In order to present a series of thought provoking documentaries, the Shatford Centre will be transforming its auditorium into a movie theatre next weekend.
The We Love Documentary Film Festival runs from Oct. 16 to 18, and will feature six documentaries that all emphasize unique aspects of modern culture.
This year’s films are Unbranded, The Messenger, Being Canadian, Advanced Style, Casting By, and All the Time in the World.
Jane Shaak, executive director for Okanagan School of the Arts, said the film selection caters to a Penticton audience in many ways.
Unbranded, which follows modern day cowboys on a journey leading wild horses from Mexico to Canada, “is something that’s special for us because we have the wild horses here, and it’s quite an amazing show about them.”
Shaak said The Messenger will be popular among nature lovers as it emphasizes the vulnerability of endangered birds.
“It’s a really poignant,” she said. “Beautiful filmmaking that shares a story about what we can do to keep the birds around.”
Being Canadian is scheduled to run on Oct. 18 – the day before the federal election, as it ambiguously defines Canadian culture.
“We thought it was really appropriate because it’s taking place the night before the election, and it’s a really neat overview of Canada,” she said. “The producers of the film drove across Canada and tried to define what is Canadian. They come up with a whole bunch of ideas about that, and it ends very nicely. It’s a very entertaining snapshot of what people think inside the country and outside, so it’s a chance to see ourselves from another point of view.”
To feed the common curiosity of what it would be like to live off the grid, All the Time in the World documents a family that spent nine months living in the wilderness of the Yukon.
“These films are all about real things that happen, and they tell beautiful stories,” said Shaak.
Taking a much different perspective from the Yukon lifestyle, Casting By will focus on the role of a casting director in Hollywood.
For the fourth year, the event is being run by the executive director of the Documentary Organization of Canada, Pepita Ferrari from Quebec. Ferrari normally shares her presentations in much larger communities throughout North America, but is able to organize showings in Penticton each year because of a family tie.
“She picks six high quality films that she’s carefully considered for the community,” Shaak said. “It will be a really intense, educational experience.”
The festival begins with the showing of All the Time in the World at 7 p.m. on the 16th. On Oct. 17th, Casting By will play at 1 p.m.; The Messenger runs at 3 p.m., and Unbranded starts at 7 p.m. On Oct. 18, Advanced Style is showing at 1 p.m., and focuses the approach to aging taken by seven New Yorkers with eclectic personalities. Being Canadian will be the final documentary of the festival and starts at 3 p.m.
“Documentaries are an art form,” Shaak said. “It’s also a chance for us to really learn about other cultures, other issues and other world issues – it opens our awareness.”
