My Winnipeg
What really struck me about 2007's MY WINNIPEG was how relatable it is. For all of its insane creativity, observation, and eccentricity, writer/director Guy Maddin's "docu-fantasia" about his titular hometown in Manitoba, Canada speaks to anyone who has spent all or most of their lives in the same city, no matter where it may be. Where changing times inevitably reveal regrettable civic and corporate decisions. Things seemingly as slight as the removal of a beloved neighborhood tree to the monumental horrors of razing hockey arenas and closing department stores, places which formed our identities. Maddin narrates his film, describing Winnipeg as a snow clogged, sleepy place that no one can quite leave. Because they are so sleepy. An actor playing him is periodically seen on a train, barely able to rouse himself to look out the window, to follow a route and finally escape. He hits upon an idea - "film his way out." This will involve re...
