Day One: Tkaronto

Love film? Love rambling about it? Think that your life is an ongoing roll of film?

Me too. In fact, film is the one thing I think I could talk all day about. 

I'll start with Tkaronto, the first of many films this Summer. Hopefully, if it works out, I'll watch one film a day and record the good ones on here for whoever's out there to enjoy.  

Yesterday I was in Toronto with a dear friend from the mountains of North Carolina. As we wandered through the city, getting more and more lost as the day went on, I kept thinking of what a great city Toronto is to film in. Colourful, busy, stylish and eccentric. It's hard not to love Toronto. 

When I got back to Guelph, I rented a Canadian made film by Shane Belcourt. It premiered in ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Festival in Toronto in '07 with a budget of merely 20, 000. The director at the time,  was in his early thirties.

Although the film starts off rocky, it is a worthy watch. In the beginning, the soundtrack is altogether too dramatic, the acting at times forced and obvious transitions make it an uneasy film to critique. However, this develops into something great. Something absolutely worth watching.

Just get through the first little bit...

This film is a story about identity. It's real, poignant and blatantly Canadian.
The two characters, Jolene Peltier and Ray Morrin are brought together because of business in the city of Toronto. Although they do not look alike, they both share Native blood (Jolene is First Nations and Ray Morrin in Metis) and are trying to comes to terms with what it means to be Native.
The film picks up from the rocky beginning with a scene inside of a business meeting. This scene drips with dark humour. During an interview in which Ray, a cartoonist, is discussing a show called "Indian Jones" the arrogant Producer allows a poignant critique on how Canadians dismissively view Native people, culture and history. Lines like, "You're people are hot on the market", "Stop whining", and "How can I get a status card?" provide reflection and insight to how Canadian society deals with a culture that continues to be belittled and silenced.
This film is that voice that has the propensity to bring change. A loud voice calling for change.
Although the message of Tkaronto is loud, there are also subtle beauties. The connection between Ray and Jolene is pure, real and deep. One of the most real emotion connections I've ever seen on screen and the closest they ever physically get is slow dancing in Jolene's kitchen. That's good acting to pull of love without physical sexuality. 10 points there. Belcourt really makes the audience believe that love is truly an emotion connection more than anything. "We need to be around people who embrace us for who we really are."

Belcourt presents a story that everyone needs to hear more of. Celebration of Aboriginal culture. A chance to reflect internally on who we really are.  A subtle story of a real emotion connection, providing a refreshing change from the usual, over the top sexy love story oh too commonly seen on screen.
2.5/5. Kind of recommended