The Seventh Row presents a guide to spending your weekend immersed in films directed by women in our end-of-TIFF series #AWeekendWithWomen (named after #AYearWithWomen because a weekend is a good start). Here’s how we suggest you spend your Saturday.
9:15 a.m. Semana Santa at Scotiabank 9 (85 mins) — Tickets available
OR
10 a.m. Body at TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (90 mins) — Tickets available
In “Body,” Polish filmmaker Malgorzata Szumowska explores body issues through black, absurdist comedy and a bit of magic by the director of “Elles.” Or discover a new filmmaker with “Semana Santa,” a story about a widow on a beach vacation who is struggling to bond with her eight-year-old son.
Travel time from Semana Sanata is negligible. The travel time from Scotiabank to TIFF is about 10 minutes.
12:30 p.m. My Skinny Sister at TIFF Bell Lightbox 4 (95 mins) — off-sale, check the TIFF website at 7.am. on Saturday
OR
1:00 p.m. As I Open My Eyes at TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 (102 mins) — Tickets available
Take a trip to Tunisia on the eve of the Jasmine Revolution in “As I Open My Eyes,” which follows an up-and-coming underground band excited about creativity and rebellion. Or join the rush line to catch the feature debut from Swedish director Sanna Lenken, “My Skinny Sister,” about a young girl’s reckoning with the clash between having an eating disorder and doing competitive figure skating.
Travel time: 10 minute walk
3:00 p.m. 3000 Nights at Scotiabank 9 (103 mins) — Tickets available
Palestinian director Mai Masri’s new film follows a Palestinian woman pushed into an Israeli prison on terrorism charges, only to discover she’s pregnant and a prison revolt is underway.
Plan B: Catch “Song of Songs,” “Northern Soul,” Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr,” or “Guilty” — all directed by women but currently off-sale. Check back Saturday morning at 7 a.m. as some tickets will likely become available or join the rush line.
It’ll take you about 20 minutes to get to the Isabel Bader Theatre by TTC. We recommend grabbing a quick dinner at Pusateri’s (near Museum/Bay/Bloor subway) along the way.
6:30 p.m. “Summertime” at Isabel Bader Theatre (105 mins) — Tickets available
Set in 1971, this coming-of-ager follows a young woman from a rural family as she moves to Paris and falls into a life-changing affair with an activist.
Travel time: 20 minutes by TTC; 10-15 minutes by cab (it’s doable!)
8:45 p.m. “Looking for Grace” at Scotiabank 1 (100 mins) — Tickets available
One of only three films directed by women to screen in TIFF’s inaugural Platform section — a small, juried competition of films, by emerging auteurs, seeking distribution — “Looking to Grace” features strong performances by Radha Mitchell and Richard Roxburgh. The film begins with the story of Grace, a teenage girl on a long bus trip with her best friend — we don’t know where they’re going or why — who finds herself courted by a mysterious and handsome boy they meet on the bus. The film then shifts perspectives, to each of Grace’s parents, in turn, and to a few others in the story, including the elderly private investigator hired to find Grace, as writer-director Sue Brooks fills out the plot and character details. What starts out somewhat serious turns into comedy before becoming serious again. The tonal shifts are a bit jarring, and the handling of different perspectives isn’t nearly as nuanced as “Louder Than Bombs,” but Brooks has a gift for blocking and making great use of wide shots to show relationships by how she places her characters within the frame. Check back for our interview with Brooks, which will be up soon.
Plan B: Catch “Parisienne” at Isabel Bader (no travel time required! Tickets still available), which is where I’ll be. Or head to the TIFF Bell Lightbox to catch the polarizing “Bang Gang: A Modern Love Story,” one of the other Platform entries directed by a woman. Tickets are still available for both.
Check back this evening for our guide to what to see on Sunday for #AWeekendWithWomen at TIFF15.
