poster: planet in focus international environmental film and video festival oct 24-28 Credit: Planet in Focus
The eighth annual Planet in Focus film festival is coming up in Toronto, and includes screenings of several documentaries about Russia.
International Environmental Film and Video FestivalCredit: The Russian Canadian Cultural Aid Society
Planet in Focus is Canada's most acclaimed International Environmental Film and Video festival. Our annual film fest showcases compelling documentaries, animation, dramatic features, shorts, and experimental works that celebrate, question, and establish varied ways of viewing the state of our world .
The 8th Annual Festival will take place October 24-28, 2007.
Films are shown at Royal Cinema 608 College St.and Innis College Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue.
Website is: http://www.planetinfocus.org/festival
There are 40 interesting films from all over the world. Two of them are of specific interest to Russians:
Edge of Eden: Living with Grizzlies
In Kamchatka, the most easterly region of Russia, a little miracle with huge implications is in the works. Considered by many to be the most dangerous animal in the world the grizzly bear, an endangered species, finds a protector and defender in Canadian conservationist, Charlie Russell. As a surrogate mother he struggles to reintroduce orphaned cubs to the wild against the backdrop of a dramatic landscape filled with lurking predators and poachers. Filmed in the course of a year, this relationship is bound to fill you with awe and sure to win your hearts and minds.
http://www.planetinfocus.org/festival/edge-of-eden
Blockade
Russian documentary filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa brings the haunting images of the Siege of Leningrad back into our collective memory in his reflection on the atrocities that happened in the past, lest we forget. From September 1941 to January 1944, lasting over 900 days, Hitler attempted to starve the city of Leningrad into submission. The siege of Leningrad was the longest of its kind during World War II, causing over half a million people to die, mostly from starvation.
Using rarely seen footage from the Soviet film archives, Loznitsa recreates a stunning historical account of the Siege, creating a state of the art soundtrack to accompany the silent footage. Blockade shows the gradual transformation of Leningrad: from its defensive beginnings to a horrific aftermath.
http://www.planetinfocus.org/festival/blockade
Русско-Канадское Культурно-Просветительное Общество
http://www.rccas.ca/Events.html
Many, many thanks to the Russian Canadian Cultural Aid Society for keeping us informed with your web site!
Screening on:
Edge of Eden: Living with Grizzlies
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 7:00pm - Royal
Screening on:
Blockade
Thursday, October 25, 2007 - 9:00pm - Royal
Edge of Eden: Living with Grizzlies
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 7:00pm - Royal
Screening on:
Blockade
Thursday, October 25, 2007 - 9:00pm - Royal
We would also like to draw your attention to one more movie:
Battle of Chernobyl
Thomas Johnson
France, documentary, 2006
94 mins.
(Russian with English Subtitles)
Canadian Premiere
Screening on:
Saturday, October 27, 2007 - 1:00pm - Royal
Ticket prices: $10 general, $8 students/seniors, $5 children
links:
Sergei Loznitsa
Arthouse.Ru: Сергей Лозница
Ольга Шервуд о фильме Лозницы "БЛОКАДА": Нет слов для ада
vertov.ru: Portal of the Russian documentary cinema
Клуб СИНЕ ФАНТОМ: ФИЛЬМЫ-ДОКУМЕНТЫ СЕРГЕЯ ЛОЗНИЦЫ: «ПОРТРЕТ» (2002), «БЛОКАДА» (2005)
Artel: Sergej Loznitsa @ KAF 2007
2 comments:
Press Release
Leningrad Siege Brought to Life
Submitted by andrew on Thu, 10/04/2007 - 12:43.
http://www.planetinfocus.org/media/04oct07
Planet In Focus brings to life the dark days of the siege of Leningrad
Toronto, ON, October 4, 2007 - The dark days of the World War II Leningrad siege are brought to the screen in Blockade. The Leningrad siege lasted some 900 days, from September 1941 to January 1944. Hitler attempted to starve the Soviet city of three million into submission. The siege of Leningrad was the longest of its kind during World War II, causing the death, mostly from starvation, of over half a million people.
Sergei Loznitsa, one of Russia’s greatest contemporary filmmakers, now living in Germany, has compiled a remarkable story of a city under siege from archival footage found in the former Soviet Archives. With no narration necessary, a harrowing and haunting experience is evoked in black and white cinematic language giving testimony to some of the darkest days of the 20th century.
Blockade shows the gradual transformation of Leningrad from its defensive beginnings to a horrific aftermath. The film a Toronto Premiere will screen at the 2007 Planet In Focus (PIF) International Environmental Film & Video Festival at The Royal Cinema on October 25, 2007 at 9 pm.
Planet in Focus is Canada’s most acclaimed international environmental film and video festival, and runs from October 24-28. This year’s Spotlight Program is Polar Visions to coincide with the 2007 International Polar Year.
Visit www.planetinfocus.org for festival schedules and media accreditation information.
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For more information contact:
Andrew Male - Publicist - Planet In Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival
Cell: 416-880-2757, Tel: 416-531-1769, Fax: 416-531-8985
Email: publicity@planetinfocus.org
Edge of Eden: Living with Grizzlies
Jeff and Sue Turner
Canada, documentary, 2007
88 mins.
Opening Night Co-Presented by: MintoUrban Communities & CBC: The Nature of Things
Toronto Premiere
Directors: Jeff & Sue Turner, Canada/United Kingdom, 2006, 89 minutes
In Kamchatka, the most easterly region of Russia, a little miracle with huge implications is in the works. Considered by many to be the most dangerous animal in the world the grizzly bear, an endangered species, finds a protector and defender in Canadian conservationist, Charlie Russell. As a surrogate mother he struggles to reintroduce orphaned cubs to the wild against the backdrop of a dramatic landscape filled with lurking predators and poachers. Filmed in the course of a year, this relationship is bound to fill you with awe and sure to win your hearts and minds.
Jeff and Sue Turner are a Canadian husband and wife wildlife filmmaking team that have been making films professionally for the past 20 years. They have written, directed, produced and photographed more than twenty films in that time and have won numerous awards including a British Academy Award Nomination. Jeff and Sue have a strong connection to bears, having produced six different films on bears since 1991.
Charlie Russell will be in attendance at the screening to answer questions from the audience.
Link:
http://www.planetinfocus.org/festival/edge-of-eden
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