Toronto Film Review Presents : Joyce Wieland Tribute with Kay Armatage

Come join us for a tribute to the great Canadian artist Joyce Wieland at the end of October. A pioneering feminist artist in Canada during the '60s and '70s (when the arts scene was still predominantly male dominated), Wieland was able to create original, emotive and vibrant work, in a variety of mix medias, that was able to challenge ideas of nationhood, women-hood and the environment, usually taking on a militant stance towards major politicians and industry. Perhaps less well-known today, Wieland career as a filmmaker has left an important mark on Canadian film history: The Far Shore (1976), a Tom Thomson biopic, is for me one of the greatest films ever made in this country, and her more experimental Reason over Passion (1969) is as audacious and formally innovative as anything by Michael Snow (whom she had been married to).

Now over 20 years after Wieland's death, the Toronto Film Review Presents will be doing a tribute to her by showing Kay Armatage's fascinating documentary, Artist on Film: The Work of Joyce Wieland (1987). It will be a great opportunity to catch a more candid and lively portrait of this mythic figure in the Canadian arts. Armatage will be in attendance to discuss Wieland and also her own work, and we'll also be showing Speakbody (1979).

This focus on artist documentaries continues our series' attention to them, which has included Glenn Gould's Toronto, Jennifer Hodge: The Glory and the Pain and Joe David: Spirit of the Mask.

And, as per the tradition of the series, we'll also be showing a newer short film, Rebeccah Love's Drawing Duncan Palmer.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

The Toronto on Film ! programs is a series that takes place at the Media Commons in Robarts Library whose goal is to promote rarities and the diversity of Canadian cinema and its history. There will be screenings once a month throughout the semesters.