While I mentioned a few weeks ago that Arshile Gorky was being celebrated with two major exhibits in Paris, France, I didn’t realize that Canadian cinema is also being showcased in the French capital.
Not only is Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan being honored with a full retrospective at the Georges Pompidou Center (link), but Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin and Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley (who coincidentally starred in Egoyan’s Sweet Hereafter) are also enjoying their Paris moment–the former received a full page of breathless critical praise in the French daily Libération and the latter received good local reviews for her first feature film “Away from Her.”
Egoyan says it right, though I don’t know why he fixates on this idea of English Canada, I don’t consider myself an English Canadian,and I don’t know anyone who does–The Toronto Star reports:
“It is long overdue, but the French are finally catching up with the original and crazy vision of Guy Maddin,” said Egoyan. “Between the praise for Guy and the launch of Sarah’s film, this has been a big weekend for English Canada in Paris.” (source)(a CBC article)
Three Egoyan flicks you should definitely check out if you’re in Paris:
- Next of Kin (1984)–one of the most poignant commentaries on identity in cinema
- Speaking Parts (1989)–one of the highest points of postmodernism in all its complexity
- Felicia’s Journey (1999)–I strangely saw this film with Jason (aka Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters) and it left me chilled to the bone
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