What to Watch at TIFF 2013: day six

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The Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon the city, and with hundreds of choices, picking the right film to see can be overwhelming. We’ll be bringing you recommendations every day, from major Hollywood features to compelling docs — the best from around the world. These are films that deserve to be seen, either during the festival or after.

Tracks

Rating: 3.5/5

The talented and captivating Mia Wasikowska stars in three films at TIFF. In this one, the Australia-born actress finds herself portraying Robyn Davidson, a famed trekker in Aussie history. In 1977, Davidson decided to cross the Australian desert alone.

Why exactly? Well, the film doesn’t dig too deeply into Davidson’s past, but it does embrace her curiosity and determination.

Tracks is bathed in sunlight. The heat is palpable, and Wasikowska is shown with all the effects that an isolated sun-soaked trek would have. Davidson’s animal companions — a quartet of camels and her faithful dog — keep the film noisy and cinematic.

It’s more about the journey than the destination, and more about the how than the why, but it’s a fascinating tale to watch unfold, with a very refreshing ending.

Sept. 10, Visa Screening Room (Elgin), 6 p.m.
Sept. 11, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 2:45 p.m.

The Sacrament

Rating: 3/5

An entry into the Vanguard programme, this tension-filled, moody, psychological thriller is brought to us by the surging young director Ti West. The Sacrament is not for everyone, as this found-footage film is a slow, determined look at fanaticism and cult behavior.

Provided you buy into the conceit, which follows a three-man team from Vice magazine as they investigate a remote commune, you will find much to enjoy. West stays dedicated to his cause, bringing the audience on the same journey as his protagonists. Their initial hesitation is heightened upon arrival to the rural escape, then alleviated by charm, then once again enforced as secrets are revealed.

We all know something is coming, we just don’t know what. West takes his time, keeps his film focused and takes us through a simplistic yet terrifying finale. This one may divide audiences, but it’s surely memorable.

Sept. 10, Scotiabank 7, 9:45 p.m.
Sept. 13, Scotiabank 3, 8:45 p.m.

When Jews Were Funny

Rating: 3/5

Alan Zweig’s personal and curious documentary centers on one simple question with many different answers. Zweig feels that all the comedians that he idolized from the ’50s and ’60s were Jewish, but he isn’t quite sure why he feels that way. He also wonders if the kind of comedy created in that era might ever exist in the same way again.

Interviews with a variety of Jewish comics produce opposing thoughts and many funny jokes. Older comedians such as Shelley Berman and Jack Carter deny Zweig’s notion, contesting the idea of a Jewish comic. The comedians of the next generation, though, including Howie Mandel and Bob Einstein, offer different theories.

What makes When Jews Were Funny interesting is that the director doesn’t have a specific answer in mind, so he allows for all kinds of thoughts and theories, even if they challenge his initial idea. Viewers will have their own opinions too, and so with lots of think about, and lots to laugh at, Zweig’s doc is refreshingly open-ended and witty.

Sept. 10, Scotiabank 13, 9:15 p.m.
Sept. 15, Scotiabank 9, 4:45 p.m.

Wanted: this made-in-Toronto leather varsity jacket

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The benefits of buying locally produced garments are not to be underestimated. Sure, you probably won’t find a polyester dress for $20, but by paying a little more, you get the satisfaction of knowing that the things you adorn your body with are strengthening our local economy, won’t cause further environmental damage through the extensive use of transport energy and aren’t contributing to the proliferation of sweatshops.

Despite these benefits, buying domestically manufactured goods in Canada hasn’t always been easy. For reasons that are both obvious and depressing, fast fashion giants and department stores owned by multinationals dominate the retail landscape. But thanks to the Internet, and informative articles like the one you’re reading right now, reppin’ Toronto with your clothes can be as easy as clicking on a link or two.

