The only way to do it

They say it is Blogtober! That's kind of like NaBloPoMo, but in October instead of November. I will give it a whirl and see if I can kickstart this blogging business again. 

Beautiful trees just down the street

Now that I am in Vancouver, the annual schedule of festivals and things has changed. The Vancouver International Film Festival is on right now; in Toronto I might have done TIFF in early September, but was really busy at the end of April with HotDocs. 

I have seen three movies so far, and do my first volunteer shift tomorrow. The Old Oak was about a small town in northern England dealing with incomers from foreign lands. Some people are nice and some are horribly racist and stuck in their ways. It could have become a bit sappy but it was well done. There is a happy ending; it's just not the happy ending one might expect. 

Yesterday I saw Mr Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe. For a Canadian of a certain age, Mr Dressup was the guy, in 1968 or so. Actually the show continued for almost 30 years! It was a feel-good movie with lots of interviews and chats with his coworkers and children and grandchildren. It will be on the CBC next year sometime. 

Another documentary today: Swan Song, about Karen Kain and the National Ballet of Canada, and covid, and Swan Lake, and ballerinas. It was lovely, but I now find these things so depressing. Mental stress, physical injuries, grand traditions that include racism and harmful stereotypes... who needs it? Karen Kain does seem like a lovely person and I would gladly sit down for a glass of wine with her, though!

Old habits die hard: I was very early for today's show

This film was also made with the help of the CBC and will show on their platforms in a short while. I think the CBC version will be longer and multi-part. 

I have a knitting project for home -- the blue top I showed you last time, and a knitting project for movie lineups -- a bunch of fingering weight scraps that I am knitting into a scarf. But it's dark now so I will show you that tomorrow!