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Two Films worth Mentioning in COMMFEST 2008
By: Shazia Islam COMMFEST 2008 took place from the 26th to the 28th of September at a number of key venues in Toronto, Scarborough, and Brampton. The community film festival is in its third year, and will hopefully continue to grow to attract a larger audience. COMMFEST is a charitable organization that offers Toronto film enthusiasts screenings of jury-selected films from all over the world. The film screenings are then followed by panel discussions where viewers can take part in a Q&A session with the filmmakers and other representatives. The festival features a wide assortment of local, national, and international films. The primary objective of COMMFEST is to bring disparate communities together to increase awareness of issues, foster understanding of different ways of life, and recognize our common struggles. Two films that deserve some attention and were featured in this year’s COMMFEST are Steve Suderman’s “Over Land” and Ron Reid’s “Phases of Our Lives”. Both are documentaries that feature families and communities whose livelihoods are challenged by forces outside of their control. While Suderman’s family portrait is set in Canada’s rural agricultural landscape, Reid’s community focus takes place in this country’s urban environment. “Over Land” is the story of one man’s struggle to keep the farm he invested in for most of his life in the face of ever-changing demands and unpredictable weather. It takes place against the rustic backdrop of the Canadian prairies. It is also the struggle of his three sons as they each explore ways to give themselves and their families economic stability and fulfillment. Rick Suderman has always dreamed of owning a farm and making farming a family tradition. His oldest son, Mike, came on board to help his father realize that dream at the cost of his own goals and ambitions. It is this dynamic between father and son that played a part in the film’s intensity. Chris, Rick’s other son, and his wife, Darlene, also had big dreams of running a small farm, but market forces dealt a heavy blow, and their farming initiative was eclipsed. Chris continued helping his dad whenever he could. The filmmaker, Steve, grappled with his own choice to leave the family farm, and make a different life for himself. Perhaps “Over Land” is an effort to reconnect with and understand his dad and family by sharing their story with us. It is an open and honest portrayal of a family doing what they can to give each other support, understanding, and hope. It also lays bare the demands placed on independent Canadian farmers as they compete against large-scale farms owned by major corporations. It is definitely a film worth checking out. Its next showing will be at Les Rencontres Internationale du Documentaire de Montreal (RIDM) from November 13th to the 23rd. “Phases of Our Lives” is set in Toronto’s Regent Park community, the largest social housing project in Canada. It was initially an experiment set up by the government in the late 1940s to give new immigrants affordable housing and assistance, but it has turned into a place where low-income families call home. Due to the unpleasant strain of poverty, there have been many reported incidences of violent crime and shootings in the area. Unfortunately, it is this fact that has defined the community and has made it so hard for its residents to challenge the ‘ghetto’ label. However, Reid’s documentary paints a picture of hope in all its shapes, forms and colours. In an effort to make a positive impact, the film documents the lives of a diverse multicultural group of individuals including social workers, teachers, elementary school kids, community music group leaders, activists, artists, local sellers, government officials, cultural event organizers and community garden enthusiasts. Reid explores the positive effect of something as simple as growing your own fruits and vegetables or providing music education to young people. Incidentally, over half of Regent Park’s residents are 18 years or younger. All the groups and individuals featured strongly believe that people can overcome the obstacles of poverty, violence, dislocation, and disenfranchisement through support and healing from within their communities. This is a superbly touching film about the power that everyday people have to make their lives and the lives of others better. The film was made in 2005, and at the time, developers were keen on revitalizing the neighbourhood by building market rent apartments and condos in the area and re-opening roads that were once closed off in an effort to make the neighbourhood a living, breathing part of Toronto. However, the residents of Regent Park were concerned that this move to ‘revitalize’ the area was another way of weeding out the haves from the have-nots, and pushing them into areas further away from the hub. It would be interesting to see if Reid plans on following up the 2005 film with an updated version to give us an idea of how things have turned out for those who contributed their thoughts and visions to the making of this film, and who have dedicated their lives to strengthening and fostering hope in Regent Park. Hopefully, COMMFEST will continue to grow and feature thought-provoking films like the two above. Although it does not boast the glitz and glam of TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), COMMFEST brings us down to a level of realness where we get to see real people doing their bit to make a difference without the privileges of wealth and fame. Copyright © 2008 Shazia Islam. All rights reserved. |