Canadian Challenge (Official, July 2022)

[Fergenaprido]

Happy Canada Day! 155 years since Confederation

Goal:
Watch as many films from the Great White North as possible from July 1st, 2022 until July 31st, 2022.

Rules:
- A feature film (Anything 40 minutes or over) counts as one entry.
- A total of 80 minutes of short films, TV series, and mini-series count as one entry (regardless of episode length).
- Rewatches allowed and are good for the soul.
- Try to use your own common sense regarding eligibility and/or ask when in doubt. If it's on any of the lists linked in this post, then it's eligible. If it was nominated for or won a Genie/Gemini/Canadian Screen Award/Etrog, then it's eligible. If it's simply an American movie filmed in Canada, or a Canadian director making an American film, then it's not eligible (unless it meets one of the other criteria).

Stuck for ideas of what to watch? Look no further:

Official iCM Lists:
Top 100 Canadian Films
UNESCO's Memory of the World: National Cinematic Heritage (101-191)

Other Lists

Unofficial iCM Lists:
Canadian Screen Awards/Genie Awards: Best Motion Picture
Canadian Screen Award Best Motion Picture Nominees
CFB's Top 100 Canadian Films
200 Quebec Movies You Must See
Playback's Best Canadian Films of All Time
The Canadian Cult
The 10 and 3's top 50 Canadian Films
National Canadian Film Day: 150 Canadian Films
Canadian Films on Official iCM Lists
Canadian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
National Film Board of Canada (1936-1979)
National Film Board of Canada (1980-present)
Overlooked Canadian Films
Taste of Cinema: 20 Canadian Cult Films You Might Not Have Seen

Other lists:
All of the Oscar-nominated NFB films (shorts & features) available online at the NFB site
Top Canadian Films (TIFF 2015)[Runners Up]

You can watch a lot of films online for free at the National Film Board of Canada website.

Not sure how to format your post? Check out the Basic rules thread.

2014 Edition - hosted by HVM, winner was ryebass with 35 points
2017 Edition - hosted by 72allinncallme, winner was sol with 82 points
2018 Edition - hosted by Fergenaprido, winner was sol with 81 points
2020 Edition - hosted by Fergenaprido, winner was sol with 126 points

Bonus Challenge
I've decided upon a couple of bonus challenges for this month.
The first subchallenge, just like last time, is to watch a movie from every decade. While Canadian cinema started to blossom in the 60s and 70s, really took off internationally in the late 80s and early 90s, and started to receive more critical acclaim in the 00s and 10s, its history goes back over a century. There may not be films from Canada's first 50 years, but the last 100 have given us some gems. I encourage you to seek them out. Since regular challenge players will/should have already seen all the eligible films from the 1910s and 1920s, the eligible decades for this will be from 1930s to 2020s. You get one point per decade, for a maximum of 10 points

The second subchallenge is based on community. It's cold and dark up here much of the year, and while the land is huge the people are few, with a population density of about 4 people/km². So we need to cluster together to stay warm and sane, and as a result we're a highly urbanized country. To encourage this sense of community, every participant can recommend one eligible film for other participants to watch after they log in their first film.

• For every recommendation you watch, you get one point.
• For every 5 recommendations you watch, you get to recommend another film.
• For every film that gets 5+ watches, every watcher gets a point (regardless of if it was recommended or not);
• ↳ if that film was a recommendation, the nominator gets a point.
• You don't get any points for watching your own recommendation.
• Points are retroactive if you watch a film that later becomes a recommendation by someone else.

The third subchallenge is because there are so many Canadian films that are underseen. So, for every film that you watch with 0 checks OR less than 5 votes on imdb (and thus no rating), you get a bonus point. First to check a film AND it has less than 5 votes on imdb? Then you get double points! And for this, each film counts on it's own, so a short is worth as many points as a long film. No television series for this bonus though. But also no limit!

I'll announce a winner for each subchallenge separately, as well as a winner for the bonus challenge overall.

