A newcomer on the cinema scene, Cinéma Public is pleased to join forces with film magazine 24 images to present Disrupting the Social Order, a retrospective of the works of Canadian filmmaker Kazik Radwanski. The event will take place online from April 14 to May 31 on the Cinéma Public platform. It will be available everywhere in Canada.
Kazik Radwanski is one of English Canada’s most compelling independent filmmakers. His films have been selected for major festivals – Berlin, Locarno, NYFF, TIFF – and praised by critics for their formal refinement, sardonic humour and intriguing nature. He works with microbudgets, maintains a loose relationship with the script, and makes editing central to his artistic approach. He is often compared to filmmakers such as John Cassavetes and the Dardenne brothers because of his naturalistic aesthetic, outsider characters and non-professional actors.
The filmmaker’s entire body of work will be presented: his three features, Anne at 13,000 ft (2019), How Heavy This Hammer (2015) and Tower (2012), plus a program of his six short films. All will be shown in their original version, with English or French subtitles available.
Cinephiles will also have access to a pre-recorded discussion between Kazik Radwanski and actress Deragh Campbell (How Heavy This Hammer, Anne at 13,000 ft), moderated by TIFF senior programmer Andréa Picard.
A $9.99 pass for the entire retrospective will be available, as will single-film rentals.
The Kazik Radwanski retrospective is co-presented by 24 images, thanks to the support of the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
PROGRAM
Anne at 13,000 ft | Canada/United States. 2019. 75 min
Anne has a seemingly ordinary and stable life as a single daycare worker in Toronto. But after an overwhelming skydiving trip for her best friend Sara’s bachelorette party, the ground shifts beneath Anne’s feet. She starts to bring a care-free joyfulness to her conservative job, the effects of which spill over into her personal life. At Sara’s wedding, Anne meets Matt who takes to her offbeat, confrontational charms, but she soon finds herself pushing the limits of what’s socially acceptable.
How Heavy This Hammer | Canada. 2015. 75 min
A married father of two nearing middle age, Erwin, is not quite an outcast, but as his life slowly begins to unravel, we begin to understand just how far outside the social order he truly is. Erwin spends all of his free time playing fantasy games online. A touching yet infuriating example of our society’s mysterious ability to freeze men in adolescence.
Tower | Canada. 2012. 78 min
Tower centres on a thirty-four-year-old man, Derek, who lives at home with his parents in Toronto. Unlike his married brother who is expecting a baby, Derek is single and without a career. He works part-time at his uncle’s construction company. When a neighbourhood raccoon becomes a constant nuisance by tearing up his family’s garbage, Derek sets out to catch it.
Short films program
Scaffold | Canada. 2017. 15 min
Recent immigrants to Canada working on scaffolding break the routine of their job by observing the people in the neighbourhood from a unique, precarious and ephemeral vantage point.
Cutaway | Canada. 2014. 6 min
Cutaway portrays a phase in the life of a single young man as he works as a labourer, pursues relationships with women, and comes to terms with a life changing event. Told through close details of hands and objects, this film intimately portrays uncertainty and loss.
Green Crayons | Canada. 2010. 10 min
An afternoon at school; it’s time for independent activities and two boys scan the table of books in front of them to see what’s on offer. Then one of the boys starts spitting at the other. The other boy reciprocates, getting into it. The more they spit, the more they enjoy themselves. But then the teacher arrives on the scene and things take a dramatic turn.
Out in That Deep Blue Sea | Canada. 2009. 16 min
A real estate agent encounters a slump late in his career, struggling to balance his professional obligations and personal relationships.
Princess Margaret Blvd. | Canada. 2008. 14 min
An introduction to Isabelle, as she defiantly confronts the frustration, confusion and loneliness that are the effects of Alzheimer’s.
Assault | Canada. 2007. 11 min
A teenager attempts to keep his composure following a reckless crime.
CINÉMA PUBLIC
More information: www.cinemapublic.ca