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Monday, June 4, 2018
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Talking with Film Reporter Alicia Malone, Author of Backwards & In Heels
The only thing I love as much as watching movies is talking about movies and that’s why I was thrilled to talk to film reporter Alicia Malone. Malone is the host of the weekly show Indie Movie Guide on Fandango, and a host on Filmstruck, a movie streaming service by the Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies.
Malone was in Toronto to cover TIFF and promote her first book, Backwards & In Heels: The Past, Present And Future of Women Working In Film.
TorontoVerve: How did you become so passionate about film?
Alicia Malone: It started at an early age. My dad loved classic movies, so he used to drag me out of bed at night to watch the late night classic films. My mom also loved movies, and we would go to the video store every week and I would get 7 films for 7 days for 7 dollars. It wasn’t until I was a bit older at school that I realized that it was kind of a strange thing that not everyone loved classic movies as much as I did. But luckily, I now found the dream job where I get to see movies for a living.
TV: Do you recall the movie that really got you interested in film?
AM: I remember that Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first films that I saw that made me realize that someone was making it. That it was a director, that it was his vision, and that everything was there for a purpose. I thought that was really fascinating, so that led me to start reading film books and film history books to try to learn more about the art of cinema. I never went to university, so I studied on my own — trying to watch all the classics and figure out why they were so important.
TV: What got you the most frustrated and the most excited when doing research for your book?
AM: Most frustrated was how often this happens: how every time that there is a movie that’s successful that’s directed by a woman or starring women, how it seems to be a fresh surprise to Hollywood – and then they quickly forget about it. I noticed when I stepped back and started researching the whole history of American cinema how many peaks and troughs there were for women. That was frustrating because it seems like history repeats itself time and time again for gender and racial diversity. But the most exciting thing was when I was talking to people like Ava DuVernay, Geena Davis and JJ Abrams — people who are working inside of Hollywood to try and change things — they were so optimistic about the future that it made me excited for the future of Hollywood.
TV: Which female filmmaker's story resonated with you the most?
AM: I love the story of Lois Weber who was one of the earliest female filmmakers of the world. In 1916, she had the highest grossing movie and it was a film about abortion. She was someone who was focused on social issues and paired that with incredible visual images. I love her story because she also helped a lot of women get into the business. She was a great mentor. She was very strong with her vision and paved the way for so many women in the future.
TV: I really appreciate the diversity in your book and how you shared stories about People of Colour like Hattie McDaniel, Anna May Wong, Dorothy Dandridge and Pam Grier, to name a few.
AM: I try to be inclusive as possible. I’m a white girl from Australia, so I don’t know these stories. I don’t know what it feels like to be a person of colour in America. I tried to consult as many diversity experts as I could and do interviews, and then come at it from like a fact-based thing. But I wanted to tell their stories. It’s hard enough being a white woman, let alone a woman of colour in this industry.
TV: Geena Davis told you after Thelma & Louise and A League of Their Own that she thought "everything would be different" for women in film. And it wasn't. Now that Patty Jenkins has broken all records and expectations with the success of Wonder Woman, how hopeful are you that "everything will be different”?
AM: I’m cautiously optimistic. I’ve seen some articles now about Wonder Woman saying, “Everything is different now. Everything is getting better because Wonder Woman is successful.” But we don’t have another female-led superhero film until 2019 with Captain Marvel. And if you look at the statistics of today’s Hollywood, nothing has really changed. However, I remain hopeful because of the level of conversation, and that’s brought about with social media which we didn’t have back in those days. I think that there’s a real awareness now that there’s an issue, and I don’t think that people are as willing to let the studios get away with it as they used to, and we saw that recently with Ed Skrein and the whitewashing issue with Hell Boy. He stepped down from that because people — rightly so — took to social media and there was an uproar about it. So, I think that with the level of conversation, it’s virtually impossible for studios to get away with it now. They’re not going to change by themselves, but they will change because we will push them to change [Update: As of yesterday, Hawaii Five-O's Daniel Dae Kim will be playing the role vacated by Skrein].
TV: It’s concerning that Warner Bros. hasn’t signed Patty Jenkins yet to direct the Wonder Woman sequel [Update: As of two days ago, Warner Bros. has rehired Patty Jenkins to direct the sequel].
AM: It is. Yeah, it’s really concerning. I’m hoping that she gets signed to the sequel and gets a good decent amount of pay. Again, it was frustrating to see people say, “Wow! We didn’t know that this woman could direct a superhero film, and it’s been successful.” For Jenkins, she directed Charlize Theron in Monster, and it was 14 years between her two feature films, and that’s ridiculous.
TV: There would be a huge outcry if Warner Bros. didn’t rehire her.
AM: Exactly. They’re going to be under pressure, and that’s a good thing.
TV: What are your thoughts about this trend of all-female versions of male dominated films: Ghostbusters, Ocean’s Eight, and now the newly announced Lord of the Flies?
AM: I know. [Laughs] I’m dubious about Lord of the Flies because it seems like it’s the anti-version of Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman showed a utopia filled with women, and I think these days we don’t need to see women tearing down other women because we get that narrative so often in reality TV shows and tabloid magazines. But I do think in terms of Ghostbusters, etc., it’s a start. It’s a simple way to get more women on screen. The same with Ocean’s Eight because they know that the franchise will work. It’s a safer bet than an original film. Obviously, what I want is original stories made for women, made by women, telling stories about women. That’s when there’s real change, but it’s a step in the right direction.
