Hot Docs Film Review - Big River Man

Another gem in the Hot Docs film festival is a movie called Big River Man. The filmmaker John Maringouin chronicles overweight endurance swimmer Martin Strel's quest to swim the Amazon. He has already swam the Yangtze and Mississippi River and now wants to tackle an his longest swim. No one has ever done it.

The film is narrated by his son (who is also his pr person, business manager and confidant), which helps showcase an interesting parent/child relationship.

We are afforded an insight into the Martin's life, a flamenco guitar teacher by trade and endurance swimmer by hobby. He is close with many diplomats within his country and is seen as a national hero of sorts, as well as a giant fan of the United States (he is from Slovenia). As we travel with Martin through his 4000+ mile swim across the amazon, the film takes on a self-reflexivity. The structure becomes increasingly hard to follow as Martin slowly loses his mind from the immense pressure physically, mentally and emotionally being put on his body from the swim.

I won't say much more other than the fact that the film is very funny and entertaining. Martin is truly a character for the ages. We repeatedly see him asking for wine or scotch while swimming instead of water. It also gives us a chance to see the scenery of the amazon, including Martin's interaction with the local people who live along the water's edge and their varied reactions to his swim.

Big River Man premiered at Sundance and is one of the Hot Docs organizer's favourite film in the festival this year. He has seen over 90 films! I have only seen 8 so far, but it is one of my favourites as well!

It is playing:
Thursday May 7th at 7pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre
Saturday May 9th at 6:30pm at the Bloor Cinema

You can check out more at:
http://schedule.hotdocs.ca/index.php/2009/film/big_river_man

Hot Docs Film Review - Rough Aunties

One of the films showing this year at Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival called Rough Aunties

The film follows a social work enterprise called "Bobbi Bear"that works with children to help them confront their abusers. They use stuffed bears to help the children tell their stories and subsequently work with the police to put their abusers to justice.

The movie was filmed in a completely unconventional style. There was no voice of G-d narration or sit down private interviews. I think this made the film feel more organic and really gave you the clearest view of the sentiments felt when dealing with child abuse.

It was all done off the cuff, following the group of women as they work to help the children of their community seek justice and refuge from abuse. At the same time as we see their tireless work to help others, we also are given a glimpse into their own troubled lives. One social worker's family friend being shot, another having her child drown in the river. The filmmaker Kim Loginotto shows an interesting parallel between the incredibly difficult situations that the Rough Aunties handle with professionalism and compassion and how they deal with and support each other through personal loss.

There was an interesting juxtaposition of the two deaths. The reaction to the death of the white father was to get into the house, clean up and speak with the children about the situation. We are not privy to the funeral and very little of the emotional aftermath. The response to the death of the child was ceremonial. Full of singing and dancing in mourning of the child, but clearly in support of the mother dealing with her loss. We see the entire funeral including the open casket and the burial of the child.

'Rough Aunties" is an incredibly special film. It is an homage to the women who have dedicated their lives to protecting the children in this community in South Africa, and to empower women to fight for their own children. It is refreshing to see a documentary that highlights this issue, as there are many other places in Africa, most notably the Democratic Republic of Congo, where so many get away with rape and murder and inhumane actions. It was great to see these women go after the perpetrators of these actions and put them in jail. Viewing how these women also support each other through their personal problems added an extra dimension to the film. Jackie, the founder of Bobbi Bear, takes an interest in each of her social workers, helping them develop not only as social workers, but as people, empowering them to do more and champion the values of woman's rights that they practice.

The film is screening Tuesday May 5th at 6:30pm at the Bloor Cinema and on Wednesday May 6th at 11:00am at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

You can read more at
http://roughaunties.com/

Lighten up wind

Finally got out on the water today!!! Hurray!

So nice to go down to the rowing club and actually row!

I have been tweeting like a mad woman as of late. It is kinda fun, and a lot of strange people are following me. But I am now following the mayor and this really cool media guy, as well as some other organizations.

In better news!

I got an internship at Hot Docs!!!!!

World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21st

I miss being creative. I have had a sketch sitting on my desk, ready to be painted for over a week. Tomorrow I paint!!

I miss making movies. I want to go out, buy a camera, a macbook and final cut and go off and make movies again!

What creative activities do you miss.

I played my guitar today for the first time in months, and have such an erg to go sit on the street and busk to raise money for the rowing club...

EEE!~!!

Get creative, there is so much creativity missing from our lives as we get older. We have to take hold and just do things!