Outclass is a menswear line designed and manufactured right here in Toronto. Uninterested in capturing the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it runway trends, founder and designer Matteo Sgaramella started the label in order to satisfy the demand for classic pieces with a modern twist, made from quality fabrics and durably crafted to stand the test of time. To put it simply, if you’re a sophisticated dude with an urban flair, or if you’re Drake, Outclass is the brand for you.

One of the coolest pieces from the fall/winter 2012 collection is this grey pilot bomber, now on sale for a very reasonable $325. Constructed in Canada, this jacket is made from 100 per cent wool in the body and 100 per cent leather sleeves. The varsity style is, despite not trying, very much on trend, and it’s perfect for back-to-school season.

Also available in black, this garment can be purchased directly through the Outclass website, and other Outclass gear can be found at stores such as Gerhard Supply in the Junction.

$325. Available at Outclass, 647-654-2474

What to Watch at TIFF 2013: day five

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The Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon the city, and with hundreds of choices, picking the right film to see can be overwhelming. We’ll be bringing you recommendations every day, from major Hollywood features to compelling docs — the best from around the world. These are films that deserve to be seen, either during the festival or after.

For No Good Reason

Rating: 3.5/5

Ralph Steadman — the famed artist whose pictures complemented the words of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson — is the focus of this fascinating and fun documentary. Charlie Paul’s debut feature sees Johnny Depp, who has portrayed Thompson onscreen, visit Steadman to reflect upon his past while watching the prolific artist create new works of art.

It’s a lighthearted and curious look back at Steadman’s escapades with Thompson, which saw the two beset the Kentucky Derby and many other places. Steadman’s style is iconic, and his portfolio vast; in the film, we watch him add to his collection, beginning with an empty canvas and scattering streaks and dollops of paint to bring an image to life.

What makes this illuminating film most enjoyable is its whimsical score and the animation of Steadman’s art, of which so much is shocking, poignant and even disturbing. It’s a stylish profile of an iconic man who keeps on plugging along.

Sept. 9, TIFF Bell Lightbox 3, 7:15 p.m.

The Invisible Woman

Rating: 3/5

In his second go at directing, Ralph Fiennes brings to life another story of love and betrayal, just as he did so effectively with Coriolanus (except now it’s without blood and violence). This time he recounts and dramatizes the romantic affair between author Charles Dickens (Fiennes) and a young actress and admirer, Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones).

Fiennes’ Dickens is a genuinely warm presence, eager to burn the candle at both ends. He is a man full of life and ideas, but when he meets a young actress who will be in his new play, his world changes instantly.

For all his vibrancy, Dickens has a bit of a dark side. He lies to his wife, then easily ignores her protestations and melancholia. It is a slow and affecting historical drama, less a passionate physical affair than an emotional and mental connection that develops between two characters. Fiennes triumphs as an excitable Dickens, and Jones inhabits an earnest young woman torn between her head and her heart.

Sept. 9, Visa Screening Room (Elgin), 6 p.m.
Sept. 10, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 11:45 a.m.

Blue Ruin

Rating: 4.5/5

This stark and bloody story of vengeance centers upon an unlikely sympathetic character, the modest and wayward Dwight (Macon Blair). He is a wildly-bearded vagrant, diving in dumpsters, sneaking into houses and sleeping in his very old (and very beat up) car.

The audience doesn’t quite know what happened in the past, but Dwight learns that a man is being released from prison, and he sets out to find this person and kill him.

It’s a quiet, tempered and cerebral film that shocks and startles throughout. Macon plays Dwight with a heavy heart, portraying a man clearly burdened by a past he cannot escape, and trying dearly to find solace in the present. You feel for his character, even when he’s in over his head — you just hope he can find peace.

Sept. 9, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 8 p.m.
Sept. 11, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 12 p.m.

What to Watch at TIFF 2013: day four

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The Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon the city, and with hundreds of choices, picking the right film to see can be overwhelming. We’ll be bringing you recommendations every day, from major Hollywood features to compelling docs — the best from around the world. These are films that deserve to be seen, either during the festival or after.

