The Available Light Film Festival running Feb. 6–14 there will be showing films during the
daytime, right in the middle of your lunch hour. So pack a sandwich or a smoothie and head over to either the Yukon Arts Centre or the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre for some truly fascinating cinema.
Here is a rundown of the lunch-hour films, taken from the Available Light Film Festival website, at www.ALFF.ca.
Le Dep (Sonia Boileau, 2015)
This psychological drama takes place in a rural Quebec first nations community at a Depanneur convenience store. Lydia, a young Innu woman works the store with her father. One night while closing the shop is robbed and Lydia is held at gunpoint. Recognizing the masked robber Lydia is forced to make a life-changing event. Director in attendance. Screens Sunday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. at the Yukon Arts Centre.
Broke Down Dawson Town (Lulu Keating, 2016) and Bond of Strangers (Max Fraser, 2016)
Broke Down Dawson Town tells the tale of Harry and her boyfriend Tom who take the road trip of a lifetime from Nova Scotia to hunt for Gold near Dawson City, Yukon where Tom’s brother Dick has struck a fortune, well supposedly.
Bond of Strangers is a story with its roots stemming back to when, in 1943, the allied Operation Husky advanced deep into the Sicilian countryside in a successful campaign against the Nazis. In 2013 relatives and interested parties join filmmaker Max Fraser for a journey to travel to Italy and replicate the campaign to bring awareness to a lost history. Filmmakers in attendance. These films screen Monday, Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.
Qipisa (Myna Ishulutak, 2015) and Totem: Return and Renewal (Gil Cardinal, 2007)
In the film Qipisa, Myna is going back home to Pangnirtung, Nunavut to be with her family and to learn more of her roots after being away for a long time. It leads her to another journey: to Qipisa, the outpost camp where she grew up. In Inuktitut with English subtitles.
In his 2003 National Film Board film Totem: the Return of the G’psgolox Pole, filmmaker Gil Cardinal documented the struggle of the Haisla people of British Columbia to recover a traditional mortuary totem pole. This half-hour documentary follows the events of the final journey of the G’psgolox Pole as it returns home to Kitamaat and the Haisla people. This presentation is in honour of groundbreaking filmmaker Gil Cardinal who passed away in November 2015. These films screen Tuesday, Feb. 9 at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre at 12 p.m.
Zahir Rana: A Life in the Fast Lane (Michael Vernon,2015) and The Shooting of Dan McGrew (Braden Brickner, 2014)
Whitehorse resident Michael Vernon debuts as writer/director with Zahir Rana: A Life in the Fast Lane, which is a television documentary for OMNI Television that follows the inspirational story of an immigrant to Canada who fights his way back from losing everything, twice, to realize his dream of owning the fastest Ferrari in the world. These films screen Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Yukon Arts Centre at 12 p.m.
Heart of a Dog (Laurie Anderson, 2015)
Renowned multidisciplinary artist Laurie Anderson returns with this lyrical and powerfully personal essay film that reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother, her beloved dog, and such diverse subjects as family memories, surveillance, and Buddhist teachings. Screens Friday, Feb. 12 at the Yukon Arts Centre at 12 p.m.
Boy and the World (Alé Abreu, 2013)
Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity as his small world expands. Screens Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Yukon Arts Centre at 10 a.m.
Drone (Tonje Hessen Schei, 2014)
This film follows people who live under drones in Pakistan and drone pilots who struggle with the new warfare. Facing fast advancement of technology and lagging international legislation the film shows how drones change wars and possibly our future. Screens Saturday, Feb 13 at the Yukon Arts Centre at 12:30 p.m.
Al Purdy Was Here (Brian D. Johnson, 2015)
By turns elegiac and celebratory, this documentary tribute to the late, great Canadian poet Al Purdy features readings, reminiscences and performances from some of the greatest names in Canadian letters and music. With introductory reading by Whitehorse poet, Michael Eden Reynolds. Screens Sunday, Feb. 14 at the Yukon Arts Centre at 12:30 p.m.
All festival programming can be viewed at www.ALFF.ca, tickets and Five Film Passes can be purchased at YukontTickets.com.
