TIFF14

It's been a long time since I've blogged...

But I've started a new blog that goes along with my new project.

Very quickly - 

I started a new foundation in support of raising awareness and funding for ALS (amytophic lateral sclerosis).

The foundation is called ALS Double Play.

We are on Facebook, Twitter, and are blogging too! (Website to come)

Okay - TIFF14

Lately there has been some "noise" that TIFF is no longer "the people's festival".

Some say it has become overly Hollywood-ized.

And while a lot of Torontonians enjoy wandering the streets of downtown Toronto with step ladders in tow, this girl, isn't into star gazing.

For me, it's all about seeing films I may never get to see otherwise.

• It's those crazy european films, full of gratuitous sex and violence...or in this year's case, a South African film full of gratuitous nudity and violent crime.
• It's the early morning documentary on a Saturday morning about what we teach children in school about history and politics in a country wrought with war and unrest (This is my land).
• It's about the heart warming story based on true events and histories of Sudanese refugees (The Good Lie).
• And it's the absolutely beautiful musical based on an off-Broadway play that got picked up and will be available next February (The Last Five Years).

Sure, meeting a celebrity would be so much fun!

I mean, seeing Anna Kendrick at the screening of The Last Five Years was even more fun due to the 12 year old girl sitting in front of us with her mom. She wanted to scream "I love you Anna!" and I did everything I could to help that little girl enjoy her moment with Hollywood in Toronto.

And I will never forget that year Martin Sheen came and sat down beside me at the Wintergarden Theatre. He showed up a few minutes early (for the after screening Q&A), leaned in to see where they were in the film and decided to watch the end of the film in the audience...next to me!!! Needless to say, I had a very hard time concentrating... But the film is gorgeous, it is called The Way, and they're actually screening it at movie night at my aunt's church in Stouffville next weekend!

It's day 9 of TIFF and tomorrow, on closing day I see two more.

Here's the run down so far:

1. The Last Five Years - musical with Anna Kendrick based on off-Broadway play. MUSIC is incredible

2. The Good Lie - moving Hollywood film on the experience of Sudanese refugees

3. This is my Land - Israeli doc on what Israeli and Palestinian children are taught about their history and politics 

4. Girlhood - plight of African immigrant girls in banlieux of Paris

5. Impunity - South African gratuitous nudity and extreme violence, then again, these things are still happening today in South Africa.

6. Aire Libre - acting was incredible...story was...difficult to sit through - Argentinian couple breaking up 

Saying Good bye

Life music at Bull and Bush
(if you watched the No. 1 Ladies' Detective tv show, it was was the location for
the Go Go Handsome Gentleman's Club)

I’m writing from the comfort of my kitchen table.

The tv is on for background noise;

Griffey is sleeping at my feet;

And the heat is on in the house;

How quickly things change and yet Botswana me seems so long ago.

It’s been 48 hours since I’ve been home.

Enough time for it to sink in that I’m no longer in Africa.

I’ve had the pleasure of arriving to a home decorated with a welcome home sign and banner, to a treat bowl filled with fruit and goodies for me (and Griffey), and potted spring flowers all over the house! (Thank you Stokes family!)

I’ve run into neighbours, received “welcome home” text messages and phone calls from friends, enjoyed dim sum with the family and enjoyed Dad’s home cooking.

The week before I left Botswana I looked forward to being home-

Everything about home – my family, my dog, my house, my car, my space, Toronto food, etc. etc.

In this excitement I forgot about having to say goodbye to my life and the people who had become part of my life in Africa. Here are a few good bye’s…

With Winnie, our housekeeper

A few days before leaving I told Belé (our office man) that I was going home on Saturday.

He just stood there not understanding.

He thought I was just going home for a visit.

No, I had to explain, I was going home for good…

In the days following that, Belé was seen sticking his head in our office, as if to make sure, I was still there…like I didn’t leave early or anything.

We shared a moment one afternoon where he took my picture with his cell phone camera.

Then he told me how he was going to show my picture to his mom, and tell her all about me and share the chocolate that I gave him with her.

Funny thing is…due to circumstance and timing, we never got to say goodbye.

On Saturday morning I woke up in a sweat.

I was terrified knowing that my housemates would be out and that I was the only one that was going to be in the house and that I needed to let Winnie, our housekeeper in…

It was only 7:30am.

Phew. I had time.

Winnie had a lot of work to do that Saturday morning because both Junior and I were leaving and two new people were moving into our rooms that evening!

When Winnie later knocked on my door to say good morning, I invited her in telling her I had something for her.

I opened my closet door to reveal a stack of clothing and a couple pairs of shoes for her and her family (Winnie has three children and travels 1 hour each way to get to our Casa Maria three times a week).

She literally fell into my arms giving me a gigantic hug.

Winnie asked about my family and if I had siblings.

with Curtis, our garden/pool boy

She said she would pray for my family and send us blessings.

She also asked for my information and that she would borrow her sister’s telephone to “What’sApp” me…

Later, before leaving the house, I asked the boys to take a photo of Winnie and I by the pool.

She put one arm around me and placed the other on my chest.

