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Images of 100 years of hijackings, of Fidel Castro weeping, Marilyn Monroe and Princess Di scooting across a busy street on a shopping trip, a dead Taliban soldier, a drunk real-estate agent recounting his experiences during Sept. 11, Auschwitz, Phnom Penh and Ground Zero: this is the stuff of the eighth edition of Le Mois de la Photo.

But the giant event isn't geared to shock. Photojournalism meets photo-fiction, satire and 20 international artists' interpretations in the first time that Le Mois has had a unifying theme: "NOW. Images in the Present Time."

Marilyn and Di, for example, are doubles in a staged shot by pseudo-paparazzo Alison Jackson, taking a stab at tabloids. Phil Collins (not that Phil Collins) kept his real-estate subject drunk to compare what was an often unintelligible account to the fuzzy pictures taken during

9-11. And the aforementioned disaster sites were shot by P. Elaine Sharp in soft focus to convey feelings of suspicion and to contrast the seemingly clear lens of investigative photography.

In addition to artists' takes, the event also hosts the World Press Photo exhibition, featuring award-winning photojournalistic captures, as well as Rise of the Picture Press, which looks at the period in the '20s and '30s when imagery gained unprecedented influence in the news. Le Mois opens today, Sept. 4, and runs until Oct. 28 at galleries around the city, www.moisdelaphoto.com for details. » Matthew Woodley

New faces, new moves

Every spring, dance space Tangente (840 Cherrier) puts up posters to recruit and audition new dance talent for the annual show they put on to kick off their fall season. Now in its 10th year, Danse Buissonnière features dancers and choreographers who are finishing up dance training at schools or universities. Since the chosen artists haven't yet had a ton of on-stage experience, this series helps them make the transition from dancing at school to dancing as a professional career.

This year's roster, an almost all-female cast, has been working on their new creations since the spring. From UQÀM are Marie Béland, Marie-Josée Lareau and Élodie Lombardo, and representing LADMMI is Amélie Lévesque-Demers. Also performing are Ségolène Marchand from Université Paris 8, and Manuel Roque. The series runs Sept. 11–13 at 8:30 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 4 p.m. Call 525-1500. » Marites Carino

Spreading the word

The Quebec Writers' Federation and the Centre for Literacy, with a little help from the Canada Council, are co-sponsoring Writers in the Community, a series of performances and workshops that "gets artists and writers working in non-traditional spaces, and with kids," says QWF president (and spoken word artist) Ian Ferrier. He's part of the show that kicks off the series on Monday, International Literacy Day, which also includes zinester and performer Paula Belina, League of Canadian Poets' Young Poets Award winner Padraic Scanlon and word-weaver Catherine Kidd. "It's promoting the idea that there are many facets to the idea of literacy, and that oral literature is one of those," says Ferrier. Opening Sept. 8, noon, at Dawson College (Atwater entrance, 3040 Sherbrooke), free. » Vincent Tinguely

White nights

Caroline Hayeur is best known for her photographs of Montreal nightlife, rave and techno scenes. Mes nuits blanches brings together over five years of shooting, presented as immense contact sheets that cover the walls of Centre Clark (5455 Gaspé, #114). The photos, taken during the artist's exhibition tours, personal travel and nocturnal ramblings, capture scenes of everyday life involving friends and strangers.

The exhibition opens tonight with a musical performance and live visuals by Hayeur and Myléna Bergeron. Hayeur works the follow-spot and video, while Bergeron plays with captured ambient sound and digital treatments of the voice. If that isn't enough, to mark the simultaneous opening of French artist Jean Dupuy's show, Analogies, a very different performance follows. This one involves a slew of local talent reading analogical texts - a guaranteed good time. Visit www.clarkplaza.org for full details. Performances start at 8 p.m., exhibition runs until Oct. 11. » Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

SEEING RED: Every once in a while folk from the land down under do something that turns heads up here in the north. Lately it's been with their wine, which has gained scores of devotees in the past decade - first with connoisseurs, now to the cry of some 2.7-million litres of the stuff consumed by Quebecers in the past year. So they're coming to Montreal to throw a pahty. The first-ever Australian Wine Fair will feature sunburnt reps from some 22 wineries bringing 120 varieties of grape. In a walkabout-style setting, guests are invited practice their accents and snack on "Aussie-inspired finger foods" while developing their taste for down-under's robust reds and whites. Sept. 15, 7–9:30 p.m., at the Galerie du Gouverneur (903 de Lorimier), 50 bucks, www.admission.com to reserve.

ArtsHole

AS AMERICAN AS…: Big Apple artists Amy Dotson and Lisa-Rose Normandale are in town this week to tempt the locals with their pretend-pal imagery and fresh homemade pies at the opening of Imaginary Friends, at Galerie Espace (4844 St-Laurent) on Saturday, Sept. 6, 5 p.m.. Runs until Sept. 10. • WAITING IN VAIN: Adrienne Spier does what we'd all like to do while sitting in a sterile, headache-inducing waiting room: she trashes the place. Well, sort of - in her Waiting Rooms and Offices installation, Spier takes apart furniture typical of those types of places and rearranges it so it loses all practicality, Sept. 6–Oct. 11 at Dare-Dare (460 Ste-Catherine W., #505).

ARTISTAT: If laid out in a single row, the number of kilometres that would be covered by English books at the third International Literacy Book Sale, a fundraiser for the Centre for Literacy of Quebec from Sept. 4–28 (6700 Côte-des-Neiges): 13

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