CANADA ON SCREEN

Shawn Conner lists five Canadian films worth seeing at the weeklong festival at Cinematheque.

1. Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal)

In honour of our sesquicentennial, critics, scholars, and industry professionals from across the country were asked to select 150 essential Canuck filmworks. Cinematheque has been screening selections from the list all year, and the commemorative event continues with a week of free screenings. Denys Arcand’s acclaimed (Jury Prize winner at Cannes, 12 Genies in Canada, Oscar-nominated) 1989 film Jesus of Montreal is among them. (Saturday at 8 p.m.)

2.

My Winnipeg

Guy Maddin’s experimental 2007 mash-up is notable for a number of reasons, including its faux-documentary style and the return to the screen of Ann Savage (from the classic 1945 noir Detour). (July 5, 8:15 p.m.)

3.

Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould

The 1993 film about the classical pianist is another audaciously experimental faux-documentary. Never let it be said Canadian filmmakers are beholden to genres or rules. (July 6 at 8 p.m.)

4.

La vie rêvée (Dream Life)

Lesser known, perhaps, than the others on our list, this 1972 film from director Mireille Dansereau was the first fiction feature in Quebec (and only the second in Canada) to be directed by a woman. Dansereau mixes dreams, parody sequences, media images, and diverse film styles in a story about two young women who share a crush on, and elaborate fantasies about, an older ideal man. (July 5, 6:30 p.m.)

5.

Mommy

Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan brings formal inventiveness (vivid colour and 1:1 ratio) to his 2014 drama about the relationship between a blunt-talking mom and her troublesome son. (July 3 at 7 p.m.)