Bonus Challenge Recommended Films
Fergenaprido 1: Incident at Restigouche (1984)
sol 1: Operation Avalanche (2016)
Arkantos 1: Night Raiders (2021)
DudeLanez 1: Matthias & Maxime (2019)
maxwelldeux 1: Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (2018)
jdidaco 1: Strangers in Good Company (1990)
klaus78 1: Picture of Light (1994)
peeptoad 1: The Pyx (1973)
sol 2: Treed Murray (2001)

Bonus/Side Challenge Scoreboard

Participant	Decades	Pts	Community Watches	Pts	Underseen	Pts	TOTAL
sol	30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s	10	6 recs, 2 comm watches	8	8 icm, 2 imdb	10	28
Fergenaprido	30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s	10	3 recs, 1 comm nom	4	2 icm, 3 imdb	5	19
maxwelldeux	70s, 80s, 00s, 10s, 20s	5	2 recs, 1 comm watch	3	2 icm, 1 imdb	3	11
Arkantos	60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s	7	3 recs, 1 comm watch	4			11
klaus78	60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s	7	1 comm watch	1			8
DudeLanez	60s, 70s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s	6	1 comm watch	1			7
blocho	70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s	5	2 recs	2			7
jdidaco	60s, 70s, 80s, 20s	4	1 rec, 1 comm watch	2			6
magnusbernhardsen	80s, 90s, 00s, 10s	4	1 comm watch	1			5
OldAle1	40s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s	5					5
peeptoad	70s, 90s, 00s, 10s	4					4
Lonewolf2003	90s, 00s	2	1 comm watch	1			3
Mario Gaborović	00s	1	1 comm watch	1			2
ororama	70s	1					1

Participants

Rank	Participant	2022	2020	2018	2017	2014
1	sol	90	126	81	82
2	Fergenaprido	41	37	26	19	4
3	Arkantos	21
4	klaus78	18
4	blocho	18	9	4
6	maxwelldeux	15	30	32	1
7	jdidaco	10	30	8	60
8	DudeLanez	8
8	magnusbernhardsen	8
10	OldAle1	6	40	10	50
11	peeptoad	4		21
12	Lonewolf2003	3
13	ororama	2	32	8
14	Mario Gaborović	1	48

Past Participants

-	blueboybob		119	6	10	1
-	Traveller		66
-	frbrown		17		4
-	flavo5000		9	9
-	allisoncm		8	6	10	1
-	AB537		6
-	cinephage		6	4	1	1
-	zzzorf		6
-	nimimerkillinen		5	14	0
-	morrison-dylan-fan		3		13
-	hurluberlu		3	6
-	Onderhond		2
-	mjf314		2			2
-	connordenney		1
-	3eyes			25	1	1
-	45MinuteZoom				22
-	72aicm/72allinncallme			12	5
-	albajos			10	3
-	ChrisReynolds				11
-	clemmetarey					0
-	Daviddoes			5
-	Gershwin					0
-	Hunziker			1
-	HVM					9
-	jeroeno			57
-	lynchs			1
-	Mate_cosido			10
-	Melvelet			2		0
-	Panunzio				1
-	Pretentious Hipster/XxXApathy420XxX/ArthurYanthar					4
-	psychotronicbeatnik			34
-	RogerTheMovieManiac88			32	51
-	ryebass					35
-	sebby			2
-	vortexsurfer			6
-	weirdboy			5
-	zuma				20	23

I'll update the totals as often as I can, at least once a week - Last updated 20:38 August 2 GMT -4

[sol]

Hiya Ferg. Thanks for getting this up in time.

A few things come to mind:

1. For the past 18 months, we have used an "80 minutes of TV = 1pt, regardless of episode length" rule in all official challenges, so you might want to change that for consistency (see the rules section of other Official Challenges this month).

2. I think you're overestimating participation in the bonus challenge. Generally speaking, it has been a struggle to get five participants to watch the same recommendation in the DTC Challenge. I think three is a far more realistic number, unless you want the five-watches thing to be a very rare event that only happens a couple of times during the month.

3. Are you no longer tracking provinces and territories this time? I welcome the no tracking of languages, because that drove me batty last time, but I was still intending to watch something from as many provinces and territories as possible.

4. Do we get more points for complete the decades run multiple times? I should be able to do 60s-20s multiple times without trying, but I will only try to see out multiple films from the 30s, 40s and 50s if there is an incentive in place.

Generally looking good though. And I can't complain about the OP artwork you've chosen to go with, of course.

[Fergenaprido]

Hiya Ferg. Thanks for getting this up in time.