Labor Day

Rating: 3/5

Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin star in this intimate and tense family drama that takes place over the course of an unforgettable Labor Day weekend in the ’80s. Brolin plays Frank, an escaped convict who encounters 13-year-old Henry and his reclusive mother in a department store and forces them to take him to safety.

With his physical prowess, menacing goatee and measured speech, Frank is unpredictable. Winslet’s Adele is soft-spoken and vulnerable, while young Henry watches with protective eyes. As we slowly learn about the past of both Frank and Adele — two people who share more in common than it initially seems — they start to form a bond. Frank, Adele and Henry all have voids in their lives that need to be filled, and each will see their life change dramatically with what transpires.

Beautifully shot and directed by Canadian filmmaker Jason Reitman, Labor Day is powerful and poignant, lifted by great performances from the leads and youngster Gattlin Griffith. Subtle and nuanced, this film festival entry looks to make big waves come award season.

Sept. 8, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 9 a.m.
Sept 14., Ryerson Theatre, 6 p.m.

The Armstrong Lie

Rating: 4.5/5

In 2009, director Alex Gibney set out to make a documentary about Lance Armstrong’s dramatic return to cycling. Armstong was seeking an eighth win at the Tour de France while continuing to shrug off accusations of doping.

What happened during filming, however, was something that seems to happen with the best documentaries — the narrative changed drastically as Armstrong was stripped of his titles for using illegal drugs to enhance his performance.

Gibney, like so many others, was duped by Armstrong. He chronicles the plight of those harmed by Armstrong’s insatiable desire to win, and is also given an exclusive interview with the controversial Armstrong in this comprehensive and riveting documentary.

Sept. 8, Ryerson Theatre, 2:45 p.m.
Sept. 9, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 2:15 p.m.

The Unknown Known

Rating: 4/5

Famed documentarian Errol Morris creates an engaging film around a lengthy interview with former U. S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. A man who has been at the ear of many Presidents, Rumsfeld wrote hundreds of thousands of notes and memos to himself and staff, and Morris dives into these correspondences.

The title refers to the Iraq War, a phrase crafted by Rumsfeld, who seemed to embrace words and language. While Morris discusses post-9/11 America as well as Rumsfeld’s rise through politics, he paints a beautiful picture on-screen with words and haunting images, propelled by a curious Danny Elfman score. Rumsfeld is candid and charming, and Morris’s questions elicit fascinating answers from a man who loves to talk.

Sept. 8, TIFF Lightbox 1, 6:45 p.m.
Sept. 10, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 9 a.m.

What to Watch at TIFF 2013: day three

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The Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon the city, and with hundreds of choices, picking the right film to see can be overwhelming. We’ll be bringing you recommendations every day, from major Hollywood features to compelling docs — the best from around the world. These are films that deserve to be seen, either during the festival or after.

Fifth Estate

Rating: 4/5

Benedict Cumberbatch, the Internet’s current favourite celebrity, plays the white-haired Julian Assange in this taut and stylish drama about the rise of WikiLeaks and the largest disclosure of wartime documents and diplomatic cables in American history.

Director Bill Condon paints a fascinating portrait of a man who may be a pioneer, or who may be a traitor. This is a film with star-power, relevance and tense storytelling.

Sept. 7, Winter Garden Theatre, 12:30 p.m.

The Past

Rating: 3.5/5

Following up A Separation, director Asghar Farhadi returns with The Past, another impressively acted and intimate story about family life and cultural identity. Starring Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Farhadi tells a tale of a woman caught between men and between worlds.

As Marie (Bejo) tries to finalize her divorce, she moves closer to marrying a new man in her life. Her curious son and rebellious daughter associate more with the outgoing father figure rather than the incoming one — both of whom are Iranian men.

This slow-boiling, emotional drama examines the current and past lives of its three main characters, challenging the viewer to examine their flaws and fragility, as well as their earnestness and hope. The past slowly reveals itself as the characters struggle to move on to the next chapter in their lives.

