1.
Passchendaele (film)
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Passchendaele is a 2008 Canadian war film, written, co-produced, directed by, and starring Paul Gross. The main character is Sergeant Michael Dunne, introduced in the spring of 1917 after Vimy Ridge, during heavy combat in a ruined town, Dunne is wounded and sent home from Europe as a neurasthenia patient. While recovering from his injuries, he meets nurse Sarah Mann in Calgary, Alberta, Sarah Mann is drummed out of the local nursing service, and ostracised in town, because her father was of German descent and had left Canada to rejoin the Imperial German Army in 1915. He was killed at Vimy Ridge on the side to Sergeant Dunne. She has become addicted to morphine as a means of dealing with the loss in her life. David Mann is Sarahs younger brother, despite being ineligible for military service due to asthma, he is desperate to win the respect of his girlfriends father at a time when military service is demanded of all young men. He is vehemently anti-German and tries to expunge the fact that his father was German and his girlfriends father pulls strings to get him enlisted, arguably in the hope that he will not return and marry his daughter. Sarah originally thinks Michael has enlisted David, in his role as local recruitment officer, the enlistment is further facilitated by a British recruiting officer whose malice and goading of David Mann and Michael Dunne makes him the films principal antagonist. Michael however feels a responsibility and re-enlists as Private McCrae in order to protect David at the front, as a result, both David and Michael end up in the battlefields of Belgium. Sarah also enlists and follows the 10th ending up as a nurse in triage at an Advanced Dressing Station near the front, the three arrive in Flanders in time for the Battle of Passchendaele. Dunne and Sarah soon meet up again when Dunne brings a man to the aid station. C. When the Canadians launch their attack, the 8th Battalion, known as the Little Black Devils, faces a German counterattack, Dunnes company is sent to support them. After the support company arrives, the 8th Battalion retreats from the battlefield, wrongly believing that they are finally relieved, as the reality of the war begins to set in, David Mann begins to realize the war was not what he believed it would be. Dunnes forces spend the night in their trenches, and as a result of the shelling, David begins to have an attack and Dunne calms him down. The next morning the Germans counter-attack, and make it as far as the line, as the Germans retreat, David breaks down and chases them back to surrender. He jumps into their trenches and is met by a gun to the face where he begs in German and he is about to be shot when an artillery shell lands and the explosion throws him onto what is effectively a cross, created by walkway timbers from the trench. He is visually crucified by the explosion and this relates to Dunnes earlier story of the legendary report of the crucified soldier. When Dunne sees this he takes his helmet off, throws his gun down and runs to David, in a attempt to keep his promise to keep him alive
2.
Toronto
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Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. With a population of 2,731,571, it is the fourth most populous city in North America after Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles. A global city, Toronto is a centre of business, finance, arts, and culture. Aboriginal peoples have inhabited the area now known as Toronto for thousands of years, the city itself is situated on the southern terminus of an ancient Aboriginal trail leading north to Lake Simcoe, used by the Wyandot, Iroquois, and the Mississauga. Permanent European settlement began in the 1790s, after the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase of 1787, the British established the town of York, and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York, York was renamed and incorporated as the city of Toronto in 1834, and became the capital of the province of Ontario during the Canadian Confederation in 1867. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities at various times in its history to its current area of 630.2 km2. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canadas major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Toronto is known for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto and this refers to the northern end of what is now Lake Simcoe, where the Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, in the 1660s, the Iroquois established two villages within what is today Toronto, Ganatsekwyagon on the banks of the Rouge River and Teiaiagonon the banks of the Humber River. By 1701, the Mississauga had displaced the Iroquois, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the Beaver Wars, French traders founded Fort Rouillé on the current Exhibition grounds in 1750, but abandoned it in 1759. During the American Revolutionary War, the region saw an influx of British settlers as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario, the new province of Upper Canada was in the process of creation and needed a capital. Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto, in 1793, Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase lands, instead naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from Newark to York, the York garrison was constructed at the entrance of the towns natural harbour, sheltered by a long sandbar peninsula. The towns settlement formed at the end of the harbour behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street. In 1813, as part of the War of 1812, the Battle of York ended in the towns capture, the surrender of the town was negotiated by John Strachan. US soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation, the sacking of York was a primary motivation for the Burning of Washington by British troops later in the war
3.