A few things come to mind:

1. For the past 18 months, we have used an "80 minutes of TV = 1pt, regardless of episode length" rule in all official challenges, so you might want to change that for consistency (see the rules section of other Official Challenges this month).

2. I think you're overestimating participation in the bonus challenge. Generally speaking, it has been a struggle to get five participants to watch the same recommendation in the DTC Challenge. I think three is a far more realistic number, unless you want the five-watches thing to be a very rare event that only happens a couple of times during the month.

3. Are you no longer tracking provinces and territories this time? I welcome the no tracking of languages, because that drove me batty last time, but I was still intending to watch something from as many provinces and territories as possible.

4. Do we get more points for complete the decades run multiple times? I should be able to do 60s-20s multiple times without trying, but I will only try to see out multiple films from the 30s, 40s and 50s if there is an incentive in place.

Generally looking good though. And I can't complain about the OP artwork you've chosen to go with, of course.

1. I didn't realize. I'd changed the 60 minute rule to 80, but I'll change the rest of the rules to be consistent with other challenges. Thanks

2. Maybe, I'd have to go back and look at the stats from the past challenges to see how many films hit the 3 & 5 watchmarks. I'm pretty sure at least a handful hit 5. I'm fine with it being a hard-to-hit target, though - makes it all the more rewarding when we get there as a group.

3. Wasn't planning on it, no. Wanted to try something different and not just do a full repeat of the bonuses from last time, and finding films from the smaller provinces and territories can be challenging, plus it can be a pain to work it out if someone doesn't post it with their log (while figuring out the decade is easy peasy). But feel free to include the province/territory in your post even if it won't count for the bonus; I for one find that information interesting and I'm always looking to expand my Canadian cinematic breadth beyond the ON/QC/BC triumvirate of power.

4. Hadn't considered it. Didn't do it last time, and you and I were the only two participants to hit every decade (and every region) at least once, so I don't think it's really a priority for most participants. It would basically just give you and me more points , so in the interest of keeping the bonus challenge less predictable and give others a sporting chance to beat us, I'm going to say no to extra points for multiple decade runs.

[sol]

4. Do we get more points for complete the decades run multiple times? I should be able to do 60s-20s multiple times without trying, but I will only try to see out multiple films from the 30s, 40s and 50s if there is an incentive in place.

Generally looking good though. And I can't complain about the OP artwork you've chosen to go with, of course.

4. Hadn't considered it. Didn't do it last time, and you and I were the only two participants to hit every decade (and every region) at least once, so I don't think it's really a priority for most participants. It would basically just give you and me more points , so in the interest of keeping the bonus challenge less predictable and give others a sporting chance to beat us, I'm going to say no to extra points for multiple decade runs.

Oh yeah - I think I'm getting confused with the Queer Challenge where you allowed multiple decade hits and multiple acronym letter picks for points IIRC.

[sol]

It starts! First in.



1. See for Me (2021)



When the home she is house-sitting is broken into, a blind woman must rely on an app that connects visually impaired individuals with seeing companions in this thriller. With heavy reliance on the app, we get limited Don't Breathe stuff with her outwitting the burglars in the dark. Also, walking around the house with the glowing white screen of her phone illuminating her face, she can't really hide. Good performances though and nicely not straightforward heroine.

[Mario Gaborović]

01. Maelström (2000)

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)

2. Maelström (2000)



Narrated by a talking fish while it is cut into pieces, this Villeneuve feature sounds like a quirky comedy on paper, but it is actually a grim drama for the most part. The main story also comes with an intriguing 'degrees of separation' angle. The constant cuts to the fish narrating the story though really detract from the drama and it becomes hard to take the whole thing seriously with the fish comically owing and groaning as he is cut into while trying to narrate.

3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)



A post-apocalyptic drama from Saskatchewan that follows a young man who decides to leave the family farm for the first time after his father's death. His anxieties are captured well in an opening anvil nightmare. For the most part though, the film just consists of characters sitting around and talking, often with their backs to the camera. The dad's funeral attaches curious religious significance to wheat, but this is generally more ideas-packed than cinematic.

4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!



This is not easy to get a grip on the film at first at it jumps between three different restaurant patrons. As the film wears on though, we get more under the three customers' skins, with Dan Lalande coming off as the best as a balding salesman who ups his confidence with a toupee. The film never quite finds the right balance between comedy and drama (a masturbating monkey and a kicked dog are more odd than funny) but this is fairly likeable overall.