Row Row

Rode my bike down to the club only to find that it was too windy to row. I can tell you that my bike ride home was brutal! It felt like one big gust could have knocked me right off my bike.
Was nice to erg in front of the water though. I just did a 45 min ss. Am spending time just applying for jobs. I'm not super happy, but am trying to fill my days with stuff from the rowing fundraising portfolio and training.

I know I can make it through

Quack


Spring is upon us despite the negative 14 degree weather. But baseball season is just around the corner, and even more importantly (I can't believe I'm saying this) Rowing season is just around the corner!!!!

The docks will be up in less than a month and I will be on the water, freezing my butt off, happily piddling around in a boat! Whoop Whoop!!!


Training has gotten a little off course, but I will get back on it. I just got a prescription for massage therapy, so that should definitely help my motivation to train (ie. the more training = more back pain + massage therapy = happier Eve)

Someone is moving stuff around upstairs. Who does shit this late at night or should I say early in the morning.


Jesse is back from Africa- will post more on how I feel about that later, but I will say it was great to see him. I love my brother so much, and it was so so so great to hear his stories. He also gave me a copy of The New Internationalist, which although is somewhat depressing, is incredibly interesting, and makes me think I need to educate myself better on world issues.

Before Mat left I was wearing my Frosted Flakes T Shirt which has the slogan "They're Ggggreat!" across the chest. Mat actually grabbed me and said "they're gggreat!"

I never actually put two and two together, but it was a hilarious moment.

How often do your feet go numb. Mine go numb all the time and it is gettting super annoying!

Mat is out of town and I have Season 3 of Degrassi TNG playing in the background to keep my apartment noisy. Such a guilty pleasure and I have no shame in admitting my love for Canadian television meant for pre-teens.

Millencolin - a band I was obsessed with in high school is apparently playing a show Saturday night, but I have already volunteered to work an event for a friend. I am going to be a scorekeeper for a charity trivia night. And as much as I would want to bail and go to the show, I know better than that. Plus, I have no idea who would want to spend their Saturday night listening to a 90's swedish punk band. I don't even think I could convince Mat to go if he was here.

Lots of stuff to share about vacation, but maybe I will post some fun pics later. Mat has become a fabulous photographer in the short time he has picked up the hobby. I guess that is what happens when you fully emerse yourself in a new interest.

I need to start painting again. My mom is taking art lessons and I got to compose a still life for her in our kitchen. It made me miss art and painting and collaging (althought I never really enjoyed still life- it was always so restricted)

I think my favourite thing to do was work in acrylics just painting my way around the canvas. No plans, just brush strokes taking me where they may.

speaking of art... at work last week someone walked by my doodles (I doodle shapes.... A LOT) and said they were great! Said they were art. I always thought my doodles were good, but to me, as an expression of time well wasted. Anyway, I've now been leaving doodle art "dart" post its on my friend's desks. We will see if my hobby makes its way to a larger canvas anytime soon.

Enough late night ranting. Back to knitting my new purple scarf and Degrassi.

Ch Ch Ch CHANGES

An little inside joke from work.

But today there was change. I moved desks today at work, all the way to the boons of the office. I have been sitting in a great spot since I moved in March (I think it was then) and it is sad to have to move. I really liked my little cubbie of a desk area and the great people around me. It will be weird to use a different entrance to get into my work area and to only sit with three people (including me) instead of 12+

Boo!

I am super nostalgic and also more sappy than usual as I was preparing myself to move tomorrow, but since we had spare time today, I was pushed into doing it. I cleaned my little butt of ( I smell horrendously of Lysol wipes) but my new area is pretty dust free. Of course it won't stay that way for long. The CBC has a wonderful habit of getting dusty way too quickly.

Tonight I spent a good two hours watching my First on the Scene First Aid scenario's DVD in preparation for teaching the course this weekend. I am team teaching, but am WAY out of practice, so hopefully it will go ok. I am a lot less stressed than I should be, considering I still haven't reviewed any of my weakest subjects.

I also have a big grant to finish writing by the end of next week. This time next week I will be stress free, well only stressing out about what to pack for the CRUISE!!! Yippee!!!!

Anyway, I am pumped!

Tomorrow will be a good day. One more erg this week, I was really pooped after today's workout. 6x 500m pieces=tired Eve.

Next week I have my power breakfast w. Cito Gaston. Anyone have any questions for me to ask?!

Super pumped about that as well.

Mat has started reading Twilight, actually he is already on the last couple of chapters of Eclipse. He is demanding I hand over Breaking Dawn as soon as he finishes the third book, but I am still re-reading it!

We shall see how it turns out.