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where faith and film are intertwined

Ireland

God’s Creatures – Problem Prodigal

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“We’re all God’s creatures in the dark.”

Jesus’ parable of the return of a prodigal son (Luke 15:11ff) is a complex tale of grace and of judgment. In the parable, we see the perspectives of the son, his father, and his brother. In God’s Creatures, directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, we get a glimpse at what the Prodigal’s mother might have gone through on his return.  There is great joy, but there are also problems that could tear apart her community and her family.

Brian O’Hara (Paul Mescal) returns home to his small Irish fishing village after seven years away in Australia. His mother, Aileen (Emily Watson) sees this as her prayers being answered. She’s even happier when Brian sets out to restore their long-abandoned oyster bed. When Brian is accused of a sexual assault, Aileen lies to give him an alibi. That lie, and Aileen’s sense of morality create a struggle she must deal with as the consequences compound.

This is a tightknit community. The men all work on the sea, the women in the processing plant. Everyone depends on the sea and its dangers for their survival. The tides and the storms of the sea are reflected in the tumultuous emotional journey that Aileen will face as the story develops.

Aileen may be protecting her son, but she also knows, works with, and likes the woman who accused Brian. As is often the case, it is Sarah, the victim, who is ostracized by the community. But there are some, even in her own family, who believe Sarah’s accusations. Aileen struggles between protecting her son, and doing what is right for the community and for Sarah.

The emotional and ethical struggle that Aileen goes through is very much like the life in the seaside village. It is ruled by tides and storms. The sea is beautiful, but dangerous. It gives life, but it can also destroy. As Aileen deals with the repercussions of her lie, it is as if she is facing the sea itself. She begins to see that there are dangers she hadn’t imagined. It may not be possible to face this storm without losing more than she can stand.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son (or “Waiting Father” or “Elder Brother”) is one of Jesus’s most complex parables. It offers a wide range of points of view. It also raises some important issues. The Prodigal is never held to account, and in the end, we don’t see that he’s changed. If we use that parable as a lens to view God’s Creatures, we too may wonder if a welcome home was warranted by one who seems to have squandered so much.

God’s Creatures is available in select theaters and on VOD on Friday, September 30th, 2022.

TIFF ’22: The Banshees of Inisherin

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Set upon a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of Padraic (Colin Farrell), a man who spends his days caring for the sheep and chatting with his pal Colm (Brendan Gleeson) at the local pub. But today is different. When Colm won’t answer his calls for their daily pint, Padraic is confused. When he confronts his friend, the only answer that Colm offers back is that he ‘doesn’t like him anymore’. But Padraic refuses to accept Colm’s rash decision and decides to do whatever he can to make up for… well… whatever it is that’s he done to offend his friend. But as Padraic continues to push, the gap between himself and Colm continues to widen, further shattering what was once a great relationship.

Directed by Martin McDonagh, Banshees is a surprisingly funny and heartfelt film to add to his catalog. Unlike his most recent Oscar-winning work, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but Banshees is far lighter in tone than its predecessor, allowing the quaint surroundings and quirkly conversations to lead the way. 

At least, at first.

Best known for unleashing man’s inner darkness, McDonagh allows his film to operate on a slow burn. Beginning with one man’s spontaneous decision to end his friendship with his best pal, the film open with such buoyancy that the viewer cannot help but be drawn into the madness of McDonagh’s world. But darkness looms on the horizon. By highlighting the humour of the film, McDonagh somehow makes the inevitable release of rage even more shocking and disturbing.

In this way, McDonagh unleashes the true terror of his Banshees. Although the reasons appear insignificant, the ghosts of the past refuse to allow the present to heal. With humour and a heart of darkness, McDonagh highlights the pain that is caused when people hold on to their hurt and how quickly the damage can escalate.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

A Bump Along the Way: Rebirth from New Birth

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Set in a small-town in Ireland, A Bump Along the Way tells the story of Pamela (Bronagh Gallagher), a 44-year old woman who has her priorities out of order. Despite caring for her teenage daughter Allegra (Lola Petticrew), Pamela spends her nights partying and has difficulty making ends meet. When a one-night-stand results in a pregnancy, Pamela re-examines her life and attempts to make things right. Even so, after years of neglect, her relationship with Allegra has become strained and the two women must decide what it means to build a family moving forward.