[maxwelldeux]

1. From Russia, for Love (2000) 1st check/<5 IMDB

This is a TV doc about two Canadian families that adopted older kids from a Russian orphanage and how they adjusted to life. It's nice that they were able to follow the families over a period of time so you could see the adjustments. Some sweet moments in there.

[sol]

First great film I've seen this month:

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!

5. Homewrecker (2019)



More than your average psycho thriller, this looks at white lies and the dangers insincere niceness, focusing on a lonely woman who spikes her houseguest's drink with truth serum. The performances are excellent and the the central dynamic rocks with the victim's undoing being her inability to tell the truth before her drink is spiked. As a comedy the film never feels quite as funny as it could have been, but this is an amazing look at discomfort around others.

[maxwelldeux]

Howdy, Neighbor!

1. From Russia, for Love (2000) 1st check/<5 IMDB

2. Jesus of Montreal (1989) 7/10
You know, I didn't think I'd get into this, but I was pleasantly surprised. Touching on a lot of issues, this Passion play/parallel was super smart and intriguing. Solid watch.

[Fergenaprido]

1. The Grizzlies (2018)

I wanted to start of with The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, but the playback on CBC Gem was really slow so I switched to something on Netflix, which plays fine for some reason. Settled on this one because I wanted to stick with an indigenous story to kick things off. It's about a lacrosse team in far western Nunavut in a small community plagued by a high suicide rate. It definitely got the Hollywood treatment with some pretty implausible dialogue, especially when the new teacher first arrives up North, and with some changes to the characters that the filmmakers freely admitted to in the closing credits (it's based on a true story), but overall it was good, and I still got hit by the emotions at the intended moments despite myself. One of the lead actresses (Emerald MacDonald) looks a lot like the co-lead from TBRWtWBO (Violet Nelson), so much so that I thought it was the same person based on the poster of the latter; I only learned after finishing that they were different actresses, and Emerald sadly died last year with The Grizzlies being her only acting credit.

Anyway, touching mashup of inspirational-teacher and underdog-sports-team tropes based on a true story. Recommended, even if it's a bit glossy, for its honest (I think) depiction of the harsh life in the far north. Plus it's got Tantoo Cardinal.

My first recommendation is Incident at Restigouche. Alanis Obomsawin is a legendary indigenous Canadian director most famous for her documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, but she has over 50 directing credits to her name. Restigouche is a shorter documentary about similar issues as Kanehsatake, and just as good, imo. It's only got 10 checks so it's sorely underseen, but at only 46 minutes and freely available on the NFB website (and maybe on their YT channel too) it's worth the watch. Highlight: The director destroying a government minster during an interview. :chef's kiss:

[sol]

Parts Double Feature:

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)

6. Speaking Parts (1989)



This brings together a bunch of loosely connected individuals for whom video recordings are an important part of their lives. It is a difficult film to get into at first with its refusal to settle down on a single character, but it grows oddly compelling as it progresses despite going in some weird places near the end. The main characters are certainly quite dynamic - most notably a video store clerk who shoots wedding videos in which tries to elicit emotional reactions.

7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!



Realising that they once had one-night stand, the best friend and boyfriend of an insecure woman debate whether to tell her in this indie feature. Also in the mix is her imaginary friend: a pop-star who pops up here and there. There are some great moments early on with tension simmering as they have awkward three-way conversations; the comedy is never milked for all it is worth though and the imaginary friend could have done with more screen time.

[sol]

And my first recommendation is Operation Avalanche - a really great moon landing hoax conspiracy thriller.

Letterboxd link: https://letterboxd.com/film/operation-avalanche/



Currently streaming on the Roku Channel in the US. The film also counts as a challenge triple this month (i.e. it is eligible for all three challenges).

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!

8. The Oak Room (2020)



Returning to a small town that he previously fled, a young man insists on telling a story to the local bartender, which ends up having a story inside a story in this mystery thriller of sorts. Adapted from a stage play, this is a very dialogue-heavy film, and while tension mounts during some of the stories, I found the whole structure muddled and confusing in terms of keeping track of who is who in which story and so on. Certainly, this is ambitious narrative-wise though.