TV: Made by women. Yes, because Lord of the Flies will be written by two men.
AM: Yes, written by two men and probably directed by a man, and I think it will lose some of the nuance. Lady Bird, which is playing here at TIFF, is a great female-driven film because director Greta Gerwig put her personal story into it. It’s a coming-of-age story about a girl going off to college. The mother/daughter relationship rings so true, and Saoirse Ronan’s character is so realistic. You can really tell the difference.
TV: With Colin Trevorrow exiting Star Wars, a lot of people on social media are calling for a woman to direct a Star Wars movie. JJ Abrams would love to see Ava DuVernay direct one [Update: As of today, JJ Abrams will be writing and directing Episode IX]. Why do you think Disney should consider a female director?
AM: I think they should to show that it can be done. One thing that I’m concerned about – which is why all the directors are leaving – is because the franchise is so important. The brand to the studio is more important than the people in it. They want to protect their brand at all cost, which means there’s less ability to make an original story and have original voices like directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller who have a unique sense of style. What they wanted for the franchise clashed with the studio, so they got rid of them. I would love to see someone like Ava DuVernay, who has proven herself as a director, get a chance at something like Star Wars just to show that women can direct a big action movie like we saw with Wonder Woman, but only if they get their own opportunity to have their voice, and not have to just paint-by-numbers to fill in a franchise.
TV: Did it surprise you when Kathleen Kennedy first came out and said that a woman can’t direct a Star Wars movie?
AM: Yeah, it surprised me when she said that nobody has asked her and they should just pick up the phone. I think that’s a very hard thing to do. I don’t think that she’s that easily accessible, and there is this misnomer that people say to me all the time on Twitter, “Maybe women just don’t want to direct Star Wars.” No, Star Wars is universal. Everybody loves Star Wars. There’s so many fans of different genders and backgrounds. I think that Star Wars is for everyone. It shouldn’t be a surprise that women can or want to direct Star Wars. So, I was hoping for her to be more of an ally for women. Now is her chance.
TV: You mentioned Patty Jenkins and her 14-year gap between Monster and Wonder Woman. It frustrates me when I see white males, like Colin Trevorrow, get their big shot at a major franchise after a few indie films.
AM: Yeah, it’s so true. Colin made a small film (Safety Not Guaranteed), which was great and very well-received at Sundance. But then he went to Jurassic World — such a big jump for him. That’s what I discovered in writing the book that the pipeline is not the same. That women can make these small interesting films at Sundance and Toronto and other festivals. They can be successful and win awards – but once they have to move up the system and ask for more money from studios or financiers, that’s where they get blocked; because it’s still seen as a risk to give money to female directors rather than male directors. Whereas Colin Trevorrow, he got the job on Jurassic World because [Director] Brad Bird said, “I know a guy who reminds me of me.” And it’s that kind of thing of like they just feel safer if it’s a white guy. It’s just so unfair that it doesn’t work the same way — that pipeline or that jump up for women.
TV: I guess things could change if more women with power in Hollywood speak up — like Jessica Chastain did at Cannes recently.
AM: Yes, and she’s someone who has made an active difference – not only speaking up at Cannes – but also vowing to work with female filmmakers, and she’s got a movie at TIFF (Woman Walks Ahead) directed by a woman. She’s really someone who practices what she preaches, and we need more of that in the industry.
TV: Your dream is to run your own one-screen theatre. What would your first double feature be, and why?
AM: [Laughs] Oh, that’s such a good question. If I were to do a double feature of a great female filmmaker, it would have to be Dorothy Arzner. She was the only female filmmaker working during the 1930s. She was a feminist. She was outspoken. She made these great movies. So, I would program Christopher Strong (1933) which starred Katharine Hepburn as a female aviator, and follow it with Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) which is a very scathing look about women in entertainment. That would be my Dorothy Arzner double feature. It would be awesome. One day, I will have my theatre. One day.
Alicia Malone’s book Backwards & In Heels: The Past, Present And Future of Women Working In Film is available on Amazon and in book stores everywhere.
Check out Alicia’s playlist of some of her favourite dynamic leading lady performances on Fandango Now.
Follow Alicia on Twitter.
Malone was in Toronto to cover TIFF and promote her first book, Backwards & In Heels: The Past, Present And Future of Women Working In Film.
TorontoVerve: How did you become so passionate about film?
Alicia Malone: It started at an early age. My dad loved classic movies, so he used to drag me out of bed at night to watch the late night classic films. My mom also loved movies, and we would go to the video store every week and I would get 7 films for 7 days for 7 dollars. It wasn’t until I was a bit older at school that I realized that it was kind of a strange thing that not everyone loved classic movies as much as I did. But luckily, I now found the dream job where I get to see movies for a living.
TV: Do you recall the movie that really got you interested in film?
AM: I remember that Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first films that I saw that made me realize that someone was making it. That it was a director, that it was his vision, and that everything was there for a purpose. I thought that was really fascinating, so that led me to start reading film books and film history books to try to learn more about the art of cinema. I never went to university, so I studied on my own — trying to watch all the classics and figure out why they were so important.
