BKonthescene

By The BKONTHESCENE crew

The last weekend of TIFF! And the vibe has quieted down a bit… but just a bit… still really lots of films to be seen! The day started at noon with FLOW at the Visa Screening Room (VSR) in the Princess of Wales Theatre.  Flow is an adventure fantasy film directed by Latvian Gints Zilbalodis. Selected as the Latvian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. No talking in the film?! How could that be?! The animals don’t talk like humans but they sure communicate through their animal ways – meowing, barking and other animal sounds. The title FLOW comes from the flowing water of the flood which destroyed the world.

A cat is the main character along with a boat filled with animals of other species – all animated. Working together as a team has to happen in order for the animals to survive their new flooded environment, which is beautifully filmed. The personalities and actions of the animals are amazing. It’s a beautiful tale for a magnificent film. A perfect film for showing the power of getting along and successful teamwork – great for schools and workplaces.  One of my favourite films.  -SW

We broke away for an afternoon event to attend a function to promote Hong Kong produced movie “Finch and Midland” which was in production for a 3 week shoot. The film will star Patrick Tam, Nina Pau, Anthony Wong (Hard Boiled, Infernal Affairs trilogy) and etc. Anthony Wong already in town, prepping for the shoot and was at this event on a Front St. establishment. Maybe we’ll see this film for the 50th anniversary of TIFF on Sept. 2025.

The DEB – It was by default, due to timing, that I saw this film but what a wonderful catch! The DEB is fantastic from start to finish. Shown also at VSR and at POW. The DEB (refers to the Debutante Ball) is an original musical comedy about two teenage girls attending a debutante ball in a small Australian country town.

Directed and co-written by Australian Rebel Wilson who also acts alongside actresses Naomi Sequeira and Tara Morice. The social media city teenage girl goes to visit her cousin in the bush town in Australia. We see bullying, body image references, old-fashioned stereotypes where they have to attend the big Debutante event with a partner – all causing issues for the girls. It’s a fun, action-packed film with dance and music. High interest for High School students, young adults and their parents and movie-goers in general, filled with commentary about social media, friendships and the importance of respecting others. You don’t have to be a musical and dance film person to love this film. It’s awesome. -SW

To end the Saturday evening was an excellent film, LET’S DON’T LET THE DOGS OUT, Directed by Embeth Davidtz. Written by Embeth Davidtz and Alexandra Fuller, starring Lexi Venter, Zikhona Bali, Ilana Cilliers, Andreas Damm.

Based on the 2002 memoir by Alexandra Fuller, the film tells of her childhood in colonized Rhodesia in South Africa during the Rhodesian Bush War. After the war, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. In the film child actress, Lexi Venter, plays Bobo Fuller when she was a young child, running freely on her parents farm, among the African locals and animals in the bush.

The 1980 election would ultimately mark the end of white rule as Zimbabwe would gain its independence. This meant huge changes for Fuller’s family, though being an innocent child she didn’t yet understand what was happening. The acting was superb by Lexi Venter, especially for such a very young actress.

Flashback scenes show how Bobo’s toddler sister drowned in a small pond when left with her…explaining some of the family dynamics, including the drinking done by mother. Bobo’s relationship with the Black people who lived on the farm and her curiosity and physical energy, all add to her character. All the actors and scenery are amazing in a brilliant storyline.

So ‘Don’t let yourself miss this film’ ! … it’s brilliant. LET’S DON’T LET THE DOGS OUT is a definite must-see.   -SW