[magnusbernhardsen]

1. Project Grizzly Peter Lynch, 1996

A documentary about an absolute mad lad who built himself a kinda gundam suit to be able to get close to a grizzly bear he has been fascinated by for years. It was well worth watching, and at just 72 min. it was the correct length. After all these endless docu series on streaming services it was good to watch something that didn't overstay its welcome.

[sol]

Hiya Ferg. I just want to double check the eligibility of these Cronenberg co-productions before considering them as potential rewatches this month:

Maps to the Stars - won two Canadian Screen Awards

A Dangerous Method - won five Genie Awards

A History of Violence - won three Directors Guild of Canada Awards

M. Butterfly - produced by a Canadian (Gabriella Martinelli) and partly filmed in Toronto

The Dead Zone - won at the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards

And are the UK-ish Eastern Promises, the US-ish The Fly et al automatically eligible since they are in the Official TIFF Canada list?

[Fergenaprido]

Hiya Ferg. I just want to double check the eligibility of these Cronenberg co-productions before considering them as potential rewatches this month:

Maps to the Stars - won two Canadian Screen Awards

A Dangerous Method - won five Genie Awards

A History of Violence - won three Directors Guild of Canada Awards

M. Butterfly - produced by a Canadian (Gabriella Martinelli) and partly filmed in Toronto

The Dead Zone - won at the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards

And are the UK-ish Eastern Promises, the US-ish The Fly et al automatically eligible since they are in the Official TIFF Canada list?

Maps & Method were nominated for the national awards, so they're eligible, as mentioned in the OP.
History wasn't nominated for anything, surprisingly, but did get those DGC awards and a few others, and appears on some other Top Canadian lists, so sure (including the TIFF runners-up list in the OP), it's eligible.
Butterfly & Dead Zone are not eligible.
And yes, Promises & The Fly are automatically eligible, as mentioned in the OP.

[klaus78]

1. Crimes of the Future (2022) 8/10
2. Atanarjuat (2001) 6/10
3. Café de flore (2011) 6/10

[maxwelldeux]

Howdy, Neighbor!

1. From Russia, for Love (2000) 1st check/<5 IMDB
2. Jesus of Montreal (1989)

3. The Superfood Chain (2018) 1st Check
This is about the supply chain for so-called "super foods". Interesting points they bring up, but nothing special in the food supply chain microgenre.

4. Ice Guardians (2016)
Documentary about enforcers in hockey. If you're into hockey and/or sports in general with a passing familiarity with hockey, it's a solid doc. If that's not your thing, it's going to be a slog to get through.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)

9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!



Hoping to sabotage her partner's puppet show aimed at kids, a spiteful casting director selects the worst possible candidates as semi-finalists in this amusing mockumentary. The film goes 'behind the scenes' with each of the four finalists whose everyday business is anything but normal. The most entertaining moments though come from seeing their puppet shows in action, watched-on by confused children in a series of live auditions from hell.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)
9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!

10. Guido Superstar (2010) FIRST CHECK!



Sporting an over-the-top accent that makes him sound like Chico Marx, it is initially hard to warm to Silvio Pollio here, but as the film progresses he becomes quite a likeable lead with his endless energy, having to think on his feet as he goes undercover. Not all of the humour works (there is a bizarre part in which he threatens a gay couple with a toilet brush) but the majority of the jokes land, including a donkey running gag and mace-spraying madness.

11. Stegman is Dead (2017) FIRST CHECK!



Wittily narrated by Michael Eklund, cast as a career criminal with a young daughter who wants to turn straight while his wife wants him to rise up in the underworld, this Canadian comedy begins well. Linnea Moffat is well cast as his doting daughter and the pair share great repartee. Rather than focus on this unusual crime family though, the film instead spends the majority of its duration inside a murdered mogul's mansion, which is a lot less interesting.

12. The Famine Within (1990)



Anorexia and the pressures placed on women to look thin are examined in this fascinating documentary. In many ways the film feels like a conventional talking-heads documentary, but the ideas resonate - most notably, that contemporary women have more power and equal rights than ever, but at the same time have more pressure than ever to look a certain way. Also potent is a comparison drawn between fat shaming and racism in society and other stigmas.