TV: What got you the most frustrated and the most excited when doing research for your book?
AM: Most frustrated was how often this happens: how every time that there is a movie that’s successful that’s directed by a woman or starring women, how it seems to be a fresh surprise to Hollywood – and then they quickly forget about it. I noticed when I stepped back and started researching the whole history of American cinema how many peaks and troughs there were for women. That was frustrating because it seems like history repeats itself time and time again for gender and racial diversity. But the most exciting thing was when I was talking to people like Ava DuVernay, Geena Davis and JJ Abrams — people who are working inside of Hollywood to try and change things — they were so optimistic about the future that it made me excited for the future of Hollywood.
TV: Which female filmmaker's story resonated with you the most?
AM: I love the story of Lois Weber who was one of the earliest female filmmakers of the world. In 1916, she had the highest grossing movie and it was a film about abortion. She was someone who was focused on social issues and paired that with incredible visual images. I love her story because she also helped a lot of women get into the business. She was a great mentor. She was very strong with her vision and paved the way for so many women in the future.
TV: I really appreciate the diversity in your book and how you shared stories about People of Colour like Hattie McDaniel, Anna May Wong, Dorothy Dandridge and Pam Grier, to name a few.
AM: I try to be inclusive as possible. I’m a white girl from Australia, so I don’t know these stories. I don’t know what it feels like to be a person of colour in America. I tried to consult as many diversity experts as I could and do interviews, and then come at it from like a fact-based thing. But I wanted to tell their stories. It’s hard enough being a white woman, let alone a woman of colour in this industry.
TV: Geena Davis told you after Thelma & Louise and A League of Their Own that she thought "everything would be different" for women in film. And it wasn't. Now that Patty Jenkins has broken all records and expectations with the success of Wonder Woman, how hopeful are you that "everything will be different”?
AM: I’m cautiously optimistic. I’ve seen some articles now about Wonder Woman saying, “Everything is different now. Everything is getting better because Wonder Woman is successful.” But we don’t have another female-led superhero film until 2019 with Captain Marvel. And if you look at the statistics of today’s Hollywood, nothing has really changed. However, I remain hopeful because of the level of conversation, and that’s brought about with social media which we didn’t have back in those days. I think that there’s a real awareness now that there’s an issue, and I don’t think that people are as willing to let the studios get away with it as they used to, and we saw that recently with Ed Skrein and the whitewashing issue with Hell Boy. He stepped down from that because people — rightly so — took to social media and there was an uproar about it. So, I think that with the level of conversation, it’s virtually impossible for studios to get away with it now. They’re not going to change by themselves, but they will change because we will push them to change [Update: As of yesterday, Hawaii Five-O's Daniel Dae Kim will be playing the role vacated by Skrein].
TV: It’s concerning that Warner Bros. hasn’t signed Patty Jenkins yet to direct the Wonder Woman sequel [Update: As of two days ago, Warner Bros. has rehired Patty Jenkins to direct the sequel].
AM: It is. Yeah, it’s really concerning. I’m hoping that she gets signed to the sequel and gets a good decent amount of pay. Again, it was frustrating to see people say, “Wow! We didn’t know that this woman could direct a superhero film, and it’s been successful.” For Jenkins, she directed Charlize Theron in Monster, and it was 14 years between her two feature films, and that’s ridiculous.
TV: There would be a huge outcry if Warner Bros. didn’t rehire her.
AM: Exactly. They’re going to be under pressure, and that’s a good thing.
TV: What are your thoughts about this trend of all-female versions of male dominated films: Ghostbusters, Ocean’s Eight, and now the newly announced Lord of the Flies?
AM: I know. [Laughs] I’m dubious about Lord of the Flies because it seems like it’s the anti-version of Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman showed a utopia filled with women, and I think these days we don’t need to see women tearing down other women because we get that narrative so often in reality TV shows and tabloid magazines. But I do think in terms of Ghostbusters, etc., it’s a start. It’s a simple way to get more women on screen. The same with Ocean’s Eight because they know that the franchise will work. It’s a safer bet than an original film. Obviously, what I want is original stories made for women, made by women, telling stories about women. That’s when there’s real change, but it’s a step in the right direction.
TV: Made by women. Yes, because Lord of the Flies will be written by two men.
AM: Yes, written by two men and probably directed by a man, and I think it will lose some of the nuance. Lady Bird, which is playing here at TIFF, is a great female-driven film because director Greta Gerwig put her personal story into it. It’s a coming-of-age story about a girl going off to college. The mother/daughter relationship rings so true, and Saoirse Ronan’s character is so realistic. You can really tell the difference.
TV: With Colin Trevorrow exiting Star Wars, a lot of people on social media are calling for a woman to direct a Star Wars movie. JJ Abrams would love to see Ava DuVernay direct one [Update: As of today, JJ Abrams will be writing and directing Episode IX]. Why do you think Disney should consider a female director?
AM: I think they should to show that it can be done. One thing that I’m concerned about – which is why all the directors are leaving – is because the franchise is so important. The brand to the studio is more important than the people in it. They want to protect their brand at all cost, which means there’s less ability to make an original story and have original voices like directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller who have a unique sense of style. What they wanted for the franchise clashed with the studio, so they got rid of them. I would love to see someone like Ava DuVernay, who has proven herself as a director, get a chance at something like Star Wars just to show that women can direct a big action movie like we saw with Wonder Woman, but only if they get their own opportunity to have their voice, and not have to just paint-by-numbers to fill in a franchise.
