jack
film
review
Peterborough in Ten Minutes: Resplendent
Imaginings
by Kerry Day
TWENTY PEOPLE WERE TURNED AWAY from Cinema 379 on
Sunday June 29, as twelve local artists presented their work
to a full and enthusiastic house as part of the Peterborough
Arts Umbrella’s Optic Nerve film series.
Based on a similar festival founded in the Toronto neighbourhood
of Parkdale, Peterborough in Ten Minutes showcased
shorts, by first time filmmakers, about their community. Every
one of these tiny gems was different. This speaks to both
the resplendent imagination of local artists, and the flexibility
of this medium as a tool for artistic expression. Ten films
were presented, and while all have their charms and flaws,
a couple were standouts.
Leigh Macdonald is the creator of Peter Bo Rough,
and many long to see more films from this artist. Those who
have seen Macdonald’s work in performance, puppetry,
and painting will find this film illuminates and refocuses
previous experiences of her art. Surrealistic art tends to
fall into the categories of creepy (for example the work of
painter Max Ernst) and whimsical (think of Rene
Magritte). Peter Bo Rough combines the creepy and
the whimsical, and does so seamlessly. It is the stuff of
dreams; a mysterious, magical view of Peterborough.
Joe Average is the work of sculptor and painter
Rob Swales. It follows a day in the life of an average
Peterborough guy, Joe (performed with refinement by Phil
Oakly), whose life is mirroring the news of the day, as
sampled from CBC, CNN, and other TV sources.
The movie builds, with Joe’s predicaments becoming increasingly
bizarre and dangerous. The film ends with a harrowing flight
through a dense thicket, finally emerging onto a road. We
blink and wonder with Joe at the bright blue sky, white March
snows, and green towering cedars, as the film switches from
black and white to colour. Viewers will ponder this ending
for some time.
Last year, the Peterborough Arts Umbrella (presenter
of the festival) was awarded a grant by Industry Canada
under the C.A.P. program to connect artists to the digital
economy. The PAU used the money to expand its small media
centre into a pre-production suite for audio and video. Screenings
of works created through this facility have been presented
to the public monthly since March 2003.
As inventive as these films are, it is clear these were works
by people who are not yet comfortable with the tools of the
medium. As they become more familiar with technical aspects
of filmmaking, and observe the works of others with an enlightened
eye, the possibilities of artistic expression are boundless
and fecund. It is arguable that Peterborough could become
a filmmaking town, as it was once (before the ablation of
affordable rehearsal and performance space) a theatre town.
also see: musings: Words That Came
to me Watching Short Films about Peterborough
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