Film Categories: Aging

  • Avanti!

    “Avanti!” is inspired by Antonio Gramsci’s writings: as an idealistic young man, a romantic, a father, and a revolutionary. Throughout the work I explore themes of translation and research. What happens in the shift from detached researcher to impassioned participant? “Avanti!” considers what we lose when we reduce a person to only their thinking, when we abstract them from their lives. Image description: Blurry black-and-white close-up of a person’s face, yelling or laughing (?), with eyes closed and open mouth.

  • Arrival 1, Arrival 2

    This experimental essay film springs from the final days of December 2020 when I moved from Chicago to Toronto. The film documents my move and then continues on alternate paths, weaving through the liminal spaces of borders, sickness, interpellation, and dreams. Content Note: This film contains extended discussions about fatphobia and disordered eating. Specifically, this film contains descriptions of food restriction, idealization of thinness, and intense emotional and physical pain after eating. After 11:41 there is no direct discussion of disordered eating. Flashing lights throughout. Loud noises throughout.

  • C’est à qui, cette ville?

    “C’est à qui, cette ville?” is a response to the 1984 film, “Ville, Quelle Ville?” This original super 8 film documented various places in Toronto’s east end and reflected upon a young woman’s life in the city. 38 years later, “C’est à qui, cette ville?” revisits many of the same locations and contemplates a more mature perspective on urban living. This film was shot on outdated super 8 stock which gives the image a patina of time passing. Musical score by Montreal-based artist and composer, Jackie Gallant.

  • 13 Eggs

    Over four years I collected footage to talk about my experience trying to make a baby. I managed to freeze 13 eggs. I stopped halfway through making this work because I failed and had to figure out how to make a film about failing in this commonly shared life goal. Grieving people who never were is harder than it seems.

  • Still Got It?!

    After 3 years out of the modeling industry and back in school, Adam wonders: “Have I still got it?” Ignoring the not-so-subtle warnings from his friends, our endearingly oblivious protagonist confidently decides to give modelling another shot and sets up a meeting with an agency. What follows is a series of failures, wake-up calls, and a surprising new path of self-discovery.

  • The Beautiful Room is Empty

    “Haddad’s The Beautiful Room is Empty explores the loaded memories of space through his aunt, Marie, (re)visiting her childhood home and recalling the abuse she endured there. […] What have the walls been listening to? What have they absorbed, retained, and released upon a return, a farewell?” – Sarah Sarofim, Canadian Art

  • Sad Girls In Bikinis

    Girls in bikinis are sad together.

  • I (heart) Jack Lalanne: A Cartoon Memoir

    This is an animated documentary film structured around the life and legend of Jack LaLanne as it explores my personal experiences growing up female and gay in 1960s-70s America. I was a serious athlete during my early and young adult years, thus the film also delves into issues of self-identity, societal expectations, and the effects of aging on the human body. “I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir” uses classic and computer-based animation techniques that serve as the visuals to voiceover storytelling. Original drawings combine with rotoscoped footage, composited archival video clips float inside retro televisions, while stop-motion vitamins march…

  • Mum Singh

    “Mum Singh” is the story of a family that is confronted with the daunting choice of whether to support a parent as part of the household or to move them to an old folks home. The grandmother Mum Singh thrives as part of her daughter’s family, particularly bonding with her granddaughter Norah. What will happen when her daughter and daughter-in-law decide to put her in a care home? Clash of cultures, care of the elderly, and four women trying to make sense of their unraveling family – this is “Mum Singh.”

  • Sab Shimono: Acting “As If”

    On the eve of his eightieth birthday, acclaimed Japanese American actor Sab Shimono reflects on his lifelong commitment to the craft of acting, his struggles against racism and homophobia, and how his life was transformed by gay bars and marriage equality.