“‘On the Marriage Broker Joke’… turns upon an opposition of Freudian analysis and Christian hermeneutics… Two pandas, who exist only because of a textual error, run a shell game for the viewer in an environment with false perspectives. They posit the existence of various films and characters, one of which is interpreted by an academic as containing religious symbolism. Sigmund Freud’s own explanation is given by a sleeper awakened by an alarm clock.” – P. Adams Sitney
Filter Films
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“In cinema one extracts the thought from the image; in literature the image from the thought” (Levinson). This reflection was the catalyst for the photographic and narrative strategies of “On Land Over Water.” “On Land Over Water…” was born out of an image-notion of a skid mark on a highway, photographed in close-up, revealing texture and form. The image would be positioned with a voice-over narration, telling the story of a young boy witnessing a fatal auto accident and its ensuing aftermath. Over the following winter months I meditated on the cinematic potentials of that notion, “On Land Over Water…” is the product of working out variations of that meditation. In story discourse, “On Land…”experiments with the possibilities of adopting the characteristics of the short story to the forms of cinema. (RK)
On Land Over Water (Six Stories)
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“On Her Baldness” is a documentary about women who have lost their hair due to illness or who have shaved their heads by choice. Focusing on women whose baldness has forced them to confront issues of appearance, self-image and sexuality, this film challenges viewers to question and confront their own prejudices regarding the true nature of beauty and femininity.
On Her Baldness
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In this continuation of “Oh Dad!,” a young boy expresses his deep concern about environmental issues in his diary. Arguing with his father, the boy tries to convince him that although he is younger, he has serious opinions. He talks about national security, militarization, and acid rain. The boy grapples with what he sees as the collective responsibility of the adult world as a whole, and the responsibility of his own father, a scientist, for the damaged environment and the resulting disease, hunger and pollution. Despite the seriousness of the issues addressed, “Oh Dad II” is as warmly humorous as its predecessor.
Oh Dad II
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Using a unique animation technique, “Oh Dad!” is a boy’s account of a heated confrontation with his father over the issues of the nuclear arms race and various forms of pollution. The boy tells of his mistrust of adults and his frustration with the world that grown-ups are leaving his generation.
Oh Dad!
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In this film the artist-animator is shown in conflict with himself. His creations springing from his own befuddled unconscious begin to metamorphosize; initially in his absence and then in full view of their dismayed creator. The battle rages on as he tries to control the images flashing by on the screen. He wants to create something nice for a change. Something beautiful. But alas, his line goes wild and has ideas of its own. Luckily for us his demons, though charged with pain and anger at an unjust world, are also infused with humour, warmth and a great deal of self-mockery. How does it resolve? In a manner characteristic of Amitay and his work: with a punchline. As in all of Amitay’s films the animation was created directly under the camera with fine silver chains and coloured sand.
Of Lines and Men… and Some Women
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This comedy depicts a troubled young man’s journey towards self-knowledge, his attempts to find his place in the world. In the crazy spirit of Federico Fellini, “Odyssey in August” interweaves flashback, fantasy, and reality. The hero, August Dunlop, is trapped in a line up in a government waiting room; we follow August’s imaginative stream-of-consciousness through a series of ultra-fantastic places and situations.
Odyssey in August
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The film centres around one still shot that documents the movements of a city, which is seen in a multi-layered reflection of passing street action. ‘Aura-Gone’ is a serious, mature experimental film. The front of the hospital has the appearance of a giant mirror with double doors set into it. The effect of watching this extended single shot is to gradually discover the layers of real and reflected space occupied by moving people. It has a particularly fascinating complexity.” – John Locke, Cinema Canada
Aura-Gone
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“October Stranger” is a highly acclaimed drama about a young Ojibway Indian who must leave his youth behind on the reserve in Northern Ontario in order to pursue his writing career. It is a thoughful and gentle love story, full of fine poetry. Beautifully photographed on location near Sioux Lookout, it reveals modern life on the reserve with a rare depth and respect, as the old ways and the new come to terms with one another. It is the story of an artist finding his voice, and of a native gathering the courage to go “south” to the city.
October Stranger
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During the Metro Days of Action, a 150’ long building was inflated using the air vents in front of Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. The October Group action references both public institution and temporary home to protest the erosion of our city. Music by Dirty Three.
October 25th + 26th, 1996