[sol]

My first recommendation is Incident at Restigouche. Alanis Obomsawin is a legendary indigenous Canadian director most famous for her documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, but she has over 50 directing credits to her name. Restigouche is a shorter documentary about similar issues as Kanehsatake, and just as good, imo. It's only got 10 checks so it's sorely underseen, but at only 46 minutes and freely available on the NFB website (and maybe on their YT channel too) it's worth the watch. Highlight: The director destroying a government minster during an interview. :chef's kiss:

Unless I'm missing it, it doesn't seem to be available with English subtitles. I could try watching it sans subtitles since I did some French in high school, but that wouldn't really be ideal, so I might pass on this one for now.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)
9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!
10. Guido Superstar (2010) FIRST CHECK!
11. Stegman is Dead (2017) FIRST CHECK!
12. The Famine Within (1990)

13. Incredible Violence (2018)



An inexperienced actress agrees to be locked inside a house for the entire duration of a movie shoot in this horror film. It is not until nearly halfway in that it becomes clear that something is wrong with the movie shoot though, and although there is something fun in the actress being told not to worry with her fears chalked up to her inexperience, not enough of the project is dedicated to this. And the entire second half is just mindless violence, true to the title.

14. The Hanging Garden (1997)



Bits and pieces here really resonate, most notably when the meaning of the title is finally revealed and the uncertainty of whether what are seeing is a dream, nightmare or something else. I generally found it confusing though as to which timeline we are seeing. The film also always feels like it should be fleshing out one of its supporting characters more: a tomboyish estranged sister (see above) with whom the protagonist shares immediate chemistry.

[maxwelldeux]

Howdy, Neighbor!

1. From Russia, for Love (2000) 1st check/<5 IMDB
2. Jesus of Montreal (1989)
3. The Superfood Chain (2018) 1st Check
4. Ice Guardians (2016)

5. Facebook Follies (2011)
Comments in Unofficial.

[Fergenaprido]

My first recommendation is Incident at Restigouche. Alanis Obomsawin is a legendary indigenous Canadian director most famous for her documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, but she has over 50 directing credits to her name. Restigouche is a shorter documentary about similar issues as Kanehsatake, and just as good, imo. It's only got 10 checks so it's sorely underseen, but at only 46 minutes and freely available on the NFB website (and maybe on their YT channel too) it's worth the watch. Highlight: The director destroying a government minster during an interview. :chef's kiss:

Unless I'm missing it, it doesn't seem to be available with English subtitles. I could try watching it sans subtitles since I did some French in high school, but that wouldn't really be ideal, so I might pass on this one for now.

I hadn't considered that it might be georestricted. The film is on the NFB website and it plays for me, with English subtitles here: https://www.nfb.ca/film/incident_at_restigouche/
If that doesn't work, Isuma.tv also has it on their site: http://www.isuma.tv/the-national-film-b ... estigouche

[Arkantos]

I dunno how much participation I will be able to sustain, but I'll give 'er a try.

1. A Dangerous Method (2011, David Cronenberg), a Canada-UK-Germany co-production that was nominated for quite a few Genie Awards in 2012, so it should be eligible.

And if I read the rules right, I can now recommend a film, yeah? My recommendation for the challenge is Night Raiders (2021, Danis Goulet)

Challenge 1 Qualifying

2010s - A Dangerous Method (2011, David Cronenberg)

[Fergenaprido]

I dunno how much participation I will be able to sustain, but I'll give 'er a try.

1. A Dangerous Method (2011, David Cronenberg), a Canada-UK-Germany co-production that was nominated for quite a few Genie Awards in 2012, so it should be eligible.

And if I read the rules right, I can now recommend a film, yeah? My recommendation for the challenge is Night Raiders (2021, Danis Goulet)

Challenge 1 Qualifying

2010s - A Dangerous Method (2011, David Cronenberg)

Yes, ADM is eligible for this challenge, and yes you can now recommend a film. Good pick!

[Arkantos]

[sol]

My first recommendation is Incident at Restigouche. Alanis Obomsawin is a legendary indigenous Canadian director most famous for her documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, but she has over 50 directing credits to her name. Restigouche is a shorter documentary about similar issues as Kanehsatake, and just as good, imo. It's only got 10 checks so it's sorely underseen, but at only 46 minutes and freely available on the NFB website (and maybe on their YT channel too) it's worth the watch. Highlight: The director destroying a government minster during an interview. :chef's kiss:

Unless I'm missing it, it doesn't seem to be available with English subtitles. I could try watching it sans subtitles since I did some French in high school, but that wouldn't really be ideal, so I might pass on this one for now.

