VIFF 2017: Interview with Sam Voutas

Author: Selenna Ho What is your personal connection with the plot of the film?   It’s a very personal film, really. First off, I was becoming a dad when I was writing the screenplay, which is something the film explores a lot, and second it’s about things I went through in my own childhood. Living…

VIFF 2017: Never Steady, Never Still

Thank you to the 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival for inviting LINK magazine writers out to see this year’s films Never Steady, Never Still dir. Kathleen Hepburn The constant throughout the film is honesty, in every aspect. Kathleen Hepburn’s Never Steady, Never Still is a film about isolation, feeling isolated from the environment, and from…

VIFF 2017: Borg vs. McEnroe

Review by Laura Johnston Borg vs. McEnroe dir. Janus Metz Pedersen Borg vs. McEnroe is the perfect sports film for people who may not usually gravitate towards sports films, and its value all comes down to the cinematography of the final tennis match. Janus Metz’ film Borg vs. McEnroe features a talented cast including Shia…

VIFF 2017: Infiltration

Review by Hamish Singh Infiltration dir. Robert Morin True North Productions The first thing you see when the film starts is a older man in pain. His face completely wrapped in bandages, not saying anything but grunting in agony and misery as the surgeon removes his bandages post-surgery carefully with surgical tweezers. The man had…

VIFF 2017: Anarchist from the Colony

Anarchist from the Colony (Hangul: 박 열) dir. Lee Joon-ik   Director Lee Joon-ik takes the audience back to Japan in 1923, during the Great Kanto Earthquake and the immediate aftermath through the experiences of a young anarchist.   Park Yeol (played by Lee Je-hoon) is an ethnic Korean striving to bring to light Japanese…

Review: The Christians

The Christians Written by Lucas Hnath Directed by Sarah Rodgers Pacific Theatre’s small space lends itself well to the intimacy of a faith-based community that The Christians is trying to portray. At the same time, the conflict is so big that the setting becomes suffocating. The play is interactive: audience members are made to feel…

Battle of the Sexes review

In our world today we are seeing more and more movies come out about movements for better causes. This is exactly what the film “Battle of the Sexes” tried to advocate. It is a remarkable story of a in the closet lesbian woman tennis star who is battling not only for the right to be…

Review: Kingsman — The Golden Circle

  KINGSMAN: The Golden Circle dir. Matthew Vaughn 20th Century Fox In Hollywood, action movies are supposed to be over-the-top. They are supposed to appeal to the general consumer — someone who doesn’t want a realistic movie because they want that escape from everyday life for a few hours every now and then. That is…

Fringe 2017: Soul Samurai

Soul Samurai Written by Qui Nguyen Directed by Nathania Bernabe   Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets mixed racial and sexual romances with some East Van street cred in a New York setting. Oh, and let’s throw in some fishnets, chokers and leather anti-hero gear. Mix the concoction well, and you’ve got yourself…

Solange: A Seat at the Table

If you haven’t listened to this album yet, American R&B Singer Songwriter Solange Knowles has recently released her new album “A Seat at the Table”. This has earned her the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 200. “A Seat at the Table” is Solange’s third album I have to say it is incomparable to her other albums…