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Urban Planner: March 26, 2010
Urban Planner is Torontoist’s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to [email protected].
Photo taken from the production of The Coca-Cola Case. Courtesy of the NFB.
FILM: Murder, torture, kidnappings. And Coke? Produced by Argus Films in collaboration with the amazing folks at the NFB, The Coca-Cola Case follows labour-rights lawyers Daniel Kovalik and Terry Collingsworth, along with “Stop Killer Coke activist Ray Rogers, as they attempt to hold a giant multinational beverage company accountable in a legal and human-rights battle spurred by sordid events at bottling plants in Colombia. Directors German Gutierrez and Carmen Garcia will be in attendance at this exclusive limited engagement to introduce the film and field audience questions after the screening. Royal Cinema (608 College Street), 7 p.m., $10, $8 students and seniors.
WORDS: It turns out storytelling is neither a lost nor forgotten art—even in today’s 140-character landscape—as evidenced by the thirty-second annual Toronto Storytelling Festival, which kicked off yesterday and continues all weekend. Headlining the event is NYC’s Diane Wolkstein, for whom Mayor Michael Bloomberg named a day in celebration of her four decades of storytelling, and the U.K.’s Geoff Mead, storyteller, author, and director of the Centre for Narrative Leadership. On today’s agenda is a master class workshop led by Mead, Wolkstein’s take on “The Monkey King: Journey to the West” (a Taoist adventure from the sixteenth century) and two Fabled City events (“Eliza’s Story” and “No Irish Need Apply”) at Toronto’s historic museums. Various locations across the city, various times, $2–$20 (purchase online or by calling 416-656-2445).
FILM: In Trunk Show, Jonathan Demme lays out a cinematic display of the unique “goods” picked up along Neil Young‘s musical journey, all of which have had a significant impact on the relentless Canadian mega star. A riveting and intimate picture of Young, the documentary portrays Young in many different contexts—from seeing him on a stage full of personal icons to alone in a circle of his beloved guitars. The film offers acoustic numbers, searing rock anthems like “Cinnamon Girl,” as well as some rarely performed pieces (including “Ambulance Blues”) that give us a look at Young’s less-public persona. Royal Cinema (608 College Street), 9:30 p.m., $10, $8 students and seniors.
COMICS: Whether you proudly profess your comic-book geekdom, cling to the nostalgia of the comics of your youth, or have little ones who are just getting into the genre, the Toronto Comic Con is a fun place to meet your favourite artists, creators, and industry celebrities. Headlined by star Eliza Dushku, this year’s convention continues the tradition of celebrating the very best pop-culture icons from comics, toys, movies, tv, and video games. The event will also offer tabletop and trading-card gaming tournaments, and a kids’ costume contest on Sunday. (We’ll be there too, though we make no promises about donning comic-themed costumes.) Direct Energy Centre (100 Princes’ Boulevard, Exhibition Place), noon today, ending 5 p.m. on Sunday, $20–$29.
ART: The Power Plant opens four new solo shows today, all of which explore in different ways the concept of “screen space.” From pioneering video artist Peter Campus‘s psychological investigations to rising twenty-eight-year-old star Ryan Trecartin, who captures the chaotic mindset of a generation raised by the internet, the exhibition offers a vast array of interpretations of the relationships between viewer, moving images, and the gallery’s space. Joining these two artists are Sharon Lockhart, who works from a traditional, anthropological documentary perspective, and Joachim Koester, whose 16mm films evoke altered mental states. Come view the results. The Power Plant (231 Queens Quay West), 12–6 p.m. on Fridays, FREE.
Regrettably, Eliza Dushku has cancelled her planned appearance at Toronto Comic Con, and will not be in attendance this weekend.