I’m not entirely certain what this meant, but I’m thinking it’s something from her tribe…a respect thing.

Whatever it was, it was sweet and I will remember her kindness.

Saying good bye to one of my client counterparts was surprisingly sweet.

Matlapeng led our group from the local side, along with Kaelo and Boa.

Matlapeng and Kaelo were both educators in their past lives and Boa is a young Batswana who was educated abroad. The three of them were a fabulous team to work with, fresh ideas and lots of healthy discussion, both amongst themselves and with our team as well.

In saying good bye, Matlapeng held my hands in his, looked me in the eyes and said, “I am grateful to have met you.”

I am still thinking about these words today.

I am grateful to have met you.

What did I do? What did I say?

Have others impacted my life in the same way?

Who am I grateful to have met?

I should tell them…

Life is short.

I am grateful to have spent almost ten weeks in Africa.

But my life is here at home, waiting for me to jump in and get going…

I’m still in a bit of a fog…but slowly acclimatizing.

I’ve got one more blog in mind about my time in Johannesburg (we had an eight hour layover).

I’ll share that with you next time.

...and that's a wrap TIFF12!

Home before 10pm.
It’s the first time in 11 days.
TIFF12 had taken a hold of my life, as it had for the past 10 years or so...
Every year is the same.
For 11 days in September I live off Starbucks, get 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night, and eat absolutely horribly (popcorn, street meat, fast-food burgers...oh my!).
And every year it is absolutely worth it!

I love how full the streets of Toronto are.
I love the endless amounts of tourists in the city.
I love the amazing vibe Toronto gets.
TIFF is simply amazing for the city.

On Day 11 of TIFF12 I walked in the middle of Queen St West, just because I could. The streets are empty on Sunday mornings and I was out there early...due to the 9:15am screening of Disconnect.

Disconnect had a great story for our times. No matter how connected we are with our laptops, cellphones, text messages, facetime, and chat rooms, we are not emotionally connected. Jason Bateman and Alexander Skarsgard are awesome in this film!

And closing TIFF for me this year was Zaytoun. And anyone who knows me knows my connection to the middle east. So Zaytoun was going to be special to me no matter what! First of all Stephen Dorff aged quite well...he makes a perfectly handsome Israeli soldier. His Hebrew is okay...but I will overlook it! :) Zaytoun is about an Israeli soldier and how a very unlikely young Palestinian boy helps him to safety. Forget about politics. This is about the friendship that grows between the two. 
OH! And treat of all treats! Even on the last day of TIFF we were given the opportunity to have a Q&A session with Zaytoun’s Oscar winning producer Gareth Unwin! AWESOME!
Fun facts: Zaytoun means olives in Arabic. Zayteem means olives in Hebrew. Zaytoun won 2nd runner-up for the People's Choice Awards at TIFF12 (that means...GO SEE IT!!!)





Tomorrow life goes back to normal...I welcome it. Back to hot yoga, long walks and cuddles with my pup, dinner with friends and time with the fam... (OH and I should probably detox from all the horrible food and drinks I've consumed!)

Til next year TIFF! (And in the meantime, I will begin my search for all the amazing films I didn’t have time to see...Laurence Anyways, Silver Linings Playbooks, Bad25, Antiviral, etc. etc.)


And the final TIFF12 ranking according to me:

1. The Gatekeepers - documentary about Israel’s internal intelligence agency, just absolutely incredible
2. White Elephant (Elefante Blanco) – a very powerful film about two priests in the slums of Buenos Aires
3. Zaytoun - stop focusing on politics. This film is about the friendship that builds between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian boy.
4. Imagine - a beautiful film set in Lisbon about a school for blind children and their very unconventional teacher
5. 7 Boxes (Siete Cajas) - a super fun film from Paraguay about a teen who must guard 7 boxes with his life!
6. Twice Born (Venuto Al Mundo) - Penelope Cruz relives her past in Sarajevo. Heavy and amazing.
7. The Paperboy - Deep south 1969 America. Murder and sexual tension, weird combo, but it works.
8. Disconnect - A “Crash” like film that reminds us even through our “connections” we aren’t really connected emotionally at all.
9. First Comes Love - documentary about a 41 year old woman who decides to have a child on her own
10. Bright Day – Finding yourself in India
11. Le Capital - an French “Hollywood” type film with a dramatic lead played by a stand up comic! (after finding that out, totally made it for me!)
12. Viola -  A masterful combination of 7 Shakespearean plays, all with the most beautiful Argentinian Spanish

Madge visits the TDot

When you think of Madonna, what comes to mind? For me it's pointy bras and torn lace gloves... Madonna of 2012 is somewhat more refined...and fabulously kept for a woman who is over 50, singing and dancing on stage, night after night with an obscene amount energy!

There were moments when I could not understand where dear Madge was coming from with her potty mouth, new obsession with guns and violence, but then she'd launch into a fun rendition of Papa Don't Preach and all was well again.

She was fun and energetic and crazy and political...those searching for the material girl of the late 80's, early 90's would have been disappointed, but I had a party! :) And hey, it was a great little diversion from TIFF12!