Rooting for the underdog

>> Picks for the New Film & Media Fest

by SIOBHAN O'CONNOR

Tucked amid the star power of the opening and closing films of the New Film & Media Fest are scores of films that shouldn't be overlooked. From a filmzine by four feisty teenagers to a beautiful feature starring a 1967 Citroen DS, here's a look at a few of the Fest's sharper-toothed underdogs.

The NFB-funded Salt, a stylish four-part doc about teens through the eyes of four talented Montreal high-school girls, has been dubbed a "filmzine." In keeping with their DIY ethic, Karen, Bev, Morgan and Amber shed light on the "teenage situation," taking it beyond the pigeonholing typical of teen flicks. Tackling the school system, indie rock, self-mutilation and the punk community, the girls have put together what feel like four separate docs.

Karen's treatment of self-mutilation stands out as the most brave and complete of the four. She's interviewed her peers--candid and uncomfortable with the topic--as well as two girls who have used cutting as a means of coping and self-expression. Bev's hilarious look at the punk community also stands out, as she takes us on an ironic "quest for punk." She's managed to not take herself too seriously as she interviews Montreal mainstays like Paul Gott and poses the burning question: Am I punk enough? The other two parts are interesting, but veer toward self-consciousness--a little off-putting at times.

The Goddess of 1967 is a quiet and beautiful entry from the Australian-based Clara Law. It's a strange encounter between a bored Japanese man named JM (Rikiya Kurokawa), a mysterious blind redhead named BG (Rose Byrne), and a gorgeous Citroen DS (which BG suspiciously resembles). JM has long lusted after said car, and after travelling to Australia to buy it from an online seller, the last thing he expects to find is a blind beauty in a bloody, ransacked house. BG explains that the car didn't belong to the seller, that she knows the real owner and will take him there. The two embark on a surreal pilgrimage through time and space; we're taken on an affecting journey through the lives of BG, her mother and grandmother, uncovering the sexual abuse they all endured by the hand of the same man. Law has managed to put together a film that is simultaneously artful and entertaining.

The dark side

Curled up in the darkest corner of the prestigious Special Presentation section of the Fest--featuring the likes of Spike Lee and Catherine Breillat--is a trio of shorts which bring to the screen the gritty and elusive work of Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. Known for his pitch-black humour, confusing dialogue and epic one-acts, Beckett's work doesn't necessarily translate well into celluloid. But by the hands of Atom Egoyan, David Mamet and Marin Karmitz, it does.

Egoyan's take on Krapp's Last Tape, at an hour long, stands out as a challenging but compelling watch. This one-man short features Krapp (John Hurt) on his 70th birthday, who sits in his ill-lit office listening to tapes of his former, livelier selves. The film is claustrophobic to say the least: one man, one take, one room and a personal monologue that's dismal at best. But Egoyan's ease with bleak subject matter shines through as he delivers a tragic look at this man in physical and emotional decay.

Digital freakiness

Part of the digital series, A Belly Full is a nightmarish farce from Melvin van Peebles. His reputation as a shit-disturber is supported by this bizarre tale about a young black woman adopted by the two most grotesque characters to offend the screen in recent memory. Andrea Ferreol and Jacques Boudet star as the creepy mom and dad who adopt Diamantine (Meiji U Tum'Si) to replace their daughter who has "left town." What ensues is a highly stylized fantasy in which Diamantine is unwittingly implicated in an elaborate family secret.

Van Peebles creates real tension as he plays with racial stereotypes: watch as mom trims Diamantine's skirt till her butt hangs out and encourages the men in the market to leer at her; watch as dad forces Diamantine to wear a pillow under her dress for nine months, feigning back aches and contractions. Huh? Exactly. What begins as an unsettling and strange tale about a family's dirty laundry dribbles into an absurd allegory for something. It loses focus, for sure, but is still worth a look for the unusual stylistic devices and its side-show freakiness. :