I hadn't considered that it might be georestricted. The film is on the NFB website and it plays for me, with English subtitles here: https://www.nfb.ca/film/incident_at_restigouche/
If that doesn't work, Isuma.tv also has it on their site: http://www.isuma.tv/the-national-film-b ... estigouche

Thanks; I accessed the film through the Letterboxd/JustWatch link, which took me to the French version. I had completely forgotten that the NFB often has two versions of the same film under different links. I'll try to schedule that one in for later today.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)
9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!
10. Guido Superstar (2010) FIRST CHECK!
11. Stegman is Dead (2017) FIRST CHECK!
12. The Famine Within (1990)
13. Incredible Violence (2018)
14. The Hanging Garden (1997)

15. Trans-Canada Summer (1958) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)



Spanning more than 7000km, the east-to-west running Trans-Canada Highway is one of the longest roads in the world, and this NFB documentary looks at its construction and the provinces that the highway runs through. With the documentary released before the route was finished, we get first-hand construction footage; most notably, we are shown the difficulties in creating the Canso Causeway that now connects Cape Breton to the rest of Nova Scotia.

[blocho]

1. Operation Avalanche (2016)
The duo from The Dirties are back, once again with a found footage thriller. And once again they are playing characters who share their own names. The story here concerns a faked moon landing organized by the CIA (and yes, Kubrick makes an appearance). As a thriller, this is never better than average. But I find it more interesting as a reflection on story-telling and the nature of truth in cinema. In both The Dirties and Operation Avalanche, director Matt Johnson plays a man who is overexcited and doggedly optimistic about the possibilities of amateur filmmaking. And the low-budget, DIY aesthetic of the movies his character makes matches that of these actual movies. There’s something vaguely Guy Debord-ish about all this: “All that once was directly lived has become mere representation.” As Johnson (the character) argues at one point, faking a moon landing will be easy because all of the news networks have their own mock-ups of the Apollo spacecraft. When he purchases sand for a fake lunar surface, he does so claiming that he’s making a fake lunar surface for a documentary. Reality and representation collapse into each other, just as they did in The Dirties.

2. Blood Quantum (2019)
Remember how Long Weekend had a zombie dugong? Well, this movie begins with some zombie salmon, which is a nice touch. Thankfully, it’s better than Long Weekend. Writer/director Jeff Barnaby returns to the same fictional First Nations reservation he depicted in his previous feature, Rhymes for Young Ghouls. Only this time, the reservation faces a zombie apocalypse in which indigenous people are immune to the zombie infection. You can see how this provides the potential for some thematically rich reversals in the centuries-long relationship between native peoples and their colonizers. The ironies abound, both in the overarching narrative (susceptibility to infectious diseases had a much different impact in Canada in the 1500s and 1600s) and in small details (one indigenous woman makes a point of forcing a non-native survivor to burn an infected blanket). Blood Quantum gets dark by the end, very dark. I’m not even sure it could be darker than it is. But it’s also got plenty of blood-and-guts humor and even a joke about menstruation during cunnilingus. So the tone here is a bit inconsistent. Still, I enjoyed the movie.

[sol]

1. Operation Avalanche (2016)

Thanks for watching my recommendation.
Glad you liked it, albeit with reservations. I preferred this one to The Dirties, though that probably has more to do with my affinity for conspiracy thrillers.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)
9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!
10. Guido Superstar (2010) FIRST CHECK!
11. Stegman is Dead (2017) FIRST CHECK!
12. The Famine Within (1990)
13. Incredible Violence (2018)
14. The Hanging Garden (1997)
15. Trans-Canada Summer (1958) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)

16. A Scream from Silence (1979)



Opening with a sexual assault filmed from the victim's point-of-view as her panties are torn off, her hands are tied and she is penetrated, this Québécois begins very brutally. The film then suddenly cuts after nineteen minutes and we realise the footage is being edited by two women who promptly debate their depiction of rape. Bits and pieces of the film feel messy, but it is always interesting to view, including a fantasy-like court appearance (see above).

[blocho]

1. Operation Avalanche (2016)

Thanks for watching my recommendation.