TV: Did it surprise you when Kathleen Kennedy first came out and said that a woman can’t direct a Star Wars movie?
AM: Yeah, it surprised me when she said that nobody has asked her and they should just pick up the phone. I think that’s a very hard thing to do. I don’t think that she’s that easily accessible, and there is this misnomer that people say to me all the time on Twitter, “Maybe women just don’t want to direct Star Wars.” No, Star Wars is universal. Everybody loves Star Wars. There’s so many fans of different genders and backgrounds. I think that Star Wars is for everyone. It shouldn’t be a surprise that women can or want to direct Star Wars. So, I was hoping for her to be more of an ally for women. Now is her chance.
TV: You mentioned Patty Jenkins and her 14-year gap between Monster and Wonder Woman. It frustrates me when I see white males, like Colin Trevorrow, get their big shot at a major franchise after a few indie films.
AM: Yeah, it’s so true. Colin made a small film (Safety Not Guaranteed), which was great and very well-received at Sundance. But then he went to Jurassic World — such a big jump for him. That’s what I discovered in writing the book that the pipeline is not the same. That women can make these small interesting films at Sundance and Toronto and other festivals. They can be successful and win awards – but once they have to move up the system and ask for more money from studios or financiers, that’s where they get blocked; because it’s still seen as a risk to give money to female directors rather than male directors. Whereas Colin Trevorrow, he got the job on Jurassic World because [Director] Brad Bird said, “I know a guy who reminds me of me.” And it’s that kind of thing of like they just feel safer if it’s a white guy. It’s just so unfair that it doesn’t work the same way — that pipeline or that jump up for women.
TV: I guess things could change if more women with power in Hollywood speak up — like Jessica Chastain did at Cannes recently.
AM: Yes, and she’s someone who has made an active difference – not only speaking up at Cannes – but also vowing to work with female filmmakers, and she’s got a movie at TIFF (Woman Walks Ahead) directed by a woman. She’s really someone who practices what she preaches, and we need more of that in the industry.
TV: Your dream is to run your own one-screen theatre. What would your first double feature be, and why?
AM: [Laughs] Oh, that’s such a good question. If I were to do a double feature of a great female filmmaker, it would have to be Dorothy Arzner. She was the only female filmmaker working during the 1930s. She was a feminist. She was outspoken. She made these great movies. So, I would program Christopher Strong (1933) which starred Katharine Hepburn as a female aviator, and follow it with Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) which is a very scathing look about women in entertainment. That would be my Dorothy Arzner double feature. It would be awesome. One day, I will have my theatre. One day.
***
Alicia Malone’s book Backwards & In Heels: The Past, Present And Future of Women Working In Film is available on Amazon and in book stores everywhere.
Check out Alicia’s playlist of some of her favourite dynamic leading lady performances on Fandango Now.
Follow Alicia on Twitter.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Diversity in Film, White Privilege & Locker Room Talk: A Conversation with TIFF Programmer, Kiva Reardon
The 89th Academy Awards are dropping this weekend, so it’s the perfect time to talk about movies.
When I was a kid, I loved films so much — my family would say that I lived and breathed movies. I didn’t think much of that description at the time. Personally, I thought it was an exaggeration. Now those words come to mind after speaking with Kiva Reardon. She’s a Programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival and the founding editor of cléo, a journal of film and feminism. Reardon lives and breathes movies because cinema has actually shaped the course of her life. In this interview from last fall, we talk about her passion for film, what it’s like working at TIFF, and whitewashing in Hollywood.
TorontoVerve: When did you first become passionate about film?
Kiva Reardon: I grew up around movies because my dad worked at Telefilm, so all my scrap paper were old scripts, but I watched a weird curation of films. I wasn’t allowed to watch commercial TV, so I could only watch PBS or TVO. As a kid, watching Saturday Night at the Movies with Elwy Yost played a big part in developing my film knowledge. Obviously, I had a steady diet of Disney stuff growing up, but I also watched a lot of black and white classics. In terms of critical thinking, it was in my undergrad — I had this class with Professor Ned Schantz and we had to give weekly responses to films that we watched. He taught a lot about feminist film theory and I discovered that film was more than just the boys’ club that it is. Another professor, Alanna Thain, introduced me to French New Wave cinema and that’s how I first saw Cléo 5 à 7 and got to know the brilliant work of director Agnes Varda. I learned that feminism and film has a place together, and that’s how my love of film really began.
TV: You’ve tweeted your top seven favourite films — one of them being Titanic, directed by Kathryn Bigelow’s ex-husband. I’m curious to know what your guilty pleasure is, the film that you’re almost ashamed to tell people you love, but you have an affection for?