Funny and charming, A Bump Along the Way is the perfect film for Mother’s Day weekend. Directed by Shelley Love, Bump pops along with enjoyable dialogue and engaging characters while also celebrating its female characters. In her first feature length film, Love spins an entertaining mother/daughter story that also highlights the importance of the people in our lives.

Though much of the cast does some solid work, its ultimately Gallagher that shines brightest. Taking centre stage as the broken but affable Pamela, veteran actor Gallagher thrives in the spotlight. Even in moments of sadness, there’s a strength and focus that comes through Gallagher that makes her a delight to watch. As Pamela, she has a spark within her performance that makes her relatable and she carries the film as a result.

In a lot of ways, the film is a love letter to those looking to begin again. Struggling to relate to her daughter and filling her nights with partying, Pamela’s life is a train wreck. Having alienated her daughter and struggling to pay the bills, Pamela has lost control of her life in almost every way. However, things change immediately after she becomes pregnant. Though unplanned, this seems to be the wake-up call that she needs and Pamela quickly works towards getting her life together. 

In essence, this unexpected bump in her life creates a moment of rebirth for Pamela.

Nevertheless, the damage has already been done in her relationship with Allegra, who struggles to see her mother as anything more than the sum of her past mistakes. For Allegra, Pamela has always been a poor example. Despite the sacrifices that her mother has made, Pamela’s self-destructive tendencies have been an embarrassment to her and an unplanned pregnancy feels like the final straw. 

Although Bump never loses sight of the value of its characters and reminds the viewer that they do not deserve to be judged by others. As we delve into Pamela’s backstory, we witness the verbal abuse that she receives from the men in her life. At the same time, Allegra’s journey reveals to her how complicated relationships can be when others only view you for your moments of weakness. As they attempt to navigate their lives, the characters highlight their value of the people, despite their actions. In a culture that’s willing to cut people off, this film reminds us that growing up (regardless of age) is difficult and that people make mistakes.

In Bump, everyone deserves a second chance.

At its heart, there’s a purity that drives A Bump Along the Way. With heart and charm, Love does a good job of helping us care for the broken journeys of its characters. Although they’ve made mistakes, both Pamela and Allegra show that sometimes a little bump is all you need to get things back on track.

A Bump Along the Way is available on demand.

The Last Right – Acts of Grace

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“It’s the first right thing I do for him, and it’s the last.”

Doing the right thing is central to Aoife Crehan’s premier feature film The Last Right. But right for whom? And how do we judge the right among multiple values that all have a claim as right?

Daniel Murphy (Michael Huisman) is a New York tax attorney heading back to Ireland for his mother’s funeral. Next to him on the plane is Padraig Murphy (no relation), who is taking his estranged brother’s body back to Ireland after 30 years with no contact. He says that at least they can be together in death even if not in life. When just before landing Padraig is found to have died, it’s discovered that he has listed Daniel as his next of kin.

When Daniel gets home for the funeral, we discover he has a brother, Louis (Samuel Bottonley), with autism. Daniel’s plan is to take Louis back to the US and place him in a special school. But when the authorities seek Daniel’s help dealing with Padraig’s body, a series of unlikely occurrences leads to Daniel and Louis driving the family Volvo the length of Ireland with the coffin strapped to the top of the car so that he can be buried along with his brother. Also along for the ride is a women they have just met, Mary (Niamh Algar).

At the same time, the authorities have decided to hold on to Padraig’s body. The Garda is after them for bodysnatching. When the story becomes national news, many people see what Daniel is doing as a kind sacrifice. By the time he gets to the church, just ahead of the Garda, many have turned out for the funeral of these two lonely brothers.

Along the way there are revelations (including a major one about the relationship between Louis and Daniel) and a budding romance with Daniel and Mary. All of which must turn into conflicts before the right thing to do is finally achieved.

The film is about 50% road movie, 40% romantic comedy, and 10% Rainman. The romcom aspects are the least compelling part of the film, especially when you consider that this trip and the resulting relationship happens in two days.

