I hope you had a great weekend. I had a great weekend of catching up on little things around the home.
When you live in a big city there are always a lot of things going on in which you can participate. Every year in September things start off with a bang and I find it hard to take in much of what is happening. September is always a very busy month as I wind down the summer activities and transition to Fall. This year I got sick early with a cold and that slowed me down a bit also.
There are a number of festivals going on in Vancouver recently. Here is just a short list:
- Vancouver International Fringe Festival, a festival that creates live theatre opportunities for emerging and established artists, September 6-16, 2012
- Vancouver International Film Festival, which shows films from around the world, September 27-October 12, 2012
- Modalus Festival, a music festival with a look into the post-classical music scene, September 27-30, 2012.
- The Word on the Street, featuring author readings, exhibits, performances, and all for free!, September 28-30, 2012
- Vancouver Writer's Festival, connects readers to writers, October 16-21, 2012
I couldn't begin to take in most of these fantastic offerings. In fact, I can barely keep track of them. But this year I finally managed to make it to the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), an incredibly popular event with a loyal and dedicated group of followers.
Given my love of Africa I decided to see a film set in Africa. I don't know which country, but I think that it was somewhere in West Africa.
The film is called "Rebelle" and is directed by Kim Nguyen. The VIFF website provided this short synoposis of the film
Rachel Mwanza plays Komona, a young African girl forced to wage war as a child soldier. In the midst of inconceivable violence and hatred, Komona finds comfort in an albino boy she calls Magicien. Kim Nguyen directs this heartfelt and enthralling drama about the remarkable endurance of the human spirit. Winner, Best Narrative Feature, Best Actress, Tribeca 2012, Best Actress, Berlin 2012.
I invited 4 other women friends to join me. The film was powerful and the introduction had me in tears with the horror of the situation. My friends were also impacted by the film and I think we all learned something about the issues affecting child soldiers in Africa.
I don't know if you will get a chance to see this film but I've heard that it will be a submission for an Academy Award. If it wins, perhaps there is a greater opportunity for you to catch it in a theatre near you. In the meantime, you might want to watch the trailer here .