KR: I don’t really believe in guilty pleasures. I like to subscribe to [American filmmaker] Susan Sontag’s thought of no highs and lows. I think dismissing popular culture and popular films can be really dangerous because they may seem innocuous, but some are works of art and even when they’re not they can say so much about the culture that they’re reflecting. This also gets into the idea of canon. What is good and isn’t good? Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Specifically, who writes these canons? Mainly, straight white guys — which basically rigs the system. So, if you have a knowledge of female filmmakers, queer filmmakers, African or Asian filmmakers, some people won’t give them the same culture capital. They’ll say, “Oh, that’s nice niche knowledge.” No, it’s not. You’re just seeing it through the prism of something white and male. Like Shonda Rhimes' Scandal. I love that show, but is it a guilty pleasure because it’s a soap on TV? No. I think it has incredible writing, incredible thought and characters, so we should take it seriously. That’s a long-winded answer to say, “Yes, I love Titanic.” [Laughs] I was 10 years old when it came out and my mom took me to see it three times. I was so obsessed with it. A big thanks to my mom who’ll never get those nine hours of her life back.
TV: What does your typical day at the office look like?
KR: It depends on the time of year. For the first part, I’m watching a lot of films every week at home — not seeing human beings or much sunlight. I’m writing notes that say, “Yes, this works.” Or, “No, it doesn’t work for these reasons.” After that period’s done, it shifts more into planning, execution, communication and writing notes for the programme book. And when the Festival comes, I’m barely in the office because I’m running around with dignity and grace for about 10 days [laughs].
TV: What are you looking for when you watch a film?
KR: For me, I’m always looking for images that are striking and that are strung together in a way that is emotionally and intellectually compelling. What I’ve learned about programming versus my work in film criticism is that they come from the same vein of thinking about films critically. But the great thing about programming is envisioning other audiences. There’s something nice about thinking how a film can be shared with other people.
TV: There’s a growing trend in Hollywood to have diversity represented both in front and behind the camera. Studios are hiring women directors to tell stories about women, and black directors are hired to tell stories about black people. What are your thoughts about this new trend, and the ire that it’s getting from some people in and out of the film industry?
KR: People often get angry about quotas, and I don’t think quotas are the solution, but they’re definitely a stepping stone. They’re also a way for someone to get their foot in the door when it’s really hard to get your foot in the door — especially if you are a woman or person of colour working in film, where you don’t have the same network or nepotism to rely on. Frankly, there are racist, sexist and unconscious biases out there. Someone might look at me and say, “Oh, she knows about women’s stuff because that’s what she is.” I also know a lot of things other than my own lived experience. Because of my gender, I don’t have the privilege of being a generalist. White guys are seen as the norm and, of course, they must know everything about everything. That can be most frustrating. Quotas aren’t the ultimate solution, but they are a way of levelling the playing fields. And, hopefully women won’t just be relegated to telling women stories and people of colour telling people of colour stories. One of the most frustrating things that my female filmmaker friends tell me is, “If I get another question about what it’s like to be a female filmmaker…you know what, bro? Ask me about my work.” That will inevitably come up because that’s a reality of their life, but it detracts from what they’re making and also frames them and their work within that box. I’m not a woman film critic or a woman film programmer. I just do those things, and I happen to be a woman.
TV: Do you get that often? People wanting to hear just your female perspective on things?
KR: Yeah, I’ve told some editors, “Hey, you’re only assigning me women stuff.” Which is nice, obviously, because those are the voices that I want to champion, but it can also be frustrating. It narrows what I write about because there are fewer movies made by women. I’m all about more voices writing and talking about film. Magazine editors are largely male, largely white--and I’m speaking as a white person, which gives me a huge amount of privilege. Although I may complain about a gender issues, I’m still white, and that gives me a huge leg up.
TV: Diversity in film was a huge spotlight at this year’s TIFF. The Festival featured notable films like Moonlight, Queen of Katwe, Loving, Barry, A United Kingdom, I Am Not Your Negro — not to mention, Lagos. Nigeria was the recognized city in the “City to City” programme. That’s quite impressive for a major film festival. It seems rather timely after two years of #OscarSoWhite. How much of this was coincidence or intentional?
KR: You can absolutely ignore those conversations and pretend that programming happens in this perfect world where politics don’t matter. But, if you’re not asking yourself, “Why is this programme all white?”, then you’re just not seeing the big picture. You’re not thinking of how you may immediately dismiss something because of race, gender and ableism. I think that the more we talk about it, the more people will become aware of the biases that we have. We live in a world that’s largely racist and patriarchal. Biases are ingrained in us and unless we talk about them, we won’t end up challenging them. I think that TIFF really wants to be a part of that conversation and bring about change. Having Lagos in the “City to City” programme last year was incredible. Nollywood is one of the biggest powerhouses of film. It’s up there with Hollywood and Bollywood. The films may look different, the stories are told differently, there are different shooting styles and different production levels. But if we only use Hollywood or European cinema as benchmarks of what “good” is, then the game is always weighted towards what already has been deemed as acceptable, as opposed to thinking about seeing things differently. It’s great that a festival can be a platform for other kinds of films. Some of these [Nollywood] films might not have been seen in Canada [on the big screen] otherwise. That’s a big responsibility, as it has the potential to be really life altering for filmmakers and audiences.
TV: Although diversity in film is on the rise, sometimes with every step forward, there are two steps backwards. I’m referring to whitewashing in Hollywood, such as the casting of Scarlett Johannson as an Asian in Ghost in the Shell. What are your thoughts about whitewashing?
