Atlantic Film Festival ~ Some of Today’s Screenings
Let the Daylight into
the Swamp
Every family has a history. Jeffrey
St. Jules has created a piece where even those beyond the bloodline—strangers—want
to learn more about the secrets of his relations. Let the Daylight into the
Swamp tells the story of the northern Ontario nomadic lifestyle of St.
Jules’s grandparents and their children. The film is whimsically entertaining (through
silent picture-style vignettes, artistic animation and amusing narration by
Matthew Rankin), while modern day interviews poke and probe at buried emotions.
What’s quite clever with St. Jules’ film is the blurred line between
imagination and reality as he searches for the truth about his own father’s
upbringing.
Screenings (along with Regret)
Today, Sept. 15: 11:30AM
http://atlantic.festivalgenius.com/2013/films/letthedaylightintotheswamp_jeffreystjules_atlantic2013
Secretariat’s Jockey:
Ron Turcotte
If you know nothing about horse racing,
you might wonder why you’ve never been to the track after watching Secretariat’s
Jockey: Ron Turcotte. From Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Turcotte was and
continues to be a legendary horseman. In 1973, he won the coveted Triple Crown (a
title that hadn’t been won since the 40s and hasn’t been won since the 70s).
But Phil Comeau’s documentary heart-warmingly reveals a slew of Turcotte’s
victories beyond the trophies and rose garlands, including how he chose to live
after his racing career tragically came to an end. Secretariat’s Jockey
is brilliantly paced and edited, as it jumps between the past, with
historical climatic
footage, and the present, following Turcotte on a road trip to all his former
racing grounds.
Screenings
Today, Sept. 15: 2:30pm
Family Business (Une affaire de famille)
Pointe-Verte, NB is a small Acadian
town with a declining population. But the general store that Nicole and Fabien
have been running for 30 years is still very much alive. Family Business
intriguingly follows the couple and their son as they serve, what seems like,
non-stop customers for 15 or more hours a day. Selling everything from
groceries to hardware parts and birthday cards, the shopkeepers treat their
regulars like family (still offering credit to those stuck in a financial jam,
changing their watch batteries every month or even acting as a central
messaging service from time to time). In his short documentary, Justin Guitard
successfully and amusingly provides intimate insight into the work, lack of
sleep and passion required to run a small family business.
Screenings (as part of Atlantic Shorts 6)
Today, Sept. 15: 9:45pm
Monday, Sept. 16: 2:30pm
http://atlantic.festivalgenius.com/2013/films/familybusiness_justinguitard_atlantic2013
A special thanks to the National Film Board of Canada for allowing Arts East a sneak peak of some of its films.