VIFF Day 15: Give Up Tomorrow, Bonsai, Everything and Everyone, Black Butterflies

With 1 more day to go at this year's Vancouver International Film Festival, and having seen a good number of films already, it was only 4 films on the schedule today, while tomorrow's finale will feature a full slate of 5 films: Michael, Happy Happy, Nuit #1, House of Tolerance and The Student.


GIVE UP TOMORROW (UK, USA)

Following the lines of injustice (such as in this year's Crime After Crime) is this documentary about the flight of Paco Larranaga, a young Spanish/Filipino man who was convicted of murder and rape in the Philippines. Paco however is probably as innocent as innocent could be, he was not even in the city where the crime was committed and had numerous witnesses. However, with all the corruption and demand for justice, Paco's family has been fighting this for the past 13 years, battling life sentences and the death penalty all the while the victims' mother is pulling the strings to keep him locked up or dead as part of a personal vendetta. A well done documentary that strikes at you that injustice can happen to anyone anywhere.


4/5


BONSAI (Argentina, Chile, France)

A story within a story set 8 years apart, where Julio is writing the story of his first love Emilia from 8 years earlier. Intertwining past and present, it's a good story that is a little metaphorical of the literature it references.


3.5/5


EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE (Canada)

Tracy D Smith's latest is about a family who are just real people living their lives and things happening to them. Unlike similar descriptions in foreign films, Everything and Everyone is witty and heartbreaking as we roll through the days with Noah, his young son Ben, Noah's mother Rose, his father William, and his best friend Eric. Good performances by the all local cast as we look forward to Tracy's next film.


3.75/5


BLACK BUTTERFLIES (Germany, Netherlands, South Africa)

Carice Van Houten (from Black Book several years ago) plays Ingrid Jonker, a poet sometimes referred to as the South African Sylvia Plath. This biopic focuses on the last 5 years of her life, sharing beautiful and haunting poetry, the troubles Jonker faced (lack of acceptance and love from her father), her loves and the injustices she witnessed during Apartheid. With beautiful cinematography showing off the South African landscape and soundtrack, this is one to take in, how genius doesn't always come with long life and happiness.


3.75/5