Critical Writing Index

Report from Rotterdam: Canadian shorts and the dimplicity of history

by Willemien Sanders

POV, Summer 2011, no. 82, pp. 60-62

At Rotterdam International Film Festival, some Canadian shorts were significant at addressing reality in very different ways. Home Movie by John Price shot on 'matured' 35mm film stock, includes fast-motion techinques using image of his family and home without any commentary, voice-over or titles. Tao Gu's black and white film combines adapted and reworked images and photograhs with the sounds of rattling and screaming which describes the chaos of 2008 earthquake. Rather than using just the images, Emanuel Licha's Mirages shows the reality by creating mock village and texts. Another film mentioned at the Festival is The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu. Because what people see in this film is History and it is over, it effectively depicts the reality without any commentary or additional information.

ITEM 2011.007 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Home MovieJohn Price

On the Way to the SeaTao Gu

MiragesEmanuel Licha

The Autobiography of Nicolae CeausescuAndrei Ujica