2008 Program guide - Victoria Film Festival

BAB’AZIZ MILKY WAY (VIA LACTEA)
DIRECTOR: NACER KHEMIR
TUNISIA
2007 96 MINUTES 35MM
PRODUCERS: CYRIAC AURIOL, ALI REZA SHOJA-NURI
WRITERS: TONINO GUERRA, NACER KHEMIR
BC Premiere
Young Ishtar is traveling across the desert with her aged grandfather
Bab ‘Aziz en route to a ceremony of dervishes. On their journey, the
delight is not just in the interesting people who cross their paths but
in the stories Bab ‘Aziz tells his young angel, including one of a Prince
who abandons everything to contemplate his soul. Through their
journey, the young, impatient Ishtar learns about others, how to have
patience and about independence. In order for Ishtar to reach the
destination, Bab ‘Aziz makes a sacrifi ce to ensure his granddaughter
will arrive at the event she’s so eager to attend.
This wonderful Tunisian epic fi lm is shot mostly in the desert, and in
towns with bazaars and ceremonial spaces. The imagery is visually
stunning throughout, whether it’s the expansive desertscape or the
interior of the tents in which the dervishes twirl and meditate. This fi lm
is one of the grandest to grace the screen at the VFF. With so many
layers of the present, the past and myths, the fi lm offers a depth of
perspective on another culture not regularly seen in cinema.
DIRECTOR: LINA CHAMIE
BRAZIL
2007 88 MINUTES 35MM
PRODUCER: LINA CHAMIE
WRITERS: ALEKSERI ABIB, LINA CHAMIE
BC Premiere
After Heitor has a fi ght with his girlfriend Julia, he drives the streets
of Sao Paolo, a drive that fi nds him stuck in traffi c. This allows Heitor
to refl ect on the fi ght, his relationship with Julia, and his love for his
young, beautiful girlfriend. Through Heitor’s thoughts and memories,
we learn the history of their relationship, seemingly doomed from the
start. Julia, the young performance artist/actress, lives and works in a
world of other men, and Heitor’s jealousies soon take over all aspects
of their lives.
With an ambiguous ending that reveals that Julia’s love for Heitor
is real, the fi lm is an excellent Brazilian feature that examines the
inner struggle that love can create. Heitor’s emotions are wonderfully
portrayed by Marco Ricca, and the rest of the cast is pitch-perfect.
Screened with
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Kaveh Nabatian Quebec 15 minutes
It’s Sunday afternoon in the universe when a mysterious musical force
causes scorching heat, tornadoes, and raging fi re that devastate our
planet. But it’s hard to get a global perspective on impending disaster
from the local corner store.
Friday • February 1 • Capitol 6 - 1 • 7:15 PM
Saturday • February 2 • Capitol 6 - 6 • 12:00 PM Saturday • February 2 • Capitol 6 - 6 • 4:30 PM 29
WORLD PERSPECTIVE