This is a film that shows how grace can come from unexpected sources. Daniel, although under duress, acts as a grace giver in hauling Padraig’s coffin to be joined with his brother, just as Padraig acted with grace to bring his brother’s remains home. But Daniel also is the recipient of grace in many ways along the way. And it is important to remember that grace is by definition unmerited. Daniel, who essentially operates from selfish motives, finds his life open up in new ways as he comes to know and appreciate Louis. It allows Daniel, who finds grace so frequently in the film to become a gracious person who can set aside his own selfish ways to welcome others into his life.

The Last Right is available in theaters and on demand.

Rose Plays Julie – The Real Me?

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“I can’t help thinking that somehow if you’d managed to hold on to me, I’d be living a different life right now. I’d be a different person—perhaps the person I was really meant to be—the real me.”

The psychological drama Rose Plays Julie, directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawler, is the story of a young woman who longs to know about her birth parents, but what she discovers is nowhere near satisfying. The dreams she had about happy reunions turn into a nightmare.

The film opens with Rose (Ann Skelly) on a bleak Irish seawall, thinking about her birth mother and what it would be like to meet—the good memories they would form. We then move to college, where Rose is studying to be a veterinarian. The first lecture we see is about the ethics of euthanizing healthy animals. From time to time, scenes involving animal euthanasia come into the story.

Rose has been searching to connect with her biological mother, but all she has is the name Ellen Wise (Orla Brady) and a London phone number. When she calls, Ellen is silent, but obviously disturbed to hear from Rose. Rose then becomes a bit of a stalker, finding a way into Ellen’s home, where the two finally meet. Here Rose discovers the secret that Ellen has kept buried for over twenty years as she has built a successful life. That secret is that Rose is the product of a rape.

Rose convinces Ellen to tell her who the rapist is. Peter (Aiden Gillen) is an archaeologist. Rose volunteers to help on his latest dig. She seeks to get close to him, but for what purpose? She no longer has any hope of having her dreamed about happy family with her birth parents.

Identity is one of the themes that keeps popping up throughout the film. It starts with Rose pondering what her life would have been like if her mother had kept her. She would be Julie. She would have the different life from the quotation above. She later plays as Julie to stalk her biological parents. Ellen is an actress, who makes her living playing different people. Peter is a respected man in his field, but we see that he has a different persona as well.

The unfortunate thing about this film is that it devolves into a story of revenge. It is important to remember that revenge is not justice. As the film moves inexorably down that road, we lose any real chance for the characters to find a solution to their pain. There seems to be no new identities that these characters are able to assume that will find chances of redemption or wholeness. In the end, they are all more broken than when the film began.

Rose Plays Julie is available on virtual cinema and on VOD.

Photos courtesy of Film Movement.

Wild Mountain Thyme: Irish Wonder and Identity

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Set in the foothills of Ireland, Wild Mountain Thyme tells the story of Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt), a strong-willed farmer who yearns to win the heart of her emotionally-stunted neighbour, Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan). Struggling to commit to his role in the family farm, Anthony also struggles to take a risk with his feelings for his beautiful neighbour. When his father (Christopher Walken) loses confidence in his son’s ability to take care of their land, he invites his American nephew Adam (Jon Hamm) to purchase their family farm. However, upon meeting Rosemary, Adam realizes that pursuing a romance with her may be an even better reason to take up residence in the Irish countryside. Torn between the love she has in front of her and the one that she wants but can’t have, Rosemary must ask herself what is most important to her and where she sees her future.

Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck), Wild Mountain Thyme is a sweeping romantic comedy that works well for the most part, even if it falls short near the end. Based on his play Outside Mullingar, Shanley portrays Ireland as a land embedded in rich mythology and charming characters. Bathing the screen with lush, green landscapes, Thyme is a visual treat that leans into the allure of the Irish countryside and its quirky residents. (Fans of other Irish gems such as Waking Ned Devine may appreciate the characters in particular.) Stars Dornan, Blunt and Hamm have wonderful chemistry together, carrying the film on their shoulders much of the time. (In fact, this is especially true of Dornan and Blunt, who simmer together onscreen in several key scenes.)

Admittedly, the film is certainly far from perfect. While Blunt’s Irish accent works, some of the cast sound almost non-sensical (Sorry, Mr. Walken.) and even distract from the film itself. What’s more, many of the relationship questions feel answered so early in the film that there’s very little left to discover by the film’s finale. Even so, these issues are decidedly minor quibbles that do not take away from the film’s sweeping narrative. (Well, maybe Walken’s accent.)

