In addition to documentaries and features, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival includes a large number of short films. Short films have been described as the “backbone of VAFF for the past 13 years” (VAFF Program Guide) and this year is no exception, with short films showcasing the work of promising newcomers as well as established filmmakers. Here are a few highlights.

Nov. 6th, Day 3: Mighty Asian Shorts will showcase seven short films, all of them under 15 minutes, and several of which are premiering in Canada for the first time. Three of the shorts are winners of this summer’s Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon, VAFF’s annual competition where teams compete to make an eight-minute film in 13 days.

Nov. 7th, Day 4: Made in Vancouver: World Class Talent will showcase six short films made in Vancouver – Orizuru (Paper Crane), Waiting 4 Goliath, Fish in Barrel, Winter Memories, Nature on its Course, and The Tea Master. All of the directors for these films will be in attendance.

Singapore-born director Su-An Ng’s Nature on its Course is a mixed media animation about a hunter who takes more than he needs. See the Nature on its Course trailer where Ng uses crumpled paper, scribbled black and white silhouettes, and discordant tones to convey a sense of atmosphere and menace.

Which film was your favourite? Leave a comment and let us know!

A documentary about “one mother’s search for safe, sane and affordable ways to raise her child in a toxic world,” My Toxic Baby was an Official Selection for the 2010 Earth Day Film Festival as well as the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Considering the chemicals and toxins abundant in baby products such as baby bottles, diaper rash cream, enabling a safe environment for your child seems a daunting task in addition to the every day trials and tribulations of making sure your child is well-fed and well-rested. With this documentary, Min Sook Lee “aims to broaden the options that are made available to parents in the context of the chemical world we live in today.”

More information about the film and the New Asia Film Festival can be found here at the New Asia Film Festival website.

Reviews and Interviews:

- My Toxic Baby review from Metro News

- Interview with filmmaker Min Sook Lee at blogTO

Photo by: William W. Ting

Go to the Kaori Kasai: Ura Monchan exhibition and view her “storyboards of short vignettes about kinship, alienation, emotional boundaries and our interactions with physical environments.” Ongoing until March 27th, Blim, 197 E. 17th Ave, Vancouver

Photo: Canada Council

Visit Celebration Hall at Mountain View Cemetery, where you’ll be able to view Paul Wong’s fourth in a series of 5 weekly events , One More Than Three, whic“will bring together light and dark, silence and sound, living with the dead, and the 4 virtues: truth, bravery, non-violence and generosity, all transforming the modernist Celebration Hall into an installation space for encountering video art.Saturday, March 6th, 5pm to 10pm, 39th+Fraser St., Vancouver, $10 at the door (cash only)

See Last Train Home, a documentary by acclaimed Montreal filmmaker, Lixin Fan, opening today. Lixin Fan will be there himself to speak about his film on Friday and Saturday (March 5 and 6) at the Ridge Theatre 3131 Arbutus Street. Ridge Theatre is the only theatre in Vancouver that is currently showing this film. Look for a profile on Lixin Fan by David Eng in the upcoming Ricepaper 15.1 and read David Eng’s review of the film here.

Photo: Courtesy of Fox

By Patricia Lim

(Warning: may contain spoilers for Avatar and several other movies)

I just came back from watching Avatar. While watching at different points in the movie, I was reminded mainly of Pocahontas. Mel Gibson, who plays John Smith in Pocahontas, is of Australian origin, like Sam Worthington (he plays Jake Sully, the main character in Avatar). Like Worthington, Gibson, when playing John Smith, attempts to speak in a different accent than he’s used to. Like Jake Sully, John Smith is touched by the peaceful, nature loving lives of the natives; he is also touched by the hottest girl in indigenous-land. Also like Jake Sully, John Smith says at one point in the movie, “I’m talking to a tree.” [Ed. note: John Smith actually says, "That tree is talking to me." Enh, semantics. ]

Here’s a couple more movies that I was reminded of! These movies seem to be similar in some ways. See if you can spot them!

- The Forbidden Kingdom – Michael Angarano plays a modern day American who is magically transported to ancient China. While there, he receives martial arts training from Jackie Chan and Jet Li in the form of a 5-10 minute training montage. It is discovered that he is the Chosen One, the answer to a prophecy. In the course of the movie, he manages to kick the butts of many many Chinese foot soldiers who would presumably have trained throughout their lives for far more than a 5-10 minute training montage. Oh yeah, and he wins the heart of the hottest girl in all of ancient China land.

- The Last Samurai- Tom Cruise plays a US Army captain in the 19th century. He integrates himself with the Japanese samurais, wins the respect and admiration through his warrior skills, and, aw yeah, he wins the heart of the hottest girl in all of 19th century Japan samurai land (who also happens to be the widow of the samurai he killed earlier in the movie).

- Dances with Wolves – Kevin Costner plays a sensitive Civil War-era lieutenant who is posted in the American frontier and ingratiates himself with a group of Lakota. He earns their respect by saving a herd of buffalo. He manages to win the heart of the the hottest girl in indigenous frontier-land, who happens to be white (?). Well that’s different.

————–
(ok starting now, spoilers definitely do abound)

So what did I think of Avatar? My level of irritation and annoyance with the storyline and dialogue seemed to increase with each cliche-driven “plot twist”. White guy enters an exotic other-culture. Is awed by the culture and the people (usually peace and nature-loving yet impressed by warrior stuff) – they sure are noble! Training montage. Earns the respect of the other-culture warriors. More importantly, wins the heart of the other-culture top hot girl. Is discovered to be the chosen one in the other-culture mythology (?) who will save other-culture from his own kind. Credits roll over with a overwrought ballad that I originally thought was sung by Celine Dion, but was actually sung by Leona Lewis.

On the other hand, I must say that the special effects were great- the best I’ve ever seen. It’s obvious that James Cameron and his team are a creative bunch in the care that’s shown with the design of the Naavi landscape, the wildlife and the cool looking “DESTROY!” military warfare technology. I would agree that this film should be considered a visual masterpiece.

But the story itself…and yet, but for the visual masterpieceness! I’d give it one thumb up and one down (yes, I do have two thumbs), but strangely enough, I will heartily recommend that you watch it in the theatres because if any movie was made to see on a gigantic movie screen with 3D glasses, this is the one to watch. However, I will go so far as to unrecommend buying the DVD.
——
I don’t know that much about aboriginal/indigenous stereotypes, but an interesting website about portrayals of aboriginals in the media is located at the Media Awareness Network, Common Portrayals of Aboriginal People.

A blog entitled When Will White People Stop Making Movies Like “Avatar”? from io9