Northern Lights

These unusual feature films and documentaries have been selected by Ron Foley Macdonald to compliment the exhibition The Idea of North. Nordic, Japanese and Canadian filmmakers present exciting, bizarre and, occasionally, transcendent views of the North — an ever-present backdrop to the often all-too-human action of the narratives.

18 January  Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner)

Jean-Paul Gauthier, Detail of Sonic Defrost At Galleri F 15, Moss, Norway, 2005

The Idea of North

Opening Reception Thursday, 12 January at 8pm

The Active Line: A Brief History of Film Animation

Motion picture animation has a long and distinguished history, sadly overshadowed by second-rate, mass-produced children’s cartoon entertainment. This 8-week survey of feature films and selected shorts attempts to place animation in its proper context in the history of the cinema. In additon, there will be three special presentations: an illustrated lecture on animation, a screening of local animators’ works and an introduction to the commercial animation industry in the Maritimes.

Dan Petrie Retrospective

The Nova Scotian-born Hollywood-based film director, producer, editor and script writer Daniel Petrie Senior was one of the most respected Canadian motion picture artists. A contemporary of giants such as Arthur Penn, Martin Scorsese and Robert Altman, his work has rarely been considered in the same context despite the many awards he won over nearly 50 years of filmmaking.