Toronto International Film Festival
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The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Year-round, TIFF Bell Lightbox offers screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, industry support, TIFF Bell Lightbox is located on the north west corner of King Street and John Street in downtown Toronto. In 2015,397 films from 71 countries were screened at 28 screens in downtown Toronto venues, welcoming an estimated 480,000 attendees, TIFF starts the Thursday night after Labour Day and lasts for eleven days. Founded in 1976, TIFF is now one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, in 1998, Variety magazine acknowledged that TIFF is second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars and market activity. In 2007, TIME noted that TIFF had grown from its place as the most influential film festival to the most influential film festival. This is partially the result of TIFFs ability and reputation for generating Oscar buzz, the Toronto International Festival’s Grolsch People’s Choice Award — which is based on popular vote by Festival filmgoers — has emerged as a beacon of awards-season success. Founded by Bill Marshall, Dusty Cohl and Henk Van der Kolk and that first year,35,000 filmgoers watched 127 films from 30 countries presented in ten programmes. Piers Handling has been the director and CEO since 1994. TIFF was once centred on the Yorkville neighbourhood, but the Toronto Entertainment District later gained a level of prominence. TIFF is known for the celebrity buzz it brings to the area with international media setting up near its restaurants and stores for photos and interviews with the stars. In 2010, TIFF opened its permanent headquarters, TIFF Bell Lightbox, TIFF has grown, steadily adding initiatives throughout the years. TIFF Cinematheque and the Film Reference Library opened in 1990, the TIFF Kids International Film Festival launched in 1998. Film Circuit began exhibiting independent and Canadian films in under-serviced cities across Canada in 1994, the festival was founded in 1976 at the Windsor Arms Hotel by Bill Marshall, Henk Van der Kolk and Dusty Cohl. Beginning as a collection of the films from film festivals around the world. Ironically, however, Hollywood studios withdrew their submissions from TIFF due to concerns that Toronto audiences would be too parochial for their products, in 1994, the decision was made to replace the name Festival of Festivals with Toronto International Film Festival. From 1994 to 2009, the organization running TIFF was named Toronto International Film Festival Group. In 2009, the umbrella organization TIFFG was renamed to TIFF, in 2001, Perspective Canada, the programme that had focused on Canadian films since 1984, was replaced by two programmes, Canada First. A forum for Canadian filmmakers presenting their first feature-length work, featuring eight to 15 films, and Short Cuts Canada, in 2004, TIFF was featured as the site of murder mystery in the film Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, a comedy film starring Martin Short
4.
Paul Gross
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Paul Michael Gross, OC is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer, and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his 2008 war film Passchendaele, which he wrote, produced, directed. He later found success with another Canadian TV series, Slings and he also produced one film with Akshay Kumar called Speedy Singhs starring Camilla Belle and Vinay Virmani. Gross studied acting at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and he went back later to complete the half-credit needed to receive his fine arts degree. He appeared in stage productions, such as Hamlet and Romeo. Other productions in which he appeared include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, after the play Successful Strangers, Gross starred in his first movie, Turning to Stone. Most recently, Gross completed work on the war drama Hyena Road. In September 1988, Gross married Canadian actress Martha Burns with whom he has two children, Hannah and Jack and his role as upright Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Benton Fraser in the Due South television series brought him increased recognition. When Due South was resurrected for the season, Gross returned as Benton Fraser. He earned a salary of $2–3 million per season. He wrote several episodes of the last season of the series and his favourite episodes include Gift of the Wheelman and All the Queens Horses, and his episodes Mountie on the Bounty and Call of the Wild are of a similar style. Paul Gross at The Canadian Encyclopedia Paul Gross at the Internet Movie Database Paul Gross at AllMovie Watch Remembrance, Paul Gross at Tv. com PaulGross. org Paul Gross at Northern Stars
5.
