Dear Doctor, The Drugs Don’t Work

Dear Doctor

The surprising thing about Dear Doctor is how subtle and effective its overall impact is. It is a film that leads you in one direction only to reveal itself as something else completely.

Dear Doctor focuses on a police investigation surrounding the disappearance of Dr. Osamu Ino (Tsurube Shofukutei). Loved by the residents of the rural village in which he worked and admired by his colleagues, nurse Akemi Otake (Kimiko Yo) and medical intern Keisuke Soma (Eita), Dr. Ino seem to have it all. Yet as the police dig deeper, it becomes apparent that Dr. Ino may not be the man he appears to be. As questions begin to arise about Dr. Ino’s disappearance, so do questions surrounding his treatment of patients, especially widower Torikai-san (Kaoru Yachigusa).

At first, Dear Doctor takes the tone of a light-hearted rural comedy. The story initially appears to be about Keisuke adapting to the rural way of life and Dr. Ino’s slightly unorthodox methods. Yet director Miwa Nishikawa slowly peels away the layers to reveal a rather complex tale that questions whether there is such thing as an honourable lie? Nishikawa also ponders to what extent has modern medical care failed its patients?

Despite his questionable background and ethics, Dr. Osamu Ino is still viewed as a savior by many of the villagers. In many ways, the fact that Dr. Ino’s treated his patient like human beings had a far more lasting impact than the quick assessments that most people receive in the city. The patients were more than just a number to Osamu and this is evident in his tender scenes with Torikai-san.

The relationship between Osamu and Torikai-san allows the film to provide food for thought for both sides of the debate. On one hand, you have the cops’ point of view in regards to ethical lines being crossed. The officers are constantly trying to remind Torikai-san that a crime has been committed. Yet Torikai-san is never fully willing to believe this. In her eyes, sometimes it is alright to break the rules if you truly care about someone.

Dear Doctor is a film which offers much fodder for discussion. My only real complaint with the film is that Miwa Nishikawa drags out the ending a bit too long. At times it feels like the film has four different endings, three of which are unnecessary. Still, Dear Doctor is a film that shows just how blurred the lines between right and wrong can be.

One Big Hapa Family A Large Animated Bunch

One Big Hapa Family

The question of identity is one that everyone encounters in some form or another in their lifetime. Depending on your ethnicity, this may be a topic that you have to confront on a daily basis. Even in a multicultural country like Canada, the question of “what are you?” is one that pops up more often than people are willing to admit. The inherent need to associate people with categories is a topic explored in Jeff Chiba Stearns wonderful documentary, One Big Hapa Family.

Jeff Chiba Stearns, the product of an interracial marriage between his Japanese mother and white Canadian father, noticed at a fairly recent family reunion that everyone in his large family was of mixed race. Having had problems answering the question “what are you?” for most of his life, Jeff decided to explore why such a high percentage of Japanese Canadians marry outside of their race.

What starts out as a search to understand his own identity leads to the discovery of some startling facts that date back to the Second World War. Streans looks back to a time when Canada was not so accepting of other cultures as it appears to be now. The war brought out the worst in Canada in regards to racism toward people of Japanese ancestry. It even created a divide between the “hometown Japanese”, who were barely accepted by the communities they lived in for years, and the “coastal Japanese” who were seen as the villains of the war.

Stearns research shows that the need to assimilate with the white Canadians opened up the door to interracial marriages. Part of the appeal had to do with the offspring of these unions, the future generations would look whiter and would not have to deal with the same level of racism that their parents endured. Stearns’ documentary examines how these views have shifted over the years. He also looks at how the younger generations now, more than ever, want to identify with their Japanese roots.

While a well researched and constructed film, the element that really makes this film special is its use of animation. Stearns, an animator by profession, enlisted a slew of animators to give the film its unique look. Every artist received a different segment of the film to work on and designed it in the style they preferred. The film is really a visual treat to watch. One of the highlights is the chalkboard sequence that Stearns himself creates. It serves as a great way to digest all the historical information is woven into the film.

Uplifting without being preachy, One Big Hapa Family reaffirms it is the ones we love who truly define us and not our individual ethnicities. 

Toilet Key to Cleansing the System

Toilet

The problem with family is that you cannot choose them; you have to deal with the hand that life deals you. Japanese director Naoko Ogigami explores this theme in her comedy about a dysfunctional family trying to bridge cultural and generational gaps.