Sept. 7, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 10:30 a.m.

Young & Beautiful

Rating: 3.5/5

It is yet another French film, and this one follows the sexual discovery and maturation of a teenage girl. Whereas Blue is the Warmest Color held the camera closely, drawing out the minor details of daily life in stark relief, François Ozon’s Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie) chronicles a year in the life of Isabelle (Marine Vacth) from a bit farther away.

We first meet her tanning on the beach; we watch through an onlooker’s binoculars. It is summer, and she enjoys the freedom that comes with the season, including a romance with a handsome jock to whom she loses her virginity.

As the seasons change, so does Isabelle. She embraces the detachment she felt during her first sexual encounter, deciding to sell her body to men. As time passes, emotions stir and she is forced to confront the lies she tells her friends and family. A gorgeously shot and well-acted exploration.

Sept. 7, Visa Screening Room (Elgin), 6 p.m.

Q&A with Toronto filmmaker Don McKellar

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Toronto filmmaker Don McKellar is one of the faces everyone expects to see at the Toronto International Film Festival. Before appearing in his first TIFF film — Bruce McDonald’s Roadkill — he worked at the festival. He hasn’t had a film at the festival since Blindness in 2008. But he’s back.

The Dundas Street West resident, who can often be found dining at the restaurant Campagnolo, has a new film at TIFF starring Gordon Pinsent, Taylor Kitsch and Brendan Gleeson. It premiers today. We chatted with McKellar about The Grand Seduction.

Tell me about The Grand Seduction.
It is about a small fishing village having a tough time in Newfoundland, and they find out they have a possibility for a factory that would employ them. To qualify, they need to have a resident doctor in town and they don’t. So when they have an opportunity to find a doctor, they do everything they can to seduce him to stay. So it isn’t a sweeping romance, it is about a town seducing a doctor.

How important is TIFF?
For this film, I felt that it was absolutely the only place in the world it could premiere. A Canadian film of this scope, with a largely Newfoundland cast, except for Brendan [Irish actor Brendan Gleeson]. So it had to be a Canadian festival. And I have such an association with the festival. I think it’ll be a real crowd pleaser and can play Roy Thomson Hall. Not many films play really well in that environment. TIFF seemed the only possibility, and I don’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t got it. It would have been very sad and pathetic.

It’s a great cast you’ve assembled, including a current Hollywood heartthrob. How was Taylor Kitsch to work with?
Taylor is fantastic in this film. His last few films were all those big action films, so this was a bit of a departure for him. He’s very charming, but his comic timing was a real surprise. He was excellent.

What will surprise people about this film?
It is one of those films that sort of sweeps you up. There are quite a few big surprises, and they are almost all comic surprises. What I loved most about the script was that it was really genuinely unpredictable. There are some big and beautifully imagined comic set pieces that are quite a delight.

What is the best part of presenting a film at TIFF and taking part in this experience?
For me, you know, it is different than for a lot of people. It is my hometown, and I have such emotional memories from the festival — of working there and showing all my greatest triumphs of my career, and all my friends will be there. It is complicated but such a rich experience for me.

All the Best Fine Foods is opening a second location in Church-Wellesley Village

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For almost 30 years, All The Best Fine Foods has supplied Rosedale with gourmet products and prepared food. Now the shop is opening a second store this October at 483 Church St., in the space that was previously About Cheese.

The new location is only 700 square feet (compared to the current 2,400), so according to co-owner Susan Merry, that will mean a tighter focus on “the best of what we do really well.”

Cheese and prepared offerings — such as baked goods, sandwiches and soups — will be mainstays. Pantry categories like olive oil and balsamic vinegar will be limited to one or two best-of-class selections.

With Cumbrae’s next door (and as the building’s landlord), the new All The Best will also look to supply products to complement what customers have purchased from the premium butcher.

Catering will also be a big part of the new business, and cheese education sessions are also in the works for both locations.