Adoration (2008 film)
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Adoration is a 2008 Canadian drama film directed by Atom Egoyan and starring Rachel Blanchard, Scott Speedman and Devon Bostick. It is Egoyans first feature film since Where The Truth Lies, the film was first shown at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Adoration won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and was nominated for the Palme dOr and it won Best Canadian Feature Film – Special Jury Citation at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. The film had its U. S. premiere in April 2009 at the San Francisco International Film Festival and went into U. S. release on May 8,2009. High school French teacher Sabine reads to her class as a translation exercise a French newspaper report of a terrorist who planted a bomb in the luggage of his pregnant girlfriend. If the bomb had detonated, it would have killed her, her child, and many others. Egoyan based the story partly on the 1986 Hindawi affair, years ago, Sami crashed the family car, killing both himself and Rachel, making Simon an orphan. Influenced by his grandfather, Morris, who disliked Sami, Simon has always feared that the crash was not an accident. Sabine asks him to develop the story as an exercise, to read it to the class. He does so, and discussions evolve on the Internet about the story, Sabine is fired for making Simon lie. Tom, who is a tow truck driver, tows Sabines car away, Sabine follows him in a taxi, and by mobile phone she offers him a meal in a restaurant. Later she reveals to him that she had married to Sami for 5 years. The film received positive reviews. As of December 7,2010, 61% of 95 critics listed by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes had given the film a positive review, on Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 19 reviews. Archived from the original on 2016-03-16, Adoration at the Internet Movie Database Adoration at Rotten Tomatoes Adoration at Metacritic
6.
Atom Egoyan
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Atom Egoyan, CC is a Canadian director, writer, producer and former actor. Egoyan made his breakthrough with Exotica, a film set primarily in. Egoyans most critically acclaimed film is the drama The Sweet Hereafter and his work often explores themes of alienation and isolation, featuring characters whose interactions are mediated through technology, bureaucracy or other power structures. Egoyans films often follow non-linear plot structures, in events are placed out of sequence in order to elicit specific emotional reactions from the audience by withholding key information. In 2008, Egoyan received the Dan David Prize for Creative Rendering of the Past, Egoyan later received the Governor Generals Performing Arts Award, Canadas highest royal honour in the performing arts, in 2015. Egoyan was born Atom Yeghoyan in Cairo, Egypt, the son of Shushan and Joseph Yeghoyan and his parents were Armenian-Egyptians, and he was named Atom to mark the completion of Egypts first nuclear reactor. In 1962, however, his parents left Egypt for Canada, Atom and his sister, Eve, now a concert pianist based in Toronto, were raised by their parents in British Columbia. As a boy, Egoyan wished for assimilation into Canadian society, however, years later, when he attended the University of Toronto, he began to study Armenian history. As a teenager, he interested in reading and writing plays. Significant influences included Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, in that interview, he said, It gave me an incredible respect for the medium and its possibilities. To me, Persona marries a pure form and a profound vision with absolute conviction. I felt that it was able to open a door that wasn’t there before and he graduated from Trinity College at the University of Toronto. It was at Trinity College that Egoyan came into contact with Harold Nahabedian, in interviews Egoyan credited Nahabedian for introducing him to the language and history of his ethnic heritage. Egoyan also wrote for the University of Torontos independent weekly, The Newspaper, Egoyan has directed 15 full-length films, several television episodes, and a few shorter pieces. His early work was based on his own material, in 1984, his debut film Next of Kin world-premiered at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg and won a major prize. His commercial breakthrough came with the film Exotica and he received the Grand Prix in Brussels. The film Ararat generated much publicity for Egoyan, after Henri Verneuils French-language film Mayrig, it was the first major motion picture to deal directly with the Armenian Genocide. Ararat later won the Best Picture prize at the Genie Awards, in 2004, Egoyan opened Camera Bar, a 50-seat cinema-lounge on Queen Street West in Toronto
7.
