 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | Marie Bergeron/CBC Arts | | | What’s the best feature film directed by a Canadian? The response is never the same, even if you ask the experts — and ask them we did!
Earlier this year, CBC Arts producers sent a poll to film programmers, critics and journalists from across the country. Eighty-three of them responded, suggesting everything from Aliens (dir. James Cameron) to Zero Patience (dir. John Greyson), but in the end, hundreds of titles were whittled down to this: The 50 Greatest Films Directed by Canadians.
If the ranking job had been left to me, This Is the End would’ve claimed the top spot instead of being ignored by the project entirely. (I guess that’s why I’m just a writer and not management.) Ultimately, an objective approach won out, and after some extensive Google Sheets wizardry, the results were determined. (Read more about the methodology here.)
That list has spawned a hefty editorial package for your long weekend reading. Montreal artist Marie Bergeron created original poster designs to accompany this gigantic listicle, and because movies are meant to be watched, you can find a companion playlist on CBC Gem. We’ll be giving you the chance to see a few of these films on the big screen too. Toronto’s Paradise Theatre will be hosting a whole program based on the project. (Skip below for all the details.)
But back to the top 50. You already know how I feel about things. (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were robbed!) But what if the rankings had been up to you? What’s the best feature film directed by a Canadian? Let me know! | | | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Erik Olson | | The Amsterdam Woman by Calgary-born artist Erik Olson. In Vancouver? Erik opens a retrospective exhibition (12 Years of Prints) July 6 at New Leaf Editions. | | | | |  | Tuan Vu | | Wood Nymphs, Satyr and the Young Spartans (Summer) by Tuan Vu. Duran Mashaal Gallery in Montreal will be showing more paintings by Tuan as part of its upcoming group show, Arrival (opens July 6). | | | | |  | Manabu Ikeda | | No amount of zooming in will give you a sense of the detail packed into this large-scale pen-and-ink drawing — yes, drawing! — by Manabu Ikeda. (Believe me, I’m just as frustrated as you are right now.) But if you’re anywhere near Whistler, B.C., get an eyeful in person. The Audain Art Museum is hosting an exhibition of his work (Flowers from the Wreckage) through Oct. 9, and on select dates, you can even watch the artist in action. (His studio hours are posted on the museum’s website.) | | | | |  | Alice Teichert | | Golden Silence by Alice Teichert. Her solo exhibition (Pulsar) at Edmonton’s Peter Robertson Gallery is on through July 8. | | | | |  | Marie Bergeron/CBC Arts | | | | | In Toronto? Join CBC Arts at Toronto’s Paradise Theatre to watch some of the greatest films ever directed by Canadians. The screening series starts July 9 with Alanis Obomsawin's Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance. | | | | |  | Courtesy of Norberg Hall | | | | | From Furby (and Garfield!) Ookpiks to soapstone 7-Eleven candy, the Sobey Art Award nominee tackles themes of cultural displacement with a killer sense of humour. | | | | |  | Hilary Lo | | | | | | | In this Q&A, the author of Ordinary Notes and In the Wake tells us about finding inspiration in the beautiful words of Toni Morrison. | | |  | Liron Gertsman | | Say what you will about pigeons, but this photo won Liron the grand prize at this year’s Audubon Photography Awards. Here he is on CBC’s As It Happens telling the story behind the photo, which he captured in White Rock, B.C. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