Renovations to the store will be mainly cosmetic — it is a cheese store already, but owners want customers to feel that they’re at All The Best — so the shop could be open as early as Oct. 1.

Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: a fantastic Riesling from an Ontario vineyard

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A stunning Riesling from winemaker Marlize Beyers. Pale straw colour with a floral, minerally nose developing petrol notes; medium-bodied, crisp lime and grapefruit flavours with racy acidity.

Food match: onion tart; ceviche

Hidden Bench Estate Riesling, 2011, Ontario, $23.95. Vintages #183491

Post City Magazines’ wine columnist, Tony Aspler, has written 14 books on wine and food. Tony also created the Ontario Wine Awards and has been inducted into the New York Media Wine Writers’ Hall of Fame. He can be heard on 680News.

What to Watch at TIFF 2013: day two

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The Toronto International Film Festival has descended upon the city, and with hundreds of choices, picking the right film to see can be overwhelming. We’ll be bringing you recommendations every day, from major Hollywood features to compelling docs — the best from around the world. These are films that deserve to be seen, either during the festival or after.

Watermark

Rating: 3.5/5

Manufactured Landscapes creators Edward Burtynsky and Jennifer Baichwal return with a stunningly beautiful and haunting documentary that expertly catalogues how humans around the world interact with — and often abuse — water.

A dried up riverbed, a polluted stream and an extensive abalone farm are just some of the many places across the globe chronicled in ultra-high definition by the pair. The film is propelled by its pictures — there is little dialogue or narration, but the astounding imagery conveys power, beauty and terror.

Those images seem otherworldly, and an almost terrifying portrait unfolds about the way in which humans have changed their environment and abused water systems everywhere.

Sept. 6, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8, Scotiabank Theatre 13, 9 a.m

Parkland

Rating: 3.5/5

This historical drama featuring an ensemble cast seems to fly by in minutes. Chronicling the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy and the days that followed, Parkland, named after the hospital that tried to revive JFK, is simple and tense. It employs an A-list cast, including Billy Bob Thornton, Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Paul Giamatti, Jacki Weaver and many other recognizable faces. Director Peter Landesman, meanwhile, makes his debut.

It’s a curious and fascinating movie, one that keeps a close eye on its many characters, and it offers up some interesting insight into what took place in hallways, offices, cars and Air Force One during that tumultuous time. Giamatti’s performance is perhaps the best as Abraham Zapruder, the man who captured the shooting on film. Also noteworthy is James Badge Dale as Lee Harvey Oswald’s brother, Robert.

Sept. 6, Roy Thomson Hall, 9:30 p.m.
Sept. 8, Winter Garden Theatre, 12:30 p.m.

Jason Reitman’s Live Read of Boogie Nights

This is a very hard ticket to get, so if you have your hands on this one, you’re golden. Oscar-nominated Canadian filmmaker Jason Reitman, whose feature Labor Day is playing during the festival, directs a stage reading of a Paul Thomas Anderson’s beloved Boogie Nights.

Reitman, who has been staging live reads for years now in Los Angeles, including ones of The Big Lebowski and Breaking Bad, is creating a one-night-only reading that is perhaps the most-anticipated non-film event of the festival. While Reitman will read directions and asides, his has assembled a talented and intriguing cast to take on some of the famed roles.

Joining on stage will be Olivia Wilde, Jason Sudeikis and Scott Thompson, with Dakota Fanning as Rollergirl and Josh Brolin as Jack Horner. No word yet who will take on the iconic role of Dirk Diggler.

Sept. 6, Ryerson Theatre, 6 p.m.

Barcelona hipsters, prepare to meet Toronto hipsters

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Spain has made its presence well known in Toronto as of late, but for at least one night this month, Spain is getting a taste of Toronto. On Sept. 20, chef Grant van Gameren and some colleagues — Brandon Olsen (chef de cuisine at Bar Isabel), Mike Webster (head bartender at Bar Isabel) and Colin Tooke (of Grand Electric and Electric Mud BBQ) — are hosting a pop-up dinner at Caravelle, a restaurant in Barcelona.

