TORONTO, November 19, 2003 -- Veteran Montreal filmmaker and playwright Michael Mackenzie will be the featured guest on November 27 at The Independents, a monthly series of screenings and discussions on independent Canadian cinema presented by York University’s Department of Film & Video.
Mackenzie, who took his celebrated stage play The Baroness and the Pig and transformed it into a landmark film of the same name, will present and discuss his production at the upcoming viewing.
Set in 19th-century Paris, the film unreels the tale of a progressive American society hostess trying to launch a modern salon with a distinctly democratic air, who gains an unlikely ally in a feral child she undertakes to civilize. Shot entirely in high definition digital video, the much talked-about film is a provocative examination of art, technology, identity and society. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Caroline Dhavernas and Colm Feore, with an original score by Philip Glass, the production will be shown in French with English subtitles.
"I’m happy with the film," says Mackenzie, "in particular, I love the performances."
Mackenzie has good reason to be in high spirits: The Baroness and the Pig was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival (2002), Festival de nouveau cinéma et media (Montreal 2002) where it was the closing film, Sundance Film Festival (2003) and San Francisco Film Festival (2003). Also, it was nominated for Best Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Editing at the Quebec Jutra Awards (2003).
Mackenzie’s other digital media credits include: co-creation/design of the virtual reality installation Archeology of a Mother Tongue (Banff), creation/design of the interactive installation Dark Practice Scarring for Sigraph, and creation/design of an interactive CD ROM for Robert Lepage’s Polygraph.
York film & video professor Janine Marchessault will host the presentation of The Baroness and the Pig, introducing Mackenzie and moderating the discussion after the screening.
When: Thursday, November 27 at 6:00 pm
Where: Lecture Hall C, Computer Science & Engineering Building, York University, 4700 Keele St.
Admission: free
Fore more information about the screening, call 416-36-5149, ext. 22172. To find out more about the film, visit www.baronessandthepig.com.
– 30 –
Media Contact:
Mary-Lou Schagena
Communications, Faculty of Fine Arts
York University
Tel: 416-736-2100, ext. 20421
schagena@yorku.ca