What will likely be discussed at length is the film’s ‘twist ending’ (which won’t be spoiled here.) Bound to be controversial, Anthony’s confession at the end of the film seems so wild that, if true, there’s little question that this particular reveal may be the most bizarre of the year. (In 2020, that’s saying something…) However, what many will forget is the film’s overall emphasis on whimsy and mythological storytelling. While Anthony’s revelations would make no sense in a more grounded reality, Thyme is never meant to be so. In a world where the dead can return and Rosemary considers herself to be a swan, the finale still manages to work within the context of the film and its culture.

In many ways, Thyme is a film about discovering who you are. Although they live in a world that feels settled and comfortable in its ways, these characters are all in periods of transition. Anthony seems unconvinced of his role at the farm once his father passes. Adam is told that he’s not a farmer, even if he wants to own a farm. Even Rosemary, who seems the most self-aware of them all, seems uncertain as to whether or not she should remain on her land or leave for the grand adventure of New York City. Interestingly though, rather than leaning into the more traditional theme of ‘finding one’s self’, Shanley’s script highlights the fact that such self-inquest is often unreliable. (“Everyone thinks they’re something they’re not,” Rosemary cautions.)  In this way, Thyme is unique in its perspective by pointing to our peers and family as the ones who truly know us for who we are. For Shanley, identity is not merely something we ‘know’, it’s something that we earn based on our interactions and relationships with the people in our lives.

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Flawed but sweet, Wild Mountain Thyme has enough charm and wit to validate a trip to the cinematic countryside. Carried by strong performances from its key stars, Shanley writes a love letter to his home country that can charm in its quirkiness. (Just note that you might need some subtitles along the way.

To hear our conversation with director John Patrick Shanley, click here.

Wild Mountain Thyme is available in select theatres and PVOD on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020.

Wolfwalkers – Natural Freedom

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“I’m afraid one day you’ll end up in a cage.  “I’m already in a cage!”

Wolfwalkers is the third offering from Cartoon Saloon that focuses on Irish folklore. Like the earlier films, Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea, this is a brilliantly artistic animated film. The film is directed by Tomm Moore (who also directed the earlier films) and Ross Stewart. All three of the films are visually beautiful, as well as stories that engage and speak to our spirits. The artwork in the film draws on the art history of the time period, such as Celtic artwork.

Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) in “Wolfwalkers,” premiering globally later this year on Apple TV+.

Set in 1650, young Robyn Goodfellowe (a bit of a Shakespearean reference?) has come to Ireland with her English father. He father is a great huntsman, and he has been tasked with clearing the woods of wolves. Robyn fancies herself a huntress as well, but she is forbidden by her father from leaving the fortress/city. But Robyn is determined to head out, following her father at a distance. In the woods she comes across another girl, Mebh, whose behavior is more lupine than human. Mebh, we discover, is a wolfwalker—human when awake, but when asleep her spirit roams the world as a wolf. He mother, a wolfwalker who leads the wolves, has been asleep for a long time. After a bite from Mebh, Robyn discovers that she too has become a wolfwalker. As her father and the Lord Protector’s soldiers seek to destroy the wolves, Mebh and Robyn must try to find and rescue Mebh’s mother’s wolf body so she can lead the wolves to a safe area.

As in the other films in this series, there is a strong connection to nature—and the supernatural aspect of the natural world that is grounded in Irish folklore. There is a very clear difference between life in the town and life in the outside world. One of the key differences is freedom. It is not inconsequential that the Lord Protector, a sort of royal governor, is there to assert English rule. English flags are seen frequently. A reminder that Ireland spent a great deal of time in the “cages” of English oppression. Inside the city, everything is ordered. Everyone has their place and they are expected to act accordingly. The role that Robyn is assigned as a girl does not fit with the role that she believes is really hers. All of that is very different than the life in the woods. Mebh is able to roam freely. The animals live lives in harmony with all around them. We see that freedom in a series of scenes as Robyn and Mebh frolic in the woods while we hear Aurora’s song “Running with the Wolves”.

Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) and Mebh Óg Mactíre (voiced by Eva Whittaker) in “Wolfwalkers,” premiering globally later this year on Apple TV+.

