Text and Context: Films on Fonts, Words, Books, and Literacy Itself

Inspired by the exhibition Giving Notice: Words on Walls, our film curator Ron Foley Macdonald has organized this series which looks at the very act of reading, print and language. From documentary to drama, these thought-provoking films present a wide range of cinematic and narrative styles from around the world.

Screenings Wednesdays at 8pm. Free Admission

6 October- Helvetica

Gary Hustwit, UK/USA, 2007, 80 minutes. A font developed for its immediacy, clarity and style becomes an exercise in design excellence to the point where it becomes a state of mind.

13 October- The Pillow Book

Peter Greenaway, France/Luxembourg/Netherlands/UK, 1996, 126 minutes. Ewan McGregor stars in this frankly erotic tale of two lovers who paint messages on their bodies throughout their affair. Warning: Adult material.

20 October- Nightjohn

Charles Burnett, USA, 1996, 92 minutes. Ultra-realist African-American filmmaker Charles Burnett's rare foray into costume drama tells the story of slaves risking everything to learn to read and write in the years leading up to the American Civil War.

27 October- The Saragossa Manuscript

Wojciech Has, Poland, 1965, 175 minutes. Reportedly Jerry Garcia's favourite film, this surrealistic Napoleonic-era costume drama remains a cult classic due to its starling 'tales within tales' structure.

3 November- Fahrenheit 451

Francois Truffaut, France/UK, 1966, 112 minutes. Ray Bradbury's chilling story takes place in a future when books are banned and living people who have memorized entire books to preserve them orally- must take their place.

10 November- McLuhan's Wake

Kevin McMahon, Canada, 2002, 93 minutes. A documentary exploration of the great media theorist's ideas, using everything from animation to archival footage.

17 November- Mysterious Object at Noon

Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand, 2003, 83 minutes. a surreal, seemingly random collection of stories put together by this year's Cannes Golden Lion Winner; one of the world's most fascinating cinematic storytellers, Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

24 November- Youth Without Youth

Francis Ford Coppola, USA, 2007, 121 minutes. Francis (The Godfather) Coppola's reverse aging film -- adapted from author Mircea Eliade's novella The Sacred and Profane -- sees a love story evolve into a mystic search for the origins of language.