by Kyle Wells [email protected] A new initiative is bringing the best in contemporary documentary filmmaking to Powell River through monthly screenings and discussions intended to entertain and inform.
The Savoir-Faire Film Pact takes place on the first Sunday of every month at Cranberry Community Hall and brings together films, audiences, ideas, filmmakers and discussion.
Savoir means “to know” and faire means “to do,” which founder and organizer Daniel Adaszynski sees as two essential components of the project. The knowledge comes through the screenings of films and the discussions that follow; the action hopefully comes from the inspiration of the film and as a follow through from the education.
“I wanted to set up some sort of venue that would bring people together on a regular basis for something that’s amusing as well as informative,” said Adaszynski.
While the screenings provide an opportunity to attend a relaxing, informal event on a Sunday evening they also offer the opportunity to engage in discussions and dialogue over the content of the films. After each screening the audience is invited to stay for a discussion on what they just watched.
For the first screening the group viewed The Take, a 2004 film by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis about a group of factory workers in Argentina who occupy an out-of-operation automobile plant to resume production and create work as a collective.
Participants expressed a desire for documentaries with more of a local connection or that focus on small town topics. Along these lines the pact screened The Clean Bin Project, a film from Vancouver about a couple who spend a year attempting to live life as waste-free as possible. The filmmakers attended the event and a question and answer-type discussion followed the film.
The desire for local films led the pact to its next screening, Tony Papa’s Defining Diversity, Creating Community. This locally produced documentary explores the many influences that shape the community of Powell River. Once again, much of the local talent behind the film will be at the screening to take part
in the ensuing discussion.
Adaszynski said the discussions so far have been spirited and thought provoking, but also civil and respectful. Audience members have a choice whether they want to stay for the discussion or not.
The structure of the project is designed so that there is no formal member structure or leadership. Adaszynski facilitates the screenings, runs the Facebook page and speaks on behalf of the project, but the format of the nights and the films that are shown is up to the members to decide.
“The people who are attending are obviously the ones who care and the ones who are going to be watching the next film,” said Adaszynski. “So really, what films are going to be watched is their right.”
From now on the screenings are also going to be pot lucks, so audiences don’t have to worry about eating beforehand. Attendance at the films is by donation with the money going back into the screenings. Organizers are more than willing to screen films with subtitles when available.
Defining Diversity, Creating Community will be screened at 5:30 pm on Sunday, November 6 at Cranberry Community Hall.