A key element of the oppression that the Lord Protector brings, is the idea that it is God’s will that order is maintained, including the taming and destruction of the natural world. This view of religion is very different from in The Secret of the Kells. The first film, set in a monastery, saw Celtic Christianity as one of the keystones of Irish identity. In Wolfwalkers we see that Christianity (or any religion) can also be an oppressive force. The kind of God the Lord Protector invokes is quite different than the God who is celebrated in Secret of the Kells.

Robyn Goodfellowe (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) in “Wolfwalkers,” premiering globally later this year on Apple TV+.

While the film reflects certain political and spiritual aspects of freedom, like the other films in the series, the key is to discover the freedom within oneself and in our own nature. For Robyn and her father, the demands of the Lord Protector clash with their own sense of who they are. Even as a hunter Robyn’s father is deeply connected to the natural world. He is only following orders—orders he doesn’t feel capable of disobeying. It is only when Robyn, through her disobedience, leads him to a new understanding that he is able to stand for what is right.

An additional element is added to that concept of freedom when we consider that a bite from a wolfwalker changes the nature of someone who is bitten. Even before being bitten, Robyn was headstrong and independent. But after being bitten (and healed) by Mebh, she has a whole new understanding of the world she lives in. That bite and its transformative power is truly a gift that is bestowed on her. Perhaps another part of freedom is also being able to see the world as others do—to see our world in new ways.

Wolfwalkers won the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at AFIFest. It will be released in select theaters Nov. 13, and be available soon after on Apple TV.

Photos courtesy of GKids.

Saturday at AFIFest 2020

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Going to festivals often results in a bit of emotional whiplash. My Saturday viewing at AFIFest 2020 Presented by Audi is an example of that. From stories about executions to animated folklore to the angst of a recovering addict heavy metal drummer who suddenly loses his hearing. It is a day of very strong reactions.

The Iranian film There Is No Evil won the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Berlin Film Festival. Director Mohammed Rasoulof has recently been sentenced to prison and banned from making films in Iran. This is a series of vignettes that eventually ask the question “What kind of animal could execute someone?” We meet a family man doing his daily routines. We see a soldier who struggles with having the job of executing a criminal. We meet another soldier on his way to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday who finds the house in mourning. We see a young woman who has come back to Iran to visit her uncle and aunt, only to discover an amazing secret.

The beautiful cinematography and the excellent stories show us a very human view of these people who all in some way are touched by capital punishment. The stories evolve to our discovery of a twist we probably didn’t expect. At the heart of the film is the question of what kind of effect capital punishment has on those who must carry it out. A powerful film that is very deserving of the accolades it has garnered.

The film I most anticipated coming into the festival was Wolfwalkers, directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. This is the third animated film based in Irish folklore from Cartoon Saloon. Like the previous films, Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea, the hand animation is beautiful, drawing on the art history of the time period being portrayed. The story involves a young girl, Robyn Goodfellow, sent to Ireland with her hunter father. Her father is tasked with ridding the woods of wolves. Robyn wants to hunt with him, but her father forbids it. She doesn’t mind. In the woods, she comes across another young girl, Mebh, who has more lupine than human behavior. Mebh is a wolfwalker, she is a human when awake, but when asleep, her spirit takes the body of a wolf. She also has magical healing powers. Her mother, the head wolfwalker, has been asleep for a long time.

As Robyn tries to help Mebh, she discovers that because of a bite from Mebh, Robin is now a wolfwalker as well. Meanwhile Robin’s father and the Lord Protector are trying to wipe out the wolf pack. The folkloric stories that Cartoon Saloon has brought us all have an environmental message in that our efforts to conquer the natural world has had a terrible price. Like those who created such tales, we need to live more in harmony with the world around us.

Riz Ahmed as Ruben in SOUND OF METAL Courtesy of Amazon Studios

In Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal, we encounter a man who seems to lose everything in his life, but may indeed find true peace. Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is a heavy metal drummer who plays with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke). When he suddenly loses most of his hearing, he wants to push forward with cochlear implants, but the cost is prohibitive, and as a recovering addict, he is struggling. He reluctantly joins a community of deaf recovering addicts. He rebels against his deafness, but slowly begins to fit in with others with hearing impairments. When he sells all he has for his surgery, he may be back into addiction behavior (addiction to hearing or past life?).