KR: And Doctor Strange with Tilda Swinton. The Doctor Strange team came out and said, “Whoops, sorry.” But that’s not enough when they already made this whitewashed movie. There’s this idea of white neutrality, which is: “You can be anything.” No, you can’t. And that idea stems from the argument that, “Well, those actors of colour don’t exist.” Or, “Those writers of colour don’t exist.” They do, but if you’re a casting director--or even an editor of a film publication--you might just need to put in a little more work to find these voices. And, you might need to put in more work to help them come up, as opposed to picking someone who’s always benefited from their race, economics, class or gender.
TV: I remember Samuel L. Jackson once saying, “They’re always looking for the next Tom Cruise, but not the next Denzel Washington.”
KR: Totally. As a white person, I think about the kinds of privileges that I benefit from. The harder, and way more crucial, step is moving from the liberal platitudes of recognition to actually making a change in the real world. It’s harder because that’s the moment when you start having difficult conversations with yourself, and other people. It worries me to think that these woke liberal arts enclaves don’t want to take that next step of actively making a change.
TV: What do you think of the Academy’s recent effort to increase diversity within its membership? Do you think it’ll make a difference?
KR: Yes, but I don’t think it’ll be overnight. I think Cheryl Boone Isaacs [the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] gets it and is making crucial structural changes. I don’t think that it’ll be like suddenly the Oscars are this perfect representation of all the different voices around the world. But it’s a start. I’m keen to see where we will be at in five, 10 and 20 years.
TV: I wasn’t so upset with the second #OscarSoWhite. How can you blame the Academy for not awarding people of colour when there weren’t many great roles for people of colour? The only way to fix the problem would be to hire more people of colour in studio executive roles or to buy more scripts written by people of colour.
KR: That’s why I love Ava DuVernay and her film company, ARRAY. Or even someone like Jessica Chastain, who has an all-female production company. These women are using their power and clout to make sure that other stories get made. I don’t know if it’s a solution, but it’s definitely the antidote to just getting another Iron Man movie. I’ve been in meetings where there are so many guys. It’s not necessarily toxic, but you just become aware, “Oh, I’m the only chick at the table again.” That’s the distinction between diversity and inclusivity. You can talk about diversity in quotas, but inclusivity is, “I feel at home here.” It’s about not feeling like “the other”.
TV: When was the last time you felt like “the other?” How did you handle it?
KR: Someone today asked me if I was a co-worker’s wife—after I finished an onstage Q&A! That happens all the time. “Oh, are you their girlfriend? Are you their plus one?” No, I’m their co-worker. I work here. Or, they’ll think I’m someone’s Personal Assistant. Not that there’s anything wrong with being someone’s wife, girlfriend or Assistant, but I’m not those things.
TV: It’s good to call it out whenever that happens; otherwise, people won’t change.
KR: I was having a talk about whiteness with my friend yesterday and how doing the work as a white person means talking to other white people and calling it out. Racism exists in white communities, and so if white people call it out more that’s maybe when change will start to occur. I think about this with rape culture, too. If you’re a guy and hanging out with a bunch of guys who are using sexist or transphobic language, you should be saying, “Hey, bro, don’t say that.” When you hear it from someone who you share a space with all the time, that’s probably when you’re more likely going to start thinking about it and change your own behaviour.
TV: Especially with locker room talk.
KR: Yeah, which is a term I also hate because I was a jock growing up, and I spent a lot of time in locker rooms —locker rooms are not just for men! [Laughs] That phrase just re-inscribes the idea that sports are for men. That drives me insane.
TV: I really like your photo with legendary director Agnes Varda (taken by photographer Matt Barnes). Your face is quite expressive — serene. Makes me wonder, what are you thinking about? What are you thinking about in that photo?
KR: I was definitely thinking that I need to get a copy of this, so I can show my grandchildren, one day. [Laughs] And also, I was having an out-of-body experience when I was watching it happen. I was also very aware of what I was doing with my hands. I was watching her being photographed all day and she would always be doing something cool with her hands. She has this real confidence and strength in front of the camera, and I was like, “How do I look cool?” So, I just grabbed the chair in front of me and thought that might work. That photo is framed and sitting on my bookshelf now.
TV: What does her work mean to you?
KR: She talked about stories that I cared about. If she could be like this outspoken feminist in the film world, then maybe there’s some wiggle room for me to try to do same.
TV: You Instagrammed a photo of her sleeping on a couch. What’s the story behind that photo?
KR: Agnes cares a lot about the next generation of filmmakers. She’s 88, and when she’s around young people her energy level and aura change. And not in a cannibalistic way. She really wants to support and learn about young people. She was very honoured that this [naming of the TIFF filmmaker lounge after her] was happening. Happy that young people were seeing her films, but she was also a little embarrassed. We had this huge mural of her on the wall [in the lounge]. She gave a little speech and said, “I’m really happy, and when I’m really happy, I always take a five-minute nap.” So, she took a five-minute nap and we shot it.
TV: Did she know that her photo was being taken?
KR: Yeah, she was performing her happy sleep for us. Agnes is the smartest person in the world. She walks into any room and she’s the sharpest mind there. She knows what’s up.
TV: TIFF has a program for young people called Next Wave. What are your thoughts about young people and how they regard cinema?
KR: The folks in that programme are super smart. There’s a wide range of things that they want to do. Some want to direct. Some want to write. Some want to be film critics. They’re really energetic and inspirational. I love running into them around the Festival. They’re always filled with so much energy and enthusiasm. It’s infectious.