It's been on my list since you recommended it to me during the last Canadian challenge, two years ago.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)
9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!
10. Guido Superstar (2010) FIRST CHECK!
11. Stegman is Dead (2017) FIRST CHECK!
12. The Famine Within (1990)
13. Incredible Violence (2018)
14. The Hanging Garden (1997)
15. Trans-Canada Summer (1958) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
16. A Scream from Silence (1979)

17. Incident at Restigouche (1984) Bonus Game Rec



As Ferg mentioned, the most striking part here is when Obomsawin interrupts a minister mid-interview, stating that "the history of Québec does not begin with the French Canadians" - something that the politician promptly tries to talk his way around. There are also some memorable interviews with those caught up in the raids, with one describing how he was fingerprinted four times - something that really speaks to the overreaction of the QB government.

[Fergenaprido]

2. The Pemberton Valley (1957) - under 5 votes
Allan King's first film, this documentary about life in the eponymous valley made for CBC focuses on two families: a white farming family near the top of the valley and an indigenous family living on the reserve at the bottom of the valley near the main city, Pemberton. Featuring some narration that's pretty standard in its 1950s white man's worldview, the second half is more interesting than the first. It doesn't bear much resemblance to King's later greater documentaries, except the subject matter. Really only a film for those interested in the area (Pemberton's a little bit north of Whistler, BC - we drove through it once) or King completionists, it's only an hour long and is on YT from the Pemberton Museum's own site (they transferred their VHS copy, which may explain the strange break in the middle).

3. Come on Children (1973)
More in line with the personal and intimate portraits he's known for, this film follows ten teens being sent to a farm in the country (near me, I think, based on the mention of one town by one of the kids) to get away from the city. The kids live on their own for a number of weeks, with funding provided by the production in exchange for filming everything they say and do. There's not much else to the plot, and despite there being 10 teens I really felt I only got to know 2 of them better: the younger guy who wrote and sang the opening song introducing everyone over the credits, and a pre-Rush Alex Lifeson (the guitarist). A very interesting snapshot of what the youth of my parents' generation were thinking at the time.

4. Letterkenny (season 5)
5. Letterkenny (season 5)
168 minutes total
I've been wanting to see the show ever since I stumbled upon clips on YT a few years back. Just discovered that my library had the first 9 seasons on DVD last month, so I've been working my way through them. Typically 6 20-30min episodes per season (sometimes with a special bonus episode), Getting through a season in one night isn't too hard. I find the show hilarious and am enjoying every minute of it.

6. The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975)
This newly official film has been on my radar for a while, since it was the first (/only?) Canadian documentary to win the best feature documentary award at the Oscars. A Canadian film about a Japanese expedition to climb and then ski down Mount Everest (well, just one of them skies). It's pretty slow, and the dialogue is almost entirely narration translated from the skier's diary, but the cinematography is ab-so-lute-ly stun-ning! I was alternately bored and captivated, but it was still an interesting watch in the end.

J'adore les castors

1. The Grizzlies (2018)

[Fergenaprido]

1. See for Me (2021)
2. Maelström (2000)
3. Wheat Soup (1987) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
4. House of Luk (2001) FIRST CHECK!
5. Homewrecker (2019)
6. Speaking Parts (1989)
7. Sensitive Parts (2017) FIRST CHECK!
8. The Oak Room (2020)
9. Sunflower Hour (2011) FIRST CHECK!
10. Guido Superstar (2010) FIRST CHECK!
11. Stegman is Dead (2017) FIRST CHECK!
12. The Famine Within (1990)
13. Incredible Violence (2018)
14. The Hanging Garden (1997)
15. Trans-Canada Summer (1958) FIRST CHECK! (Less than 5 votes on IMDb)
16. A Scream from Silence (1979)

17. Incident at Restigouche (1984) Bonus Game Rec

Are you watching your films in order based on title length?

[sol]

Are you watching your films in order based on title length?

Yes. I always do. In every challenge -- not just this one. It helps me organise what to watch and when.

[sol]

6. The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975)
This newly official film has been on my radar for a while, since it was the first (/only?) Canadian documentary to win the best feature documentary award at the Oscars.

First of three to win. I'll be watching this one later this month, as well as the two (Just Another Missing Kid and Artie Shaw: Time is All You've Got).

[sol]

Speaking of which...