BRAILLE MUSIC (Directed by Michael House) *****

An intensely fascinating look into the development of Braille as six blind musicians bring to life the poem “Hope” written by Emily Dickinson. The director travels to Paris and England to uncover the various schools that invented systems of reading for the blind. Valentin Haüy was the founder, in 1784, of the first school for the blind, the Royal Institution for the Young Blind in Paris.  In 1819, Louis Braille attended the prestigious institute. 

Now Braille has the name of the school there.

We meet all the artists and witness them talk about the effects of being a blind musician, and how the technological advances of Braille allow for inter-global sharing of music via the Internet and Braille music.  The immense legacy of Braille culminates in a work written by the clarinettist in the group in honour of the master. They learn the piece and record it the same day. This film is in 4 “bars” explores the development of teaching music to the blind, (House travels to discover how this started and where it ended up); meeting blind piano tuners, meeting the musicians, and following the challenges each has to bring “Hope” to its musical recording. An excellent documentary that all should see, and hopefully it will be transposed into Braille so that the blind can actually hear and “watch” this film too. (Screened at FIFA).

BUSTER KEATON, UN GÉNIE BRISÉ PAR HOLLYWOOD (Directed by Jean-Baptiste Péretié) *****

What a genius! His fluid movements, acrobatic antics incorporating trains, cars, falls out of windows and so much more mark Keaton as a perennial mime treasure. But when he abandoned his own production company that had unparalleled success to go to the giant Hollywood machine of Louis B. Mayer, he falls on hard times. He eventually is fired from Mayer’s company and becomes an alcoholic.  If only he had not caved over to the wrong side, who knows how long his creative genius would have impacted on us. A great film with oodles of clips from his films, including home movies. (Screened at FIFA)

UNE MAISON, UN ARTISTE – VICTOR HUGO, UNE ÎLE POUR EXIL (Directed by François Chayé) **

A great writer – Victor Hugo, but most don’t know that in May 1856, he fled Paris in search of peace and freedom. In Guernsey, he bought a stunning house and renovated it. The décor was full of antiques; walls were laden with tapestries and paintings and sculptures were in every nook. Dark and full of oak, the house became his inspirational spot for writing. He looked out at the seaside town and eventually responded to the poverty other than through his writing. He took in children and started a school. Hugo was a fascinating genius; his legacy lives on through his writing and this museum house. The film did not explain how he amassed his fortune, where he got these antiques, nor anything much about his writings. (Screened at FIFA).

LE VIOLONISTE DEBOUT (Directed by Sabastien Ventura)

The brilliant Montreal violinist, Alexandre Da Costa return to Vienna to play with the string section of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He is a super talent who has performed all over Europe. At the age of 35, we learn about his dedication to his 1727 Stradivarius violin. We hear him talk about his reinterpretations of works by the masters and watch how he bonds musically with the string section. His ambition and clarity of where he wants to go with his own career is most impressive. (Screened at FIFA) 

CUT TO BLISS (Directed by Moree Wu) ***

Geometric  circles and sharply lined triangles frame fashion figures in an abstract manner. High colour accents the collage aspect of this 2-minute animated film.  A graduate thesis creation from the filmmaker. (Screened at FIFA)

FEMMES ARTISTES (Directed by Claudia Müller) ***

Katharina Grosse goes around the environment putting huge splotches of paint everywhere. Even her bed is not excluded from being painted.

 

 Filmmaker introduces us to several female artists whose work is on the cutting edge of surrealism and absurdism. Grosse recreates mini-mock ups of some of these artists works inside a small doll-house type wall. These women are radically inventive and most courageous. (Screened at FIFA)

MALI BLUES (Directed by Lutz Gregor) *****

MALI BLUES presents four exceptional musicians who, with their music, fight for a new awakening in Africa. These are the musicians in the diaspora. They recount their personal angst, their own amazing stories of courage and the will to fight radical Islamism and those who hate.

Fatoumata Diawara – AfroPop’s shooting star, who tells in her singer/songwriter ballads of life as an African woman, and of obsolete tradition. One touching scene is when she returns to her village in mail and sings to a group of women about the horrors of female circumcision.

Bassekou Kouyaté – the griot and Grammy-nominated world musician integrates traditional African instruments into modern rock music.

Ahmed Ag Kaedi – his rough and rocking Tuareg guitar riffs tell of a longing for the desert.

Master Soumy – the rap singer, voice of Mali’s young generation, whom corrupt politicians listen to alike.
 (Screened at FIFA)