After the death of his mother, Ray (Alex House) finds himself back in the family home with anxiety stricken brother, Maury (David Rendall) and his judgmental sister, Lisa (Tatiana Mazurani). If trying to live with each other was not stressful enough, the siblings also have to adjust to sharing the house with their baa-chan (aka. Grandmother) who they hardly know. To complicate matters baa-chan (Masako Motai) does not speak a word of English, and often lets out a heavy sigh whenever she leaves the washroom. Ray’s desire to get away from his family, and his concerns of whether baa-chan is actually related to them, leads to a discovery that will ultimately alter his perception regarding the importance of family.

Judging by how packed the theatre was at the screening, Toilet was one of the most anticipated films at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. I think this was due to the fact that the comedy, and themes, in the film have broad appeal. The story in Toilet is one that is common in dysfunctional family films, I would even go as far to say that the plot is rather predictable. Yet, that does not mean Toilet is not worth seeing. In fact Toilet, while not groundbreaking, tells its story very well. The script is extremely well written and the quirky humour never misses a beat. 

The cast is the real hidden gem of this film. They help to ensure that, despite their individual quirks, the audience is always able to identify with the characters. I was really impressed with the performances of the three leads and their chemistry with the non-English speaking Motai. It is easy to forget that they are actors and not a real family, which is always a wonderful thing to achieve in film. Even supporting characters such as Ray’s co-worker Agni (Gabe Grey) and Lisa’s love interest Billy (Steven Yaffee) make an impact in their brief time on screen.

Naoko Ogigami also deserves much praise for highlighting the subtle beauty of the streets of Toronto. While the film does not overtly show its Toronto roots, as the film is suppose to takes place in an unnamed US city, it is nice to see the Toronto landscape captured in such a unique way. The acting coupled with Ogigami’s experienced direction really makes Toilet a feel good crowd-pleaser which is something we all need every now and then.

The Mountain Thief Finds Treasure In Trash

The Mountain Thief

The phrase I most often hear when discussing world issues is “we need to fix our own house before we worry about helping others across the world.” While true in certain cases, this form of logic is often used as an excuse to do nothing at all. Yet after seeing The Mountain Thief, I fully believe that, if you live in North America, “our house” is nowhere near as broken as some will have you believe.

Set in the Payatas area of Manila, a section of the Philippines known for being the world’s largest garbage-collecting settlement, The Mountain Thief is a fictional tale created out of a real life issue. After fleeing the war-torn south region of the Philippines, Julio and his handicapped son Igo settle in Payatas hoping to make enough money to return home when the war is over. In the poverty stricken Payatas, Julio and his boy work as scavengers on the mountain of garbage collecting anything that can be turned in for cash (e.g. bottles, cans, scrap irons, etc.). Julio’s presence, and rising popularity, threatens Ato’s chances for becoming the next leader of the region. Ato claims to be a man of the bible, yet many believe that he is actually insane. Ato has never been the same since his mother was buried alive beneath the trash. The tension between Julio and Ato boils over with horrific consequences.

The Mountain Thief is one of the few films in recent years that actually brought me close to tears. I still get choked up a bit when I reflect on it. This is not due to the story itself per say, but the folks who were involved with the making of it. Director Gerry Balasta casts real life scavengers from the region to star in his film. At the end of the film Balasta provides brief bios for this cast. It is heart-wrenching to see that most of the actors have been scavengers since the age of 10 or 12 years-old. They were born into the life and have had to make the best of the situation. Many are saving up to afford things that we take for granted in North America, such as education and medical care. Two of the boys featured in the film had never had a medical examination until Gerry Balasta and his team help to raise money via the internet.

The thing that impressed me the most about the film was how Balasta managed to get such strong performances from his inexperienced cast. While there are a few uneven moments here and there, the overall job by the cast is far better than you would expect from amateurs. Part of this is due to Balasta choice to tell the story from each characters point of view. Not only does it give the actors just enough screen but it also enhances the overall impact of the story. The film jumps from character to character to fill in the missing gaps in the story. Only the glue sniffing thief Simon knows what is truly going on in the area. The lack of information residing in the other characters leads to dire results. One of the most tense scenes arrives when Julio contemplates doing the unthinkable. Gerry Balasta draws out this sequence as long as possible to keep us, the viewer on edge.

