Sydney Indie FF 2018 – 26th October – Documentaries Day at Lane Cove Library
SYDNEY INDIE FILM FESTIVAL 2018
DOCUMENTARIES DAY @ LANE COVE LIBRARY
+ Q&A WITH FILMMAKERS!
Friday, 26h October 2018
“Fish Out of Water” 11:00AM
“Dog’s Best Friend” 1:00PM
“True North Project” 3:00PM
“On The Move” 4:00PM
1PM
DOG’S BEST FRIEND
Director: Eryn Wilson, New Zealand, Australia
Synopsis: A canine rehabilitation centre is tenderly profiled in Kiwi director Eryn Wilson’s affectionate documentary Dog’s Best Friend. Run by ex-soldier Jacob Leezak, the Canine Behaviour Expert Dog Psychology Centre is located on a property in outer Sydney that houses no fewer than 30 dogs at a time – all either abandoned, set to be euthanised or brought in by clients unable to handle their pet’s aggressive side. While Jacob will often allude to the media stigmatisation of particular breeds (the film even opens with some sobering euthanisation stats), Wilson wisely never centres the story on that debate. Instead, he focuses on the bond between man and dog, observing Jacob’s tailored process of rehabilitating misunderstood canines and the traumatic backgrounds that brought both him and his fiancée Jennah to this line of work.
Over a span of months, we get to watch the couple lovingly work with a range of pooches, with encounters that range from heated to heartwarming (try not to melt as one pup reaches new levels of Zen during a massage session). Without ever succumbing to soapboxing, this sweet and unassuming portrait is essential viewing for dog-lovers and dog-haters alike.
3PM
THE TRUE NORTH PROJECT
Director: Emil Agopian, Canada
Synopsis: The True North Project, commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, is a celebration of Canada’s multi-ethnic society and its ongoing process of reconciliation with the indigenous community. In this celebration of diversity, artists from vastly different backgrounds are brought together to create a collaborative work for orchestra. The documentary focuses on national identity and the idea of “home,” in a country where 20 percent of the population is foreign-born. The film offers insights into the creative processes of artists from different cultural backgrounds and from different regions of Canada, as they work together towards a common goal. The documentary is about hope for the future, and brings attention to the enrichments brought by the coexistence of different peoples and cultures within the framework of a nation.
4PM
ON THE MOVE
Director: Raquel Teixeira, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Ukraine
Synopsis:
What if you could take a train – in São Bento station, right in the heart of Porto – and go all the way to Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam? Portugal to Vietnam is the longest train journey in the world: a 17 thousand kilometers trip that goes on 17 trains and across 11 countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia, China and Vietnam. By challenging people inside these trains to reflect on matters such as identity, travel and culture, On the Move tells the story of the life inside a train, but also the life of a micro-society on the move. Living a moment where there is a risk of the world becoming entirely divided, it is important to celebrate our differences while reminding that we are all, figuratively and literally, connected.
Program subject to change without notice.
Follow Sydney Indie Film Festival!