Through it all the leader of the deaf community tries to get him to stop trying to fix things (mostly his deafness). He urges him to try to just sit—to find stillness. He tells Ruben that moments of stillness are the “place of the Kingdom of God.” I should point out that this is an emotionally exhausting story. I don’t mean that to discourage anyone from seeing it. That emotional involvement in the story should be a key goal of all filmmakers. Darius Marder, in his first feature narrative film manages to summon our emotions for Ruben’s search for happiness and life.

I should also comment on a short that I’ve seen. Shorts are always an important part of AFIFest. In A 1984 Period Piece in Present Day from Sean Glass, we meet a couple who check into a somewhat spooky motel for the night. There they watch an old episode of “Creepshow”. It is one that the man remembers fondly, but when looked at from the present day, there are serious issues with it. Has the show become outdated, have we grown as a culture, or is it just as spooky to consider as it was then?

Artemis Fowl: The Ways of the Father

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Blues Brothers, where are you?

Since I’m not a huge fan of the Artemis Fowl series, I’ve decided to allow someone who is the ability to share their thoughts. In this case, it’s my daughter Rebecca.

Here’s what she had to say . . .

I started reading the Artemis Fowl series one day in my sophomore year of high school and immediately fell in love with the sarcastic criminal mastermind that the books are named after. I loved the way that Holly Short used her wits to make the best of every situation. I ravenously devoured the series and was quite delighted–and at the same time annoyed–with the ending. When I discovered that Eoin Colfer was writing a second series starring some of Artemis’ family, I was ecstatic. Then I heard Disney was making a movie and began counting the days until it landed on Disney+.

I was able to watch Artemis Fowl recently and was immediately struck with the remembrance that Colfer made changes to the film so it would fit what he had originally planned for the series. If you’re a fan of the books, prepare yourself in advance for some deviations. Overall, the movie has top-notch CGI and is a thrilling fast-paced adventure that leaves you hanging off your seat, waiting for more. Thankfully, the movie paves the way for a sequel and is a good reminder that, as we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day, we need to be thankful for the dads in our lives.

Set along the shores of Ireland, a place where magic seems to be present everywhere you look and home to Fowl Manor, where Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) and his father (Colin Farrell) live, this movie shows the majestic wonder that is the surface world. Artemis does not believe in the fairies and magic, but grew up being told tales of them by his father. Artemis’ father is captured by a mysterious person and the world seems to come to the realization that the Fowls are criminal masterminds (which isn’t far from the truth, actually). The mystery person calls and makes a deal with the young Artemis Fowl: his father in exchange for a mysterious artifact of the fairykind.

Peek-a-boo!

Cut to the underground world, where it is discovered that this artifact is already missing, and we meet the young (at least in fairy years) Officer Holly Short (Lara McDonnell), the daughter of the fairykind traitor, Beechwood Short. Holly is assigned a mission to the surface world by gravel-voiced Commander Julius Root (Judi Dench) and, at the same time, Artemis discovers that the world of the fairies is real and he begins to put together a plan to save his father. This part is almost identical to how it is in the books, with Holly being captured and used as bait by Artemis for the fairies. Mulch Diggums (Josh Gad) is brought in, ultimately finds the artifact, and Holly uses it to save Artemis’ father from the evil Opal Koboi, and return home safely. At this point, cue Artemis and the others becoming a team and preparing to kick Opal’s butt.

Despite the fact that he is indeed a criminal mastermind, Arty’s dad loves him very much and tries to spend as much time with him as possible whenever he is home. It’s pretty evident that Artemis’ father wants the best for his son–even to the point that he’s already prepared the way for Artemis so that, in time, he will discover everything his father has prepared for him. To this end, Arty’s father has provided his child a journal with all of his notes inside. In the same way, Arty’s father is like our father in heaven. God has prepared the way for those who love Him and His Son Jesus while providing resources like the Bible to read and put into practice. In addition, Artemis’ butler and his niece Juliet are there (just like fellow believers) to help Arty along the way–no matter how uncertain life seems. It should give us great comfort, therefore, to know God is always there for us. Perhaps it would be a good idea, on occasion, to tell Him “thank you” for all He’s done.

