548 Photos on the Last Day Alone

I'm sitting here editing all the photographs I took during DOXA - and there were about a gazillion of them. On Saturday ALONE, between the screenings, the in-between-screening-shenanigans and the closing night film and par-tay I took 548 photos!! So the task is somewhat daunting. I had this dream of sharing a photo essay with you, but I feel stuck in photography purgatory: sorting, editing, cropping, sorting, editing, cropping - ad infinitum. I think it's gonna take some time to put that together (though rest assured I'm working on it). (I should also say that in an indoor festival setting, I'm shooting in less than desirable lighting conditions. So, to make sure I've got coverage, I need to shoot a lot, because I can't always tell if people's eyes are open or if it's in focus etc..... I shoot a lot in the hopes that I have at least a handful of good photos amongst the sludge!)

Tonight, instead of sharing that photo essay with you, I'm going to share some thoughts instead. There were many beautiful films at DOXA this year such as David Christensen's The Mirror, Small Wonders by Tally Abecassis, and BAS! Beyond the Red Light by Wendy Champagne. (All by Canadian directors, I might proudly add) . There were also a host of fabulous films by Polish filmmakers including Chemo by Pawel Lozinski and a gorgeous short film called Where the Sun Doesn't Rush by Matef Bobrik. Despite the fact that a heavy work schedule kept me from seeing everything I wanted to see, I can honestly say that it a good time was had by all.

There were fantastic celebrations and parties, and memorable meals at our favourite haunts El Taco (where Margaritas flowed as freely as opinionated movie going fans) and Subeez where we lounged in the DOXA lounge and sipped a myriad of delicious beverages. We laughed, we debated, we hooked up with friends, and we wiped tears from our eyes.

A festival is a place where you get to connect with people who love the same kind of stuff you love - some of them are long time friends, and some are people you've just met in the line-up. It feels like you're bouncing around in a magical bubble and encountering interesting and friendly folks along the way. DOXA delivered on all of the above for 10 days. And that's a cause for celebration.

It's Adieu to DOXA (until next year)

Postings have been light this week because I was KIDNAPPED BY AN AMAZING DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL!! And what can I say, by the time I got home from having my mind expanded and my world view dipped in technicolor kool-aid every night, it was too darn late to write. So please accept this I.O.U. for details from DOXA.

In the meantime, before I go tumble into bed for a much anticipated full night's sleep, let me leave you with this image from the closing party last night.

If you look closely, you may recognize the person leaning backwards to fill his lungs for the blowing out of the candles on his cake. Yes indeed. You are looking at Wavy Gravy. I can tell you that the closing film was Saint Misbehavin': the Wavy Gravy Movie, directed by Michelle Esrick. It was a great film that filled Mister Man and me with absolute awe. What a time in history. What a cast of characters. What an excellent way to end 10 days of documentaries. What a great festival it was.

It's Only Tuesday!!

I have seen some fabulous films at DOXA this week, and it's ONLY TUESDAY!! Much to our delight, on Saturday we saw The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls by Leanne Pooley. You can't even imagine how funny (and moving) a couple of singing, dancing and yodeling lesbian twin sisters from New Zealand can be. But I promise you, it's waaaaaay better than what you're imagining right now. (As one character in the film says, "On paper, this should be commercial death". But, holy crow, do these women ever prove that wrong!!)

We also went to a lovely cocktail hour, and I snapped this photo of 2 of my favourite DOXA board members: Dorothy and Stacy. They were moving quickly, and my shutter was not. But despite the blur (or maybe because of it), this image captures some of the joy that abounds during this festival. (And yes, it IS possible to experience joy at a documentary film festival!!)

And then on Tuesday, I saw BAS! Beyond the Red Light, a beautiful film by Wendy Champagne about 13 young girls who were sold and then rescued in Mumgai's infamous network of red light districts. Gorgeous cinematography and truly compelling stories told by the girls themselves, make this a powerful journey. There's a reason that both of these films were sold out.

And the best part? There are still four days left of screenings!

Celebrating Mothers Everywhere

Today is Mother's Day. And while it MAY be a "holiday" entirely constructed by Hallmark, I'm glad that we are all reminded to celebrate our mothers. Really, we should celebrate Mother's Day once a month.... After all, they did push a grapefruit through a drinking straw to give us life. Then they wiped our orifices (all of 'em), held our hands and believed in us when the chips were down. They suffered through our tragic haircuts and even more tragic wardrobe choices. And through all of that, they continued to love us.

