April Events

The Green Living Show - April 26, National Trade Centre
Speakers Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Ed Begley, Jr., Jean-Michele Cousteau were thought-provoking, amusing and inspiring, in that order. They all "walk the talk" with Kennedy offering anti-Bush facts to back up his many legal cases and Begley setting an example of "how to" live with a minimal footprint. It's ironic that, as a result of the TTC walk-out, many of us needed to car pool to reach the show at the CNE grounds. It was worth the effort for a full day of lectures, learning and loads of food samples. Mmm, chocolate with chili - don't snigger until you've tried it!

HotDocs 2008
It was another great year for documentary films at this specialized film festival, with the real magic lying in the insightful Q&A sessions.
Song Sung Blue, about the ups and down of a life-long Neil Diamond impersonator was a strong opening note. Filmed over an eight year period, with a back story that stretched out 20 years, it was a very personal tale indeed.
Couldn’t miss All Together Now, the “making of” story about the Las Vegas show LOVE featuring remixed Beatles tunes and staring Cirque du Soleil. I’ve seen LOVE twice and was pleased to say hi to Giles Martin.
And, how about At the Death House Door? The story of a minister who agreed to comfort the first prison inmate to receive a lethal injection in Texas. He eventually stayed on for the next 95 deaths, secretly tape recording his private thoughts and impressions each time.
Flow: for the Love of Water was a preachy and formulaic call to action. But the after party was terrific with the director and several talking-head stars from the film, including my personal hero, Maude Barlow. Meeting and chatting with her was the true highlight of HotDocs 2008. That didn’t diminish the power of two additional stories about big, Nobel Peace Prize-style heroism. First, Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai followed Wangari’s initial mission to organize women to plant trees in Kenya as it grew to a plan to reforest the country and inevitably to the development of her political power. Second was Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma. More than Romeo Dallaire’s account of the Rwandan genocide, Orbinski witnessed and served in many other horrific and war-torn locales. He embodies dignity as he negotiates the payment of $500 for armed rebels not to kill his colleague, who sits strapped to a chair in a communal courtyard. Heroism is often simple and straightforward - “I can’t hide behind a door,” he said plainly.
Regretted missing? Flicker, Monterey Pop, Standard Operating Procedure, Virtual JFK.

LifeFest - April 4 A fun few hours, compliments of Shoppers Optimum points. With plenty of free food samples no one goes away hungry: pro-biotic bread, drinkable yogurt, organic apple sauce, turkey and a multitude of fruity drinks to wash it all down. The number of free samples has gone down, but the fire fighters were still handing out razers. The key note speakers Margaret Trudeau and daughter-in-law Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau delivered powerful messages about overcoming physical challenges: seek the professional help that is available, accept support from family and friends, give back more than you get and spend time with nature.

St. Lawrence Market Customer Appreciation Night, Apr 3
With tasty and plentiful food samples (don't forget about the sprouts in the basement!) and continuous entertainment I say Thank You to our historic Market and the generous vendors. Performers included traditional Greek music, Saxophone Quartet, Irish jigs and reels, and eye-popping samba dancers. Missed piper Ian MacIntosh. Darn.
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