The one-night event will be part of a two-week research/relaxation trip through Spain undertaken by van Gameren and company. The pop-up began appropriately enough: while researching restaurants in the country, van Gameren googled “hipster restaurants Barcelona” and stumbled across Caravelle. He got in touch with owner Zim Sutton and everything fell into place from there. Van Gameren and his team will put out their own menu while working with Carevelle’s existing staff.

As for what will be served, van Gameren says it’ll mostly be a mixture of familiar items from Bar Isabel and Grand Electric. The Toronto crew is leaving its options open, but dishes likely to make an appearance include whole fish ceviche, tongue sandwich, blood sausage, spicy squid tostada and more.

Caravelle is handling the booking for those who happen to be in Spain for the event (Buca’s Rob Gentile and Grand Electric/Electric Mud’s Ian McGrenaghan are expected to show up). For the rest of us, van Gameren says he’s not opposed to making this an annual tradition if it works out well, so there’s always hope for next year.

Tapping into a powerful topic

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In Toronto’s east end, the Queen Street viaduct has carried streetcars, cyclists and pedestrians over the Don River since 1911. Daily, countless people cross the river, but with the passing of time, the waterway has blended into the fabric of the city — an unremarkable landmark.

Rarely, then, do we pause to contemplate this natural formation, which dates back thousands of years. This ambivalence toward the river isn’t unique to the Don, but speaks to the way in which humans often forget that our lives are shaped by water. (Just think of our own city’s borders: the said Don River marking entry into the east end, to the Humber River defining our westerly limits and to the south the vast Lake Ontario and our neglected waterfront.)

It is this very question of the intersection of people and water that is the basis of the latest collaboration between acclaimed Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky and Montreal director Jennifer Baichwal, Watermark, which is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Burtynsky has strong connections to this city, where he began and forged his career.

After studying at Ryerson, he recognized the need for a new kind of artistic space and in 1985 founded Toronto Image Works. Part gallery, part photo lab, part training facility, TIW has evolved into an essential multidisciplinary studio for the city’s arts community.

Burtynsky garnered acclaim for his photographs showing the intersection of landscape and industry.

Burtynsky and Baichwal first came together in 2006 to create Manufactured Landscapes, a documentary portrait of both Burtynsky’s photographs and his artistic process.

Premiering at TIFF that year, the film was met with critical praise internationally, being that rare kind of documentary that while politically loaded —Burtynsky’s focus was on oil —refuses didacticism.

As Manufactured Landscapes had the difficult task of translating the still medium of photography to moving images, the film’s success is a testament to the strength of the collaboration between the two —something both Burtynsky and Baichwal recognize as well.

Speaking with the photographer over the phone in Toronto, he says: “Soon after that film happened, we started talking about co-directing. It just took us until now to get there.”

And so, seven years on, two of Canada’s great artists have come together again, though this time the dynamics have changed. For the first time, Burtynsky has taken on a directorial role, sharing the credit with Baichwal, which she describes as “a marriage of strengths.”

Indeed, speaking with them separately only affirmed this, as individually they generously praise the other’s fortes. Baichwal speaks of Burtynsky’s “great capacity to see the wide view and to find a way of conveying scale.”

The photographer, on the other hand, admits this large-scale thinking has its limits, saying, “The film would suffer if it was just in that macro world, never entering the human dimension.”

He credits the micro aspect to Baichwal, who researched and evocatively captured the people who give a human face to the watery tale. Not surprisingly, Watermark bears thematic similarities to their previous collaboration, but the focus has moved away from Burtynsky to water itself.

“Manufactured Landscapes was about trying to intelligently translate the meaning of Ed’s photographs into film,” says Baichwal.

“In this case, we started out at the same time — we didn’t have to translate, we were doing it together,” she says.