To emphasis the decay of Payatas, Gerry Balasta film occasionally has a burnt look to it. This really gives the sense that the viewer is wading through the trash just like the main characters. Balasta uses a softer lens when he focuses on the children’s perspective of things. This technique not only provides an angelic feel but also gives an overall sense of hope. Whether or not the conditions in Payatas will ever be fixed is anyone’s guess. Which is why a film like The Mountain Thief is so important; it sheds light on an issue that most of us could never imagine having to live in. The Mountain Thief is a film that is not to be missed.

For more information about the living conditions of Payatas visit the films website www.mountainthief.com and the Facebook site.

Oxhide II’s Dumplings A Family Recipe

Oxhide II

If your family happens to be like mine then most of the family gatherings occur around food. No matter how big the house may be, everyone always seems to find their way to the kitchen. The communal aspect that food provides is just as important in my family as the food that is actually being served. The importance of food and family is essential to understanding director Liu Jaiyin’s film Oxhide II.

Continuing her examination of her tight-knit family, first seen in Oxhide, Jiayin’s latest film highlights how the simple act of making dumplings for dinner is a communal act. Everyone takes turns helping to prepare different stages of the meal. Liu herself often struggles to master the techniques that her parents make look so easy. While the family works on the dumplings Liu's father ask the family for input on the issues surrounding his failing leatherwork business. Despite being in a cramped room, the simple act of making a meal together is a vital part of the family bonding experience.

While Oxhide II is an intimate look at the rituals that brings family together, it is also a bit of an endurance test. Unlike most films, that have numerous edits and camera angles, Oxhide II only features nine different shot. The entire film takes place around the workbench of Liu’s father. The camera is mounted in one position for a lengthy period of time until it is time to move to the next shot. Since the whole film only has nine different angles it leads to long sections of time where not much happens on screen. For example, there are moments where the only thing the audience sees is her father silently cutting meat. By only having nine shots in the film, there is a good portion of the film in which Liu and her family are not fully on screen. Depending on which angle that the camera is positioned, the audience can only see an arm here, a torso there, etc. While it is interesting from an artistic standpoint, it does become a bit annoying when trying to get a better understanding of what is occurring outside the frame. There are times when characters are preparing something in an area that is not fully in the camera’s view. As a result the audience never truly gets to immerse themselves in the process.

Regardless, Oxhide II is more about the intimate family interaction than it is a lesson in dumpling making. The majority of the humour in the film comes from the verbal back and forth when it comes to comparing who incorporates the best dumpling making techniques. In one amusing scene the parents debate how long to cut the chives. The father estimates it should be about four millimetres or so, yet when it is Liu’s turn to cut the chives she actual runs to get a ruler to ensure that her cuts are exact. Her need to be precise ends up slowing down the whole process.

Oxhide II is a film that has much to offer once you get past the lengthy takes between shots. Still, with only nine shots, the film will test your patience as much as it will build your appetite.

On the Flip Side Life is Far More Interesting

On the Flip Side

On The Flip Side is a collection of short films made by, or featuring, Asian Canadians. It featured everything from a drag queen musical to a Fresh Prince of Bel Air dance off. Here are my brief thoughts on the short films that were screened at the Reel Asian International Film Festival.

Exit Upon Arrival – Dir. Paul Wong
The short featured a split screen in which we see the director Paul Wong entering and exiting through a door. The film is manipulated in such a way that it creates a revolving door effect. Depending on which screen you watch, Paul will either be entering, leaving, walking in reverse, etc. Normally I am not a fan of installation works, yet I could still appreciate the artistic merit of the film.

Wind + Snow – Dir. Leslie Supnet
Similar to the first film this was another artistic piece. The film featured scenes with horses and elks running in the wild, a woman skipping over rope, rainbows, etc. Oddly enough I really enjoyed the meditative nature of the film. I probably missed some of the symbolism but everyone will take away something different from the film.

Covers – Dir. Jenny Lin
This animated tale centres around a reclusive dominatrix, Covers, who is abducted one night. Covers is subjected to weird acts, even by fetish standards, for the amusement of her mysterious kidnapper. The first two acts are the film’s best. The perverse humour really shines during these parts. The film loses its focus a bit in the final act. Still, it is tough to deny Covers' quirky charm.