When I was a kid, I loved films so much — my family would say that I lived and breathed movies. I didn’t think much of that description at the time. Personally, I thought it was an exaggeration. Now those words come to mind after speaking with Kiva Reardon. She’s a Programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival and the founding editor of cléo, a journal of film and feminism. Reardon lives and breathes movies because cinema has actually shaped the course of her life. In this interview from last fall, we talk about her passion for film, what it’s like working at TIFF, and whitewashing in Hollywood.
TorontoVerve: When did you first become passionate about film?
Kiva Reardon: I grew up around movies because my dad worked at Telefilm, so all my scrap paper were old scripts, but I watched a weird curation of films. I wasn’t allowed to watch commercial TV, so I could only watch PBS or TVO. As a kid, watching Saturday Night at the Movies with Elwy Yost played a big part in developing my film knowledge. Obviously, I had a steady diet of Disney stuff growing up, but I also watched a lot of black and white classics. In terms of critical thinking, it was in my undergrad — I had this class with Professor Ned Schantz and we had to give weekly responses to films that we watched. He taught a lot about feminist film theory and I discovered that film was more than just the boys’ club that it is. Another professor, Alanna Thain, introduced me to French New Wave cinema and that’s how I first saw Cléo 5 à 7 and got to know the brilliant work of director Agnes Varda. I learned that feminism and film has a place together, and that’s how my love of film really began.
TV: You’ve tweeted your top seven favourite films — one of them being Titanic, directed by Kathryn Bigelow’s ex-husband. I’m curious to know what your guilty pleasure is, the film that you’re almost ashamed to tell people you love, but you have an affection for?
KR: I don’t really believe in guilty pleasures. I like to subscribe to [American filmmaker] Susan Sontag’s thought of no highs and lows. I think dismissing popular culture and popular films can be really dangerous because they may seem innocuous, but some are works of art and even when they’re not they can say so much about the culture that they’re reflecting. This also gets into the idea of canon. What is good and isn’t good? Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Specifically, who writes these canons? Mainly, straight white guys — which basically rigs the system. So, if you have a knowledge of female filmmakers, queer filmmakers, African or Asian filmmakers, some people won’t give them the same culture capital. They’ll say, “Oh, that’s nice niche knowledge.” No, it’s not. You’re just seeing it through the prism of something white and male. Like Shonda Rhimes' Scandal. I love that show, but is it a guilty pleasure because it’s a soap on TV? No. I think it has incredible writing, incredible thought and characters, so we should take it seriously. That’s a long-winded answer to say, “Yes, I love Titanic.” [Laughs] I was 10 years old when it came out and my mom took me to see it three times. I was so obsessed with it. A big thanks to my mom who’ll never get those nine hours of her life back.
KR: It depends on the time of year. For the first part, I’m watching a lot of films every week at home — not seeing human beings or much sunlight. I’m writing notes that say, “Yes, this works.” Or, “No, it doesn’t work for these reasons.” After that period’s done, it shifts more into planning, execution, communication and writing notes for the programme book. And when the Festival comes, I’m barely in the office because I’m running around with dignity and grace for about 10 days [laughs].
TV: What are you looking for when you watch a film?
KR: For me, I’m always looking for images that are striking and that are strung together in a way that is emotionally and intellectually compelling. What I’ve learned about programming versus my work in film criticism is that they come from the same vein of thinking about films critically. But the great thing about programming is envisioning other audiences. There’s something nice about thinking how a film can be shared with other people.
TV: There’s a growing trend in Hollywood to have diversity represented both in front and behind the camera. Studios are hiring women directors to tell stories about women, and black directors are hired to tell stories about black people. What are your thoughts about this new trend, and the ire that it’s getting from some people in and out of the film industry?
KR: People often get angry about quotas, and I don’t think quotas are the solution, but they’re definitely a stepping stone. They’re also a way for someone to get their foot in the door when it’s really hard to get your foot in the door — especially if you are a woman or person of colour working in film, where you don’t have the same network or nepotism to rely on. Frankly, there are racist, sexist and unconscious biases out there. Someone might look at me and say, “Oh, she knows about women’s stuff because that’s what she is.” I also know a lot of things other than my own lived experience. Because of my gender, I don’t have the privilege of being a generalist. White guys are seen as the norm and, of course, they must know everything about everything. That can be most frustrating. Quotas aren’t the ultimate solution, but they are a way of levelling the playing fields. And, hopefully women won’t just be relegated to telling women stories and people of colour telling people of colour stories. One of the most frustrating things that my female filmmaker friends tell me is, “If I get another question about what it’s like to be a female filmmaker…you know what, bro? Ask me about my work.” That will inevitably come up because that’s a reality of their life, but it detracts from what they’re making and also frames them and their work within that box. I’m not a woman film critic or a woman film programmer. I just do those things, and I happen to be a woman.
TV: Do you get that often? People wanting to hear just your female perspective on things?
KR: Yeah, I’ve told some editors, “Hey, you’re only assigning me women stuff.” Which is nice, obviously, because those are the voices that I want to champion, but it can also be frustrating. It narrows what I write about because there are fewer movies made by women. I’m all about more voices writing and talking about film. Magazine editors are largely male, largely white--and I’m speaking as a white person, which gives me a huge amount of privilege. Although I may complain about a gender issues, I’m still white, and that gives me a huge leg up.
