Fighting the fires of the Motor City
BURN: These are indeed banner days for local devotees of documentary film. Not only can they partake in dozens more screenings at Hot Docs — which wraps up its 20th edition on May 5 — they can also check out a few fresh films beginning theatrical runs. The hottest of the pack, Burn is an action-packed look at the men who do their best to keep Detroit from going up in flames.
One of the many devastating effects of the Motor City’s steep decline in population is the huge abundance of abandoned properties that are easy prey for arsonists. (No wonder Detroit has one of the highest arson rates in the world.) Directors Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez spent a year with members of a firehouse on Detroit’s blighted east side. Though the firefighters are keenly aware of the dangers of their work (especially those who have suffered grave injuries), many admit to the rush they feel in the thick of battle. The filmmakers try to incite the same feelings in viewers by providing plenty of footage of raging fires scored to vintage songs by the Stooges. Serving as both a bleak portrait of a city in jeopardy and a tribute to those who refuse to let it die, Burn opens May 3 at the Big Picture Cinema (1035 Gerrard St. E.).
CHRISTCORE: Since Christian musicians have already created their
own takes on hip-hop and heavy metal, it was surely only a matter of time before they found a place for Jesus amid the screaming mayhem of hardcore punk, too. Nevertheless, Canadian musician and filmmaker Justin Ludwig was so surprised to learn of the scene’s existence that he made a documentary about it. Presented at the Royal this week, ChristCORE follows Ludwig’s experiences on the road with Messengers and Sleeping Giant, two bands looking to spread the gospel among God-fearing youths who prefer mosh pits to Sunday services. The director attends Q&As at the afternoon and evening screenings on May 4 and 5.
TALKIN’ ABOUT AUTEURS: Local critic and lecturer Adam Nayman launches two new series on some of the film world’s most lionized yet divisive figures this week. Starting May 6 at 7 p.m. at the Miles Nadal JCC is the fourth edition of Love ’Em or Hate ’Em, a set of talks on controversial directors — this time around, David Cronenberg, Roman Polanski, Paul Verhoeven and Lars von Trier all come under scrutiny. Tickets are $40 for the four-week series or $12 for drop-ins (or $6 for students, seniors and Toronto Jewish Film Society subscribers). Then at the Revue Cinema on every second Thursday starting May 9 at 7 p.m., Nayman will also size up four key films by Stanley Kubrick, including 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut.
THE GRUB-STAKE REVISITED + OTHER
NOT-SO-SILENTS: On May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at TIFF Bell Lightbox, a 1923 melodrama by Canadian silent-era icon Nell Shipman serves as the basis for The Grub-Stake Revisited, a unique event that pairs Shipman’s original Klondike saga with a new live score by Daniel Janke and an alternate script full of lines borrowed from Shakespeare. Not to be entirely outdone when it comes to bringing new life to classics of the silent screen, the Orpheus Choir and organist Edward Moroney perform a live score for The Passion of Joan of Arc on May 8 at 8:30 p.m. at St. Clement’s Anglican Church (70 St. Clement’s Ave.). A rather lighter mood will surely prevail when composer and pianist Robert Bruce accompanies the antics of Harold Lloyd in Safety Last! in a performance and screening taking place May 9 at 8 p.m. at Trinity St. Paul’s
United Church (427 Bloor St. W.). THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
ROSALIND LEIGH: A handsomely mounted thriller that marks the feature debut of Rue Morgue publisher turned filmmaker Rodrigo Gudino, The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh makes its hometown premiere as part of Sinister Cinema, Raven Banner and Cineplex’s new program of fresh horror flicks. Gudino’s tale of the macabre — narrated by none other than Vanessa Redgrave — plays six local Cineplex theatres on May 9 at 9:30 p.m. with an additional screening to follow May 10 at the YongeDundas location. LAKESHORTS FEST + ITALIAN FILMS FOR KIDS: As local festgoers say goodbye to Hot Docs, they can say hello to two younger events. Founded in 2011 to foster the arts community of South Etobicoke, the Lakeshorts International Film Fes- tival presents two programs of shorts by directors based in the community as well as elsewhere in the world. Screenings at 6:30 p.m. on May 3 and 4 take place at the Assembly Hall Community Cultural Centre (1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr.). A kid-centric spinoff of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (which returns in June), the ICFF Jr. presents five mornings of Italian-language family fare at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The program begins May 7 at 10:30 a.m. with the animated Gladiators of Rome.
ROMAN HOLIDAY: Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant enjoy an excursion through the Eternal City in Roman Holiday, the can’t-miss date-flick that is this month’s selection in Cineplex’s Classic Film Series. William Wyler’s 1953 hit plays 10 local theatres on May 5 and 8, with the Yonge-Dundas location hosting additional screenings on May 3 and 4.