Appaloosa (film)
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Appaloosa is an American western based on the 2005 novel, Appaloosa, by crime writer Robert B. Directed by Ed Harris and co-written by Harris and Robert Knott, Appaloosa stars Harris alongside Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger and Jeremy Irons. The film premiered in the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in selected cities on September 19,2008, the movie shares some narrative similarities with the 1959 Western Warlock, directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn and Richard Widmark. There is also a 1966 Western named The Appaloosa which stars Marlon Brando, the town hires lawman and peacekeeper Virgil Cole and his deputy Everett Hitch to protect and regain control of the town. The pair agree on one condition, that the town follow Coles law, the lawmen begin by confronting four of Braggs men who are causing a disturbance in the saloon. Three men refuse to allow themselves to be arrested, forcing Cole, the fourth man surrenders and leaves the saloon. Bragg has a meeting with Cole and Hitch, initiating a standoff, Cole meets a new arrival to the town, the recently widowed Allie French, who has traveled west to find a new life. The two start a relationship, and soon buy a house together. However, Allie is revealed to be promiscuous and attempts to seduce Hitch when they are alone, despite having shown previous interest in her, Hitch refuses her advances out of loyalty to Cole. When one of Braggs men tells Cole and Hitch he will testify that he witnessed Bragg gun down the marshal, following the trial, Cole and Hitch, along with several deputies, transport Bragg via train. As the train is stopped for refueling over a bridge, hired guns Ring and Mackie Shelton, old acquaintances of Cole, appear with Allie at gunpoint, forcing Cole to release Bragg to them. Cole and Hitch catch up with the outlaws and discover that Allie is not a hostage when they see Allie, when the outlaws are attacked by Chiricahua Apache, Cole and his men force the Indians away. They then turn Bragg over to the sheriff of Beauville, unbeknownst to Cole, knowing that Cole is determined to bring Bragg to the gallows, the Sheltons and the sheriff free Bragg and engage Cole and Hitch in a gunfight. Cole and Hitch are wounded but manage to kill Ring, Mackie, Bragg escapes on horseback and Cole and Hitch return to Appaloosa with Allie. Some time later, Bragg is granted a pardon by President Chester Arthur. He buys the hotel and ingratiates himself with the locals, privately, Bragg threatens Cole and Hitch if they should pose further problems. Hitch discovers that Allie is in a relationship with Bragg. Cole attempts to him, but Hitch remains steadfast and asks Cole to permit the gunfight to occur
8.
Ed Harris
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Edward Allen Ed Harris is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Harris currently stars in the HBO sci-fi drama series Westworld, as well as Alejandro G. Iñárritus upcoming Starz drama series The One Percent. Harris is a nominee of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Apollo 13, The Truman Show. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for playing artist Jackson Pollock in his directorial debut Pollock and he also won a Golden Globe Award for playing Senator John McCain in Game Change. In 2015, Harris received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he has two brothers, Paul and Robert. Harris was raised in a middle class Presbyterian family and he graduated from Tenafly High School in 1969, where he played on the football team, serving as the teams captain in his senior year. A star athlete in school, Harris competed in athletics at Columbia University in 1969. When his family moved to New Mexico two years later, Harris followed, having discovered his interest in acting in theater plays. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma to study drama, Harris began his career on the stage. Harris first film came in 1978 with a minor part in the suspense film Coma. His first major role in a film two years later with Borderline, in which he starred alongside Charles Bronson. In 1981, Harris played the lead, William Billy Davis, the following year, he co-starred as Hank Blaine in the black comedy horror anthology film Creepshow, directed by George A. Romero. In 1983, Harris became well-known after portraying astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff, in 1984, he co-starred in the Robert Benton-directed drama film Places in the Heart, during production of this film, Harris met and married his wife Amy Madigan. In 1986, he received a Tony Award nomination in the Best Actor in a Play category for his role in George Furths Precious Sons and he also won the Theatre World Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his performance. Harris then portrayed William Walker, a 19th-century American who appointed himself President of Nicaragua and that same year, he played the main role of Harry Nash in the HBO television thriller film The Last Innocent Man. In 1989, his role as David Dave Flannigan in Jacknife earned him his first Golden Globe Award nomination, also in 1989, he portrayed Virgil Bud Brigman in the sci-fi film The Abyss, directed by James Cameron. In 1992, Harris co-starred as Dave Moss in the drama film Glengarry Glen Ross and he won the Valladolid International Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. He next appeared in the films The Firm and Needful Things, the following year, Harris starred in and executive produced the television adaptation of Riders of the Purple Sage
9.