TV: Diversity in film was a huge spotlight at this year’s TIFF. The Festival featured notable films like Moonlight, Queen of Katwe, Loving, Barry, A United Kingdom, I Am Not Your Negro — not to mention, Lagos. Nigeria was the recognized city in the “City to City” programme. That’s quite impressive for a major film festival. It seems rather timely after two years of #OscarSoWhite. How much of this was coincidence or intentional?
KR: You can absolutely ignore those conversations and pretend that programming happens in this perfect world where politics don’t matter. But, if you’re not asking yourself, “Why is this programme all white?”, then you’re just not seeing the big picture. You’re not thinking of how you may immediately dismiss something because of race, gender and ableism. I think that the more we talk about it, the more people will become aware of the biases that we have. We live in a world that’s largely racist and patriarchal. Biases are ingrained in us and unless we talk about them, we won’t end up challenging them. I think that TIFF really wants to be a part of that conversation and bring about change. Having Lagos in the “City to City” programme last year was incredible. Nollywood is one of the biggest powerhouses of film. It’s up there with Hollywood and Bollywood. The films may look different, the stories are told differently, there are different shooting styles and different production levels. But if we only use Hollywood or European cinema as benchmarks of what “good” is, then the game is always weighted towards what already has been deemed as acceptable, as opposed to thinking about seeing things differently. It’s great that a festival can be a platform for other kinds of films. Some of these [Nollywood] films might not have been seen in Canada [on the big screen] otherwise. That’s a big responsibility, as it has the potential to be really life altering for filmmakers and audiences.
TV: Although diversity in film is on the rise, sometimes with every step forward, there are two steps backwards. I’m referring to whitewashing in Hollywood, such as the casting of Scarlett Johannson as an Asian in Ghost in the Shell. What are your thoughts about whitewashing?
KR: And Doctor Strange with Tilda Swinton. The Doctor Strange team came out and said, “Whoops, sorry.” But that’s not enough when they already made this whitewashed movie. There’s this idea of white neutrality, which is: “You can be anything.” No, you can’t. And that idea stems from the argument that, “Well, those actors of colour don’t exist.” Or, “Those writers of colour don’t exist.” They do, but if you’re a casting director--or even an editor of a film publication--you might just need to put in a little more work to find these voices. And, you might need to put in more work to help them come up, as opposed to picking someone who’s always benefited from their race, economics, class or gender.
TV: I remember Samuel L. Jackson once saying, “They’re always looking for the next Tom Cruise, but not the next Denzel Washington.”
KR: Totally. As a white person, I think about the kinds of privileges that I benefit from. The harder, and way more crucial, step is moving from the liberal platitudes of recognition to actually making a change in the real world. It’s harder because that’s the moment when you start having difficult conversations with yourself, and other people. It worries me to think that these woke liberal arts enclaves don’t want to take that next step of actively making a change.
TV: What do you think of the Academy’s recent effort to increase diversity within its membership? Do you think it’ll make a difference?
KR: Yes, but I don’t think it’ll be overnight. I think Cheryl Boone Isaacs [the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] gets it and is making crucial structural changes. I don’t think that it’ll be like suddenly the Oscars are this perfect representation of all the different voices around the world. But it’s a start. I’m keen to see where we will be at in five, 10 and 20 years.
TV: I wasn’t so upset with the second #OscarSoWhite. How can you blame the Academy for not awarding people of colour when there weren’t many great roles for people of colour? The only way to fix the problem would be to hire more people of colour in studio executive roles or to buy more scripts written by people of colour.
KR: That’s why I love Ava DuVernay and her film company, ARRAY. Or even someone like Jessica Chastain, who has an all-female production company. These women are using their power and clout to make sure that other stories get made. I don’t know if it’s a solution, but it’s definitely the antidote to just getting another Iron Man movie. I’ve been in meetings where there are so many guys. It’s not necessarily toxic, but you just become aware, “Oh, I’m the only chick at the table again.” That’s the distinction between diversity and inclusivity. You can talk about diversity in quotas, but inclusivity is, “I feel at home here.” It’s about not feeling like “the other”.
TV: When was the last time you felt like “the other?” How did you handle it?
KR: Someone today asked me if I was a co-worker’s wife—after I finished an onstage Q&A! That happens all the time. “Oh, are you their girlfriend? Are you their plus one?” No, I’m their co-worker. I work here. Or, they’ll think I’m someone’s Personal Assistant. Not that there’s anything wrong with being someone’s wife, girlfriend or Assistant, but I’m not those things.
TV: It’s good to call it out whenever that happens; otherwise, people won’t change.
KR: I was having a talk about whiteness with my friend yesterday and how doing the work as a white person means talking to other white people and calling it out. Racism exists in white communities, and so if white people call it out more that’s maybe when change will start to occur. I think about this with rape culture, too. If you’re a guy and hanging out with a bunch of guys who are using sexist or transphobic language, you should be saying, “Hey, bro, don’t say that.” When you hear it from someone who you share a space with all the time, that’s probably when you’re more likely going to start thinking about it and change your own behaviour.
TV: Especially with locker room talk.
KR: Yeah, which is a term I also hate because I was a jock growing up, and I spent a lot of time in locker rooms —