Film Concerto In Hanging Major – Dir. Meelad Moaphi
Hands down this was my favourite of the night. The film is a how-to guide of sorts for those contemplating suicide. A bird-man creature is about to hang himself when he is presented with five option (e.g. jumping, wrist cutting, shooting himself, etc). Each option comes with facts regarding the success rate and the proper way to do it. Inspired by an opera, the Magic Flute, Meelad Moaphi’s film uses humour to examine a serious topic.

A Dragged Out Affair: The Musical – Dir. Sonia Hong, Olga Barsky, Claire Lowery
Winners of last year’s edition of the festival’s So You Think You Can Pitch contest, the directors turned their winnings into this entertaining musical about forbidden love. The plot focuses on two rival drag queens that fall in love with each other. The problem is that this type of love is considered a huge taboo amongst the drag queen community. The extremely funny film features outstanding songs, wonderful costumes, and good set designs. The film could easily be turned into a feature or a theatrical show ala Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Hopefully the songs will be available for download in the near future.

Window Horses (Karaoke Projec) – Dir. Ann Marie Fleming
Created by award-winning writer Ann Marie Fleming this witty animated short features a Stickgirl singing about the horses she sees outside of her window. The horses represent beauty, simplicity, stability, and strength in this crazy world. Yet for some reason things like the horse’s teeth remind Stickgirl of her dad. This was another film where I found myself wishing there was an iTunes version of the song. I could listen to it all day.

Peggy Baker: Four Phases – Dir. Howie Shia
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produced this film for the 2009 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award which dancer Peggy Baker was the recipient. The short uses four different animation and documentary techniques to help convey how movement has shaped Baker’s life. This is a beautiful film that perfectly captures how the human body can say so much through the smallest of gestures.

You can view this short for free on the NFB website.

6 on 6 Battle – Dir. Tadaaki Hozumi
Through the use of a few well selected avi files, and a series of media players, Tadaaki Hozumi takes a look at the cultural stereotypes commonly associated with dancing. The film incorporates everything from clips of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air to George Bush dancing in Africa. Hozumi’s film is both entertaining and thought provoking as it points out how racial stereotypes are widely accepted in mainstream culture.

The Auction – Dir. Gloria Kim
Here is another example of a short that could easily be expanded into a feature film. The Auction is about a Korean girl who wants an expensive doll for Christmas. Unfortunately her immigrant parents have fallen on tough times financial and can only afford a skipping rope. While the film is designed to show the Korean immigrant experience, the themes are universal. I could identify with many of the issues raised in the film. The performances are great and the film manages to be touching without being overly sentimental.

Home is Where the Heartbreak Is

Home

Each year on November 11th we take a moment to reflect on the people who took part in both World Wars, and how their sacrifices made our current freedom possible. We also use that day to remember the atrocities that mankind has inflicted upon each other and strive to ensure it never happens again. The shocking thing is these atrocities are still happening on a daily basis in places that most of the world turns a blind eye to.

Armed with nothing more than a camera, and a desire to bring the plights of the Burmese people to the global conscious, director Desiree Lim went to Malaysia to document what was going on with the refugee situation over there. What she uncovers in her documentary, Home, is a horrific account of violence and corruption that has infested every single aspect of Malaysian society.

Home examines how Burmese refugees flee the violent rule of the military junta for the safer lands of Malaysia and Thailand. Yet once they have reached these places, the Burmese refugees are subject to a whole other level of corruption and violence that they could have never imagined. Immigration agencies such as RELA routinely blackmail the refugees with threats of deportation. They are also unable to obtain the proper paperwork needed to start a new life so many must work illegally. This not only subjects them to police brutality, but physical, mental and sexual abuse as well. Many of the women are either raped by their employers or are sold to human traffickers, while the men are forced to work on fishing boats where their survival rate is slim at best.

What is really disturbing about all of this is how much Malaysia relies on the illegal immigrants for their infrastructure. There are now over three million Burmese refugees working in Malaysia. They keep all the various businesses, especially the food industry, running. Even the Burmese who have landed legally are not exempt from the corruption. The military junta have deals with Malaysia and Thailand which enforces that all Burmese workers in those lands have to pay a 10% tax off their paychecks. The money collected from this tax would go straight back to military junta. This essentially ensures the revolving door of corruption goes on as those who refuse the tax, or are working illegally and cannot pay the blackmail fees, are sent back to Burma.

