s The Gold Rush (1925)