AFRICAN, FRENCH AUTEUR GET THEIR DUE
Take a break from the summer blockbusters and check out TIFF’s two new series on Med Hondo and Eric Rohmer
Med Hondo and Eric Rohmer: At this point in the summer movie season, even the hardiest moviegoers may be feeling a case of blockbuster fatigue. That’s why TIFF Cinematheque’s latest director retrospectives comprise such a valuable exercise in counter-programming.
The Lightbox’s most intriguing summer series pays tribute to Med Hondo, a founding father of African cinema whose works remain sadly little seen in North America. Dubbed
The Indocile Image, the seven-film program launches Thursday with
Soleil O, Hondo’s 1970 feature about the travails of a Mauritanian accountant who suffers through culture shock and discrimination after arriving in Paris.
Hondo will be in Toronto to introduce Soleil O along with three more in the series, which runs to Aug. 16.
Also on deck at TIFF Cinematheque are more screenings in its new retrospective on French auteur Eric Rohmer, including his early-’80s art-house hits Le Beau Mariage (Saturday) and
Pauline at the Beach (Sunday). A double bill on Tuesday pairs Rohmer’s 1976 adaptation of Heinrich von Kleist’s novella La Marquise d’O. . . with Amour fou, a recent cinephile fave by Austrian director Jessica Hausner about the writer’s last days. It should be noted that neither film includes a cameo by an Avenger.
Outdoor screenings: It’s a night for star-crossed young lovers when Baz Luhrmann’s slick take on Romeo and
Juliet plays the Christie Pits Film Festival on Sunday.
Things turn out less tragically at Yonge-Dundas Square for City Cinema’s presentation of Stripes on Tuesday. Back from a break, the Open Roof Festival returns to 99 Sudbury St. for the Toronto premiere of the American indie drama The Fits and a live set by Grand Analog on Wednesday. That same night, Harbourfront Centre’s Free Flicks at the Concert Stage opts for a slice of ’80s fromage with The Last Dragon. The Wednesday-night bonanza of outdoor screenings also includes Silver Streak at Union Station and The Jungle Book at Regent Park.
Mosaic International South Asian
Film Festival (MISAFF): An annual showcase of new films from one of the planet’s busiest regions for moviemaking, the MISAFF launches its latest program on Thursday. Director Hansal Mehta will be on hand for the opening gala presentation of Aligarh, his acclaimed drama about the reallife case of a university professor in Uttar Pradesh who was fired on charges of homosexuality. Mehta’s film has its Canadian premiere at Cineplex Cinemas Mississauga. Other Canadian premieres at MISAFF include Cinemawala, a father-son drama set in a small-town movie house, and Waiting, a comedy-drama about an unusual friendship born out of grief. A red-carpet gala presentation of Waiting with director Anu Menon in attendance closes the MISAFF on Aug. 7. Norman Lear: Not Just Another Version of You: As the creator, writer and/or producer of shows such as All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Maude, Norman Lear was at the vanguard of network TV through the 1970s. When he wasn’t using his sitcoms to tackle social, racial and political issues, he was equally outspoken as a staunch defender of First Amend- ment rights and an activist for antinuke and pro-democracy groups. A recent Hot Docs selection that returns to the fest’s namesake theatre for a run starting Friday, Norman Lear: Not Just Another Version of You is a comprehensive portrait of Lear, who remains a lively provocateur at the age of 93. The directors participate in Skype Q&As after screenings on Friday and Sunday.
League of Gods: China’s booming film industry is eager to prove that Hollywood has no monopoly when it comes to making big bombastic superhero movies. Based on a 16thcentury tale about an epic battle between supernatural forces, League
of Gods is a 3D fantasy spectacular whose impressive ensemble of Asian superstars includes Jet Li, Tony Leung and Angelababy.
It opens in Toronto on Friday at several GTA Cineplex locations, including Yonge & Dundas & VIP. jandersonesque@gmail.com