Traversing the globe from Canada to Bangladesh and interweaving 20 stories, the film could be described as slow. Yet it seems more apt to call Watermark forcefully patient, as the film makes the viewer confront the titular element, using long takes of pounding waters at the Xiluodo Dam or sweeping shots of the dried-up Colorado River Delta.

Overall, the film takes on a cyclical structure, easily flowing between seemingly disparate locales. For instance, in one cut, we’re taken from the ritual bathing at the Ganges, where water is a spiritual source, to a Huntington Beach surfing competition, where humans battle to master the ocean’s waves.

Despite their difference, as the camera lingers on the scenes, the shared nature of water becomes clear, conveying a moving sense of connectivity.

The question of politics naturally comes up when talking about water, but when asked directly about this, neither co-director gives a clear answer.

“At the end of the day,” says Burtynsky, “I’m stepping back from the political and looking at our relationship with things.”

Similarly, Baichwal wants to “create a dialogue with a viewer,” noting that after the film, “You may not think of water the same way or treat it with the same nonchalance as you did before.”

Watermark achieves this open-ended form of discourse, as the film emphasizes visual storytelling over narration, creating meaning through juxtapositions of images.

With more than 199 hours of raw footage and no script, that this was accomplished was no small feat (the film took a year to edit).

But this method was crucial to Watermark’s anti-moralizing tone. As Baichwal explains: “Some [documentaries] begin with a script, but I’ve always found that to be a reductive process, as you can’t predict what reality is.”

Returning to the Queen viaduct, in the wrought iron structure that supports the bridge, there is a public art installation by Eldon Garnet that reads: “This River I Step in Is Not the River I Stand In.” The text arches above a clock, a gentle reminder to slow down and reflect upon the water beneath, which usually goes unheeded.

Crossing the bridge after seeing Watermark, however, you might be compelled to take a moment to look down at the river and contemplate its slow-moving journey.

In conjunction with the film Watermark is Burtynsky’s photographic exhibition as well as a book, Burtynsky: Water. The exhibition will premiere at Toronto’s Nicholas Metivier Gallery and run Sept. 5 to Oct. 12.

First Draught: Spirit Tree Draught Cider, a hard apple cider that stands out from the pack

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There is a very wide gap between good and bad cider, with not very much in the middle. Unfortunately, too much of the latter finds its way onto bar tap lists simply because it’s an alternative to beer and it doesn’t have gluten.

Spirit Tree’s Draught Cider — made in large part from the apples grown by the cidery — is a stunning example of a delicious cider. It is miles away from the cloying sweetness of mass-market ciders, but it has a wider range than the bone-dry imports, plus a subtle hint of the funkiness that we find in some sour beers.

The cider pours a very light straw yellow with a bit of fizz that quickly dissipates. To me, the aroma is clean and balances apple blossoms with McIntosh apple peel, but if you’re the type who vacuums your way out of the house, you might detect a bit of a gym-sock funkiness.

The flavour opens with more McIntosh and a hint of sweetness that leads into a slightly sour finish. The tart aftertaste (like a very mild Granny Smith) lingers pleasantly. The tart-sour element means that this cider can include a bit of sweetness without being thrown out of balance.

The funkiness on the nose and the sourness in the finish are both by-products of the traditional English cider yeast that Spirit Tree uses to ferment the Draught Cider. There is some Brettanomyces in that blend, so this cider shares characteristics with many of the world’s most complex beers.

The current LCBO release has been quite popular, so depending on what part of the city you’re in, you may only be able to find it in a local pub. Luckily, it’s on tap at barVolo and a few other establishments around town.

The Draught Cider — along with Apelager Cider, Pear Cider, Estate Reserve Cider and Ice Cider — is also available at Spirit Tree’s cidery in Caledon.

Spirit Tree Estate Cidery’s Draught Cider, $14.15 for four 330 ml bottles, LCBO #338160

In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including his own site, Food With Legs. He is also the author of the upcoming Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter or get in touch at [email protected].