Here's the mums last summer. She's the best mother a gal could wish for. But she lives thousands of miles away on the other side of the country.

Here's Merilee. She's the best soon to be mother-in-law a gal could wish for. And she lives right here in our neck of the woods.

A funny think happened on the way to Mother's Day. Last week, Mister Man ordered flowers for the mums and for Merilee, to be delivered on Saturday so that they could be fully enjoyed come Sunday.

So when I phoned the mums on Saturday at around 4:00 Newfoundland time (and yes, Newfoundland DOES have its very own time zone.....), nothing had arrived on her doorstep. So, while I baked for Merilee on the west coast, Brian investigated what was happening regarding flower delivery on the east coast. To his chagrin (and my utter horror), something had gone awry when he placed the order for Newfoundland, and somehow, they ended up being slated for delivery ON Tuesday. TUESDAY. As in two days PAST Mother's Day.

Needless to say, I was sobbing in the kitchen, because I wanted so badly to be able to share this day with BOTH of my mothers. As the impact of what had happened was sinking in and my tears were filling the kitchen sink, Mister Man was receiving a telephone message from his mother thanking him for the beautiful flowers that had arrived at noon on Saturday. Oh the irony.....

Luckily, we'd planned a gift card for the mums for lunch at one of the loveliest restaurants in St. John's. And we'd crafted a hilarious Jib-Jab video card for her..... so all was not lost.

And had the mums been here on the west coast, she would have joined us on this day for a feast that began with purchasing spot prawns on the FIRST DAY OF THE SEASON!!

She would have chowed down on lovely savoury tarts (a la moi) and gorgeous chorizo, and fresh and tangy Greek salad. We would have toasted her with red wine.

And most of all, she would have had some of this. Because, on some level, isn't that secretly who we really all bake for? Our mothers?

Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere. You really DO make the world go round.

Love,

All your daughters and sons........ xoxoxo

It's DOXA Time

It was 5:30 on a Friday night, and I found myself sitting at El Taco on Davie Stretet with Mister Man and Aileen. Well, that can only mean one thing:

It's DOXA TIME!!! It is indeed that time of year when thousands of Vancouverites spend hours in movie theatres drinking in documentaries from around the world.

Opening night featured a film called Terra Madre from Italy. It was a beautiful and engaging film about the slow food movement, despite the two parallel narratives that sometimes felt like they were competing with each other. The sold out screening was followed by a par-tay.

And the partay was preceded by us all being given free seeds! So we could all become part of our own slow food movement.

And it was a really lovely way to start the festival. Clearly, we're in for a great ride.

Recapping the Slowing Down

For those of you who missed the news bulletin about my friend Maureen and I starting a daily photo blog that's centered around the notion of slowing down for a few moments each day and documenting it with a photo..... I thought I'd do a recap of some of the images I've posted over the last 2 weeks since we began this journey. So without further ado, here are some of the moments that document my pauses:

Drop by sometime and join us!

Cassandra's Visit (and her Most Excellent Quesadillas)

It could have all gone so, SO badly. Here's how it started.

You see, Cassandra came to town and well, we just had to get together and celebrate!! Woot Woot!! And while that bottle of tequila may have flattened us in our youth, in our old age, it merely greased the wheel for some tall tales. After a brief walk in the pouring rain, we gathered around a big ol' bowl of mango and bean salsa (yum) and great guacamole, where Tamara (the vet) regaled us with tales of animal husbandry. And I'm not kidding you. Here she is telling tales from vet school about how horses receive artificial insemination. I can reveal that it involves wearing a helmet - and - well - I won't get into the finer details of where it goes from there.... but if you're good at charades, you might be able to cipher it...

Suffice it to say that even Cassandra was a tad horrified.

While Kari and Darren hang on to Tamara's every word.

And all that laughter worked up a grand ol' appetite for dinner. We all know that Cassandra is a fabulous cook and baker, and once again she outdid herself and provided the cornerstone for our potluck: quesadillas.

Aileen brought her fabulous Caesar salad.

Kari brought the tequila. WHOOP! (and hence the smile)

And OH MY were these ever delicious. Cassandra made 2 varieties: one with beans and spicy hot sauce, and the other with chicken, corn, cream cheese, and old cheddar.

We capped it all off with another fruit tart.

And a whole lotta love.....

We just wished Cassandra was here for another week, because our 5 hours with her weren't nearly enough.