The film is broken up into two parts, though only one is truly successful. The first half of the film is a drama in which Desiree Lim enlists one of the refugees, Roi Roi, to help reenact some of the stories that came out of Lim’s conversations with the refugees. This section nearly kills the film in my opinion, as the untrained actors do not convey the range needed for this type of tale. To be honest, I was getting ready to write the film off by time the credits rolled on the first segment.

Luckily I stuck with the film because the second half, the documentary section, is what truly makes this film work. All the emotion that was missing from the first segment is on display here. It is both mesmerizing and heartbreaking to hear the refugees, some of which whom cannot show their face on camera, recount the horrors that they have lived through up to this point. Whether it is the pastor living in the jungle, the mother taking care of both bedridden husband and their four kids, the woman degraded and abuse by female soldiers, or the human rights advocate discussing the obstacles she faces, they all have the same devastating impact.

Home does not provide any answers, which is not surprising considering that this is an issue that is much more complex than you could even imagine. Yet Home is a film that more people really need to see and discuss. The world cannot continue to turn a blind eye on this issue.

For more information on this subject please be sure to visit www.projecthomemalaysia.com and the Facebook page Desiree Lim has set up.

Gallants Kicks the Laughs Into High Gear

Gallants

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival kicked into gear with the screening of the kung fu comedy Gallants on Tuesday night. If film festivals were judged solely on their opening night films then the Reel Asian Film Fest would already be considered a success. Not only did the film deliver on the chopsocky laughs, but it also set the stage for the quality of films to be expected over the next seven days.

Directed by Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok, with Hong Kong film star Andy Lau serving as executive producer, Gallants is a homage to the Shaw Brothers kung fu classics of the ‘70s. The film follows Cheung (Yue-Nam Wong), a spineless real estate agent, as he tries to secure property rights for his company. Through a series of unfortunate events, Cheung stumbles upon a tea house run by two old martial artists, Tiger (Bruce Leung) and Dragon (Chen Kuan-Tai). The tea house was once a mighty martial arts school before it fell on hard times. With their teacher, Mast Law (Teddy Robin), in a coma for the past three decades, Tiger and Dragon are pressured by a rival gym boss, Master Pong (Wai-man Chan), and his assistant, Mang (Jin Auyeung aka MC Jin), to hand over the lease to the tea house. Mang also has a personal score to settle with Chueng that stems back to their childhood days. Miraculously Master Law awakens from his coma and decides to enter Tiger, Dragon, and Cheung in Master Pong’s fighting tournament. The competition will ultimately decide their fate, and that of the tea house, once and for all.

Shot in a mere 18 days, the fact that Gallants consistently hits the mark in regards to both comedy and action is a testament to the hard work from all involved in making the film. Directors Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok take great care to ensure that Gallants is not just a nod to kung fu films of the past, but a film that also stands on its own as well. No matter how screwball the comedy gets at times, the story never suffers. Cheng and Kwok ensure that every aspect of the plot ties together. Even miniscule elements, such as the running gag involving a preserved roasted duck, never feel out of place in the film.

Gallants is one of the rare modern action comedies where style does not overshadow the film. For example, the use of animation is subtle and effective. As is the film’s use of character introduction titles, sound effects, and voiceovers that are scattered throughout the film. I was pleasantly surprised by Cheng and Kwok’s restraint when it came to the fight scenes. Most modern directors rely heavily on quick edits to enhance the action, yet Gallants let the action speak for itself. When fights occur, the audience is able to fully observe the fluid moves, and years of experience, that Bruce Leung and Chen Kuan-Tai bring to the picture.

Speaking of Bruce Leung and Chen Kuan-Tai, their comedic timing is almost as flawless as their martial art moves. They consistently keep the humour level high even during the occasional times where the films pacing slows down. The only person who is able to match Leung and Kaun-Tai’s performances is Teddy Robin, who is wonderful as the womanizing Master Law. Teddy Robin manages to steal almost every scene he is in. Whether he is confusing Cheung with two other people at the same time, hitting on women, or partying in shady bars, Robin’s Master Law frequently garners huge laughs from the audience.

Although some will compare the film to the equally entertaining Kung Fu Hustle, Gallants is a film that successfully carves out its own path. Gallants is a film that offers both satisfying action and laugh out loud comedy.