FNC 2019: Highlighting this Year’s Gems in Film

October 8 2019 // Remi Caron // Film
The Festival Du Nouveau Cinema is always a highlight of the year for me as I get to see films presented that end up becoming yearly favourites. During the festival’s most recent edition, I was able to catch Roma from director Alfonso Cuarón on the towering screen right in the first row. Simply put, there are always some undiscovered gems that are destined to be well received from the audience. Upon early announcements, I am looking forward to seeing Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas from director Pedro Almodóvar, documentary Varda par Agnès from director Agnès Varda, and Sorry We Missed You from director Ken Loach. The festival runs from October 9th to October 20th. Here’s a heads-up on some other films that I am looking forward to seeing this year.
 

A Hidden Life

For fans of visual storytelling, the FNC is going to be showing A Hidden Life from director Terrence Malick. As always with his work, here Malick provides a meditative and profoundly humanist journey. This specific film depicts an Austrian Farmer caught between his deepest convictions and the desire to protect his family, This is inspired by the true story of Franz Jägerstätter, who risked capital punishment in refusing to pledge allegiance to Hitler during World War II. This is a deep reflective meditation on life and faith within a love story, potentially being the richest romance tale from Malick to date. A story like this, which depicts conflict in the face of hate, is this is exactly what the world needs at this time.

Screening on October 20th, 15H00 at Cinema Imperial.

 

Blood Quantum

Coming off of positive reviews from TIFF 2019 At Midnight, Blood Quantum from director Jeff Barnaby hopes to provide some thrills and chills to this year’s festival. On Mi’kmaq reserve Red Crow, bizarre occurrences such as dead fish coming back to life are puzzling local residents. Soon their community is invaded by white survivors whom they must protect from the dead. Barnaby uses the zombie genre to create a twisted story line that is at times dark, while altogether having something to say about present day issues facing indigenous communities.

Screening on October 17th, 19H00 at Cineplex Odeon Quartier Salle 14 / October 20th, 20H45 at Cinéma Du Parc Salle 3.

 

Nail In the Coffin: The Fall And Rise of Vampiro

Being a big fan of documentaries this one was suggested to me as one not to miss. Finding common ground with both documentary watchers and wrestling fanatics, Nail in The Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro from director Michael Paszt is sure to bring in a wide target audience. The documentary follows Ian Richard Hodgkinson, otherwise known by ring alias Vampiro, a self-described punk-rock character who’s had his fair share of challenges. He shares his story in this gut-wrenching yet inspiring tale. From his time inside and outside the ring, being a bodyguard for Milli Vanilli, and his time in Montreal, perhaps his greatest challenge lies outside the ring as the documentary captures the difficulties of raising his daughter while maintaining career balance. Keep your eyes peeled for an interview within the coming weeks on CJLO’s online magazine.

Screening on October 11th, 19H10 at Cineplex Odeon Quartier Salle 10 / October 12th, 17H15 at Cinema Du Parc 3.

 

Take Shelter

Living in this era of environmental concerns, Take Shelter from director Jeff Nichols might be the movie that we all need to focus on right now. Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) is a family man that is suffering from depression and is haunted by apocalyptic visions. His wife (Amy Adams) and friends think that he needs to seek help, but he decides instead to build a bunker in his backyard. This deep dive into eco-anxiety helps to speak about the current climate concerns without indulging in climate change denial or descending into the madness of associated debates. Built on breathtaking visuals, this film is sure to spark a new round of environmental discussion which we are in dire need of. The screening will be introduced by Luc Ferrandez and followed by a discussion about eco-anxiety with Laure Waridel (eco-sociologist, co-founder of Équiterre, writer, and speaker).

Screening on October 15th, 18H00 at Cineplex Odeon Quartier Salle 17.

 

Marriage Story

Since I live in a non-Netflix household, I am ecstatic to get to see Marriage Story on the big screen. This exclusive Netflix film from director Noah Baumbach is based on his own divorce from Jennifer Jason Lee. While it may not be the feel good movie of the year as it examines a spiraling couple, the film finds a groove between the harsh and the bittersweet moments of a relationship. The couple in question are played by non-other than Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, who play Nicole and Charlie in this frenzied relationship. With these two powerful lead performances already garnering praise around film festivals and sure to be talked about during award season, Marriage Story starts out with a postmortem relationship that has descended into disappointment and frustration before taking a look back at its bittersweet early moments.

Screening on October 14th, 16H30 at Cinéma Impérial / October 18th, 19h00 at Cinéma Du Musée.

Remi is the host of At The Movies which features everything new and noteworthy in the world of cinema. The show goes live every Tuesday at 8:00 AM.