Festival introduces children to the wonders of cinema
In the 2012 Swiss film Clara and the Secret of the Bears, 13-year-old Clara straddles the past and present as she tries to right the wrongs of history.
She lives in an isolated, beautiful, German-speaking area of the Alps with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. The boyfriend’s family compound is home to a ghost with a sad past that has damaged the balance between humans and the bears that roam the mountains. Only Clara can save the day.
Beautifully directed by Tobias Ineichen, the film deals with universal issues — the nature of family, the power of friendship and the enduring influence of one’s roots. It was filmed in the German dialect of the Alps region, has English subtitles and will be accompanied by French narration when it screens at the Festival international du film pour en- fants de Montréal (FIFEM).
The festival, which begins March 2 at the Beaubien Cinema, gathers 75 films from 27 countries.
The big opening bash takes place Sunday at Outremont Theatre, a week before the main festival, with a screening of the animated film Ernest et Célestine. The FrenchBelgian production is based on the children’s books by author and illustrator Gabrielle Vincent, and opens provincewide on Friday.
Each FIFEM film is given an age-suitability rating. Clara and the Secret of the Bears is suitable for children at least 6. It has intense fantasy moments that may be frightening for some children.
Actor and FIFEM international jury president JeanNicolas Verreault knows all about being startled by a film at a young age. He was 5 years old when he was paraded into his school’s gymnasium to watch The Wizard of Oz.
The star of films including Les Aventures tumultueuses de Jack Carter is 45 now, but he still remembers being frightened as while watching Judy Garland battle a greenfaced lady. “Yes, I was most certainly afraid of the Wicked Witch of the West.”
Verreault, joined by Petr Koliha (Czech Republic) and Florence Dupont (France), will judge the films in official competition. A threemember jury will choose the most innovative and original film of the festival, and a five- member children’s jury will choose their favourite film.
The Wizard of Oz may have caused 5-year-old Verreault pause, but it also inspired the little guy. By the time Verreault could read and write, he was planning his schedule around what movies were showing on television and acting out the scenes verbatim.
Now Verreault takes his 8-year-old daughter to the cinema, and his one-year-old daughter will join them when she’s a little older. Dad and daughter recently saw the French version of Where the Wild Things Are and were completely charmed.
“It was beautiful for both adults and children.
“It’s important for children to see the way other countries tell stories,” he continued. “We may all look at the same issues in film, but different parts of the world treat the issues differently.
“I remember loving westerns when I was growing up. Then I saw Sergio Leone’s films with Clint Eastwood. It was a completely different way to do a western. I love his films.
“I’ve always wanted to be a cowboy in a film. When I (was working on the role of) Jack Carter, in my head I pretended he was a cowboy and in the film I walk like a cowboy.”
New to FIFEM this year is a collaboration between the festival and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The animated film Le Tableau,
by Jean-François Laguionie, screens at the museum’s Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion from March 6 to 10. Also new to the FIFEM this year is a focus on family films from India. The Festival international du film pour enfants de
Montréal runs from March 2 to 10. For complete details, including information about a series of workshops, or to purchase tickets, call 514967-8893, visit fifem.com or call the Beaubien Cinema box office, 514-721-6060. Individual tickets cost $8.50. A 10-film passport costs $70. The Beaubien Cinema is located at 2396 Beaubien St. E. Clara and the Secret of the Bears screens March 7 at 3:55 p.m. and March 8 at 10:30 a.m. The director and producer will be in attendance.