Of course, telling Dad the same thing (and giving him a hug) wouldn’t hurt either . . . 

Saturday at #NBFF20

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Welcome back to the Newport Beach Film Festival presented by Pacific Sales. It was a full day for me, as you’ll see when you see the nine films I have to talk about. Okay, I’ll admit that six of them were shorts, but that still seems like a full day to me. Note that I’m including my votes for audience awards (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor)

I started the day with a shorts program, “Irish Lads and Lassies Shorts”. NBFF always has a good representation of Irish films. (Screen Ireland and Culture Ireland are two of the Cultural Arts Sponsors of the festival.) Saturday is also a day with programs aimed at young people. These shorts all featured young actors and themes. The films in the program were:

  • All in Good Time, directed by Bonnie Dempsey. A story of two ten year-olds who magically communicate through notes in a bottle. The trick is they lived 100 years apart. Yet they manage to solve each other’s problems. (My vote: Excellent)
  • First Disco, directed by Helen M. O’Reilly. This is the story of a teenager who is due to go to her first school dance, but just got braces. How will she ever get the attention of the boy she has a crush on when she feels her looks are ruined? The film has a very pleasant soundtrack of 80s music. As I watched I though this would be a nice companion to the film Happy Face I saw at the festival on Friday. (My vote: Good)
  • Low Tide, directed by Ian Hunt Duffy. This one has a bit of a horror vibe. A father and son go out fishing, but on the way back the father demands his son jumps in the water to confront the sea monster below. It’s a life changing encounter. (My vote: Good)
  • Honest, directed by Matthew Roche. This one takes place in church. A young boy fears the Jesus at the front of the church, knowing that he is always watching him. It brings up questions of belief and what it means to us. (My vote: Good)
  • Cry Rosa, directed by Imogen Murphy. A mixed-race girl must deal with bullying in school because of her color. It is a story of finding the strength to prevail in embracing her identity and self-worth. (My vote: Excellent)
  • The Wiremen, an animated film directed by Jessica Patterson. In the 1930s as electrification is coming to rural Ireland, an imaginative girl thinks she sees a fairy circling a light bulb. Her grandmother warns her of the dangers of the electrical box, and tells a story of Wiremen, evil beings that come with electricity. But the girl is just too curious and may be in danger as she pursues the fairy. (My vote: Good)

The joys and trials of having a child are the focus of Babysplitters from director Sam Friedlander. Two couples both have a dilemma, they don’t agree on having a baby. Sarah (Emily Chang) is anxious to start a family, but her husband Jeff (Danny Pudi) is dragging his feet. When they meet with friends Don and Taylor, it turns out that Don (Eddie Alfano) is ready, but not Taylor (Maiara Walsh). They talk about if they could share a child, it would give them the joys of parenting, but still give them time to enjoy life. The plan becomes more and more complicated, and each complication brings new laughs. The sex scene removes romance and eroticism from the act with very funny results. Eventually the film makes it all work out with an affirmation of family and parenthood. (My vote: Excellent)

Go Back to China was another comedy about family. When spoiled party girl Sasha (Anna Akana) is forced to go to China to work in the family business, it is with great resentment. Her father (Richard Ng) is demanding and mercurial, but he also seeks to give Sasha and her various half-siblings the benefit of his lifetime of working. The father believes his financial support of his children is fulfilling his responsibility. But what of his absence and emotional abandonment all those years? It is a time of self-discovery for Sasha, as well as for her father. In the Q&A following the film, director Emily Ting, noted the autobiographical aspects of the film. She returned to China at age 24 to work in the family business. (The factory in the film is the actual factory the family owns. My vote: Good)

The Canadian Spotlight of the festival fell on A Colony (Une Colonie), a Quebec film from director Geneviève Dulude-De Clelles. This is a coming-of age, fish-out -of-water tale of Mylia (Emilie Bierre), who must go into town for high school. She has always been in a rural setting, and the large school setting is chaotic for her. She never quite fits in with the other girls, even with her cousin who is also at the school. She develops a friendship with another outside Jimmy (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie), a First Nations boy who lives nearby. Together they discover that “coloring outside the lines” may be the secret to finding happiness. There are some family issues and backstory that could have been fleshed out a bit, but overall, this was a nicely done film. (My vote: Good)