Pollock (film)
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Pollock is a 2000 biographical film which tells the life story of American painter Jackson Pollock. It stars Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Knott, Bud Cort, Molly Regan and Sada Thompson, Marcia Gay Harden won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Lee Krasner, Pollocks wife. Ed Harris received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Pollock, the film was a long-term personal project for Harris based on his previous reading of Pollocks biography. The film begins showing the abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock autographing illustrations in a copy of Life magazine for a woman at an art exhibit in 1950 — the exhibit which made him famous, the film flashes back to nine years earlier. At this time Jackson is usually drunk and makes a living by exhibiting a painting in occasional group art shows and he is living with his brother Sande and sister-in-law Arloie in a tiny New York apartment. Arloie tells him that they are having a baby, hinting to Jackson that he should move out, soon afterward, Jackson meets artist Lee Krasner, who takes an interest in him. Later, at dinner, he learns that his brother is moving to Connecticut to take a job building army gliders to avoid a rumored draft of married men not involved in war production. Unable to handle conflicting feelings, Jackson goes on a binge and Lee. Lee learns from Sande that Jackson is diagnosed as clinically neurotic, still, Lee takes him home, one day, his old friend Reuben comes along with Howard Putzel, who works for wealthy art collector Peggy Guggenheim. Jackson seems more interested to meet Reuben than Howard, Peggy Guggenheim comes to see his art. His first exhibit fails to attract any buyers, after a New Years Eve party, he almost gets in bed with Peggy but is too drunk to properly perform. Jackson returns to Lee in the morning and he is upset again when he learns of the death of Howard, waking up in the street after a drunken stupor and again returning to Lee. Lee, as always, takes him back, Lee then asks Jackson to make a decision, whether to marry her and continue painting art or split up. Jackson surprisingly insists on a wedding and Lee says she wants no guests. They decide to move to a house by the ocean in Springs, NY. Jackson and Lee adopt a dog whom they name Gyp. At a get-together at Peggy Guggenheims, despite art critic Clement Greenbergs comments, at a poker party, while they talk about the situation, Clement mentions that things will change after Life Magazines coverage and subsequent art exhibit. Lee gets jealous when Jackson hugs another woman, meanwhile, Jackson tries doing other business for a living but his drinking gets in the way
10.
Blindness (film)
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Blindness is a 2008 Brazilian-Canadian film, an adaptation of the 1995 novel of the same name by Portuguese author José Saramago about a society suffering an epidemic of blindness. The film was written by Don McKellar and directed by Fernando Meirelles with Julianne Moore, Saramago originally refused to sell the rights for a film adaptation, but the producers were able to acquire it with the condition that the film would be set in an unnamed and unrecognizable city. Blindness premiered as the film at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14,2008. A young Japanese professional is struck blind in his car at a crossing and is approached by a few people, one offers to drive him home. The blinded man describes his sudden affliction, an expanse of dazzling white, among the doctors patients are an old man with a black eye-patch, a woman with dark glasses and a young boy. During a dinner with his wife, the doctor discusses the strange case, the woman with dark glasses, revealed to be a call-girl, becomes the third victim of the strange blindness after an appointment with a john in a hotel. The next day, the doctor goes blind as well, around the city, more citizens are struck blind, causing widespread panic, and the government organizes a quarantine for the blind in a derelict asylum. When a hazmat crew arrives to pick up the doctor, his wife climbs into the van, in the asylum, the doctor and his wife are first to arrive and both agree they will keep her sight a secret. Several others arrive, the woman with glasses, the Japanese man, the car thief. The wife comes across the old man with the eye-patch, who describes the condition of the world outside, the sudden blindness, known as the white sickness, is now international, with hundreds of cases reported every day. The increasingly totalitarian government resorts to increasingly ruthless measures to try to staunch the epidemic, as more blind people are crammed into the prison, overcrowding and lack of outside support causes hygiene and living conditions to degrade. Soon, the walls and floors are caked in filth and human feces, anxiety over the availability of food undermines the morale and the lack of organization prevents the fair distribution of food. The soldiers who guard the asylum become hostile, Living conditions degenerate further when an armed clique of men, led by an ex-barman who declares himself the king of ward 3 gains control over the food deliveries. The MRE rations are distributed only in exchange for valuables, faced with starvation, the doctors wife kills the king. His death initiates a chaotic war between the wards, which culminates with the asylum being burned down and many inmates dying in the fire, the survivors discover that the guards have abandoned their posts and they are free to venture into the city. Society has fallen as the population is blind amid a city devastated and overrun with filth. The doctors wife leads her husband and others in search of food, the doctor and his wife arrive in a supermarket filled with stumbling blind people and they find food in a basement storeroom. As she prepares to leave and meet her husband outside, she is attacked by the people who smell the food she is carrying
