Other Events
The Gymnast
Thursday, May 31
Location: The Plaza Theatre
Written/Directed and Edited by: Ned Farr
Produced by: Dreya Weber and Michael Carp
The Gymnast is like a really good bottle of wine: you got along just fine before it; but, once you had a taste and it was oh-so-good, things were never quite the same. This is the first truly smooth, full-bodied feature film that Queer Night has been pleased to screen in a long time.
Jane (Dreya Weber) plays a former gymnast who is looking for more in her life than a career giving back rubs and an unwilling ear to the spoiled wealthy and a moody husband with whom she is attempting, unsuccessfully, to conceive. A chance encounter with an old teammate leads Jane to a life more thrilling and enriching than her present reality can ever allow her to imagine.
Nicole, a gymnast-choreographer, wants to create a Cirque de Soleil-esque aerial dance routine. She entices Jane to join her and the mysterious, alluring Serena (Addie Yungmee) in their graceful, mind-blowing aerial dance routine. The process of crafting the dance and the deepening connection with these talented, sexy women begin to rattle Jane's confidence in her domestic identity. The artistic and physical interdependence required to perfectly execute their routines begins to unite, and then divide, Jane and Serena. Their journey towards sexual self-awareness, passion and mutuality unravels as eloquently and transitorily as the silk flags among which they fly.
If the beauty of a well-crafted and filmed story is not tantalizing enough, then consider the physical conditioning required for such feats. These actors are accomplished athletes with all the sweaty sexiness that entails. Yungmee has danced with Cher and Madonna (she's got the abs to prove it) and Weber's delicious biceps get plenty of screen time (Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!). These stunning physical attributes are not exploited, mercifully, but rather balanced deftly with the emotional vulnerability of the characters. "The Gymnast" whirls through the air on multiple levels and finishes with a rich, satisfying taste that lingers long after the credits roll.
Reel Femme 2007
The Edmonton Women's Film Society was created in March of 2004 as a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to bring together women of diverse backgrounds in order to give feminist artists a chance to showcase their work in an unbiased atmosphere and to educate, train and develop interest in the technical skills of film video and media arts through workshops and lectures. In order to do this we developed the Reel Femme festival series.
On the weekend of May 4 - 6, 2007 we will be hosting our second annual feminist film festival called "Reel Femme '07". This year our festival will be held in conjunction to a feminist conference taking place at the University of Alberta called "Women Writing and Reading: Past and Present, Local and Global" and Anne Wheeler will be a keynote speaker. On Friday, May 4th, we will begin the festival by featuring two of Anne Wheeler's feature films at the Metro Cinema ( Zeidler Hall in the Citadel Theatre). At 7:00 pm we will be screening “The Edge of Madness" which is based on a short story Canadian writer Alice Munro called “A Wilderness Station” and stars Tantoo Cardinal. At 9:00 pm we will screen "Suddenly Naked" with a reception to follow. Admission is $5.00 and both Tantoo and Anne Wheeler will be present for this Gala.
On Saturday, May 5, there will be three screenings at the Telus Center for Professional Development ( 111 Street & 87 Ave.). The first will begin at 2:00 pm and will feature a documentary by Anne Wheeler called "Great Grand Mother" as well as other documentaries. At 7:00 & 9:00 pm we will be featuring a compilation of shorts with the theme of women in literature by local and national artists. Admission is free. Sunday we will be featuring film with the theme of 'Women in the Sacred" to be held at the Telus Center and once again the admission is free.
We are currently looking for volunteers. For more information please visit our website at www.ewfs.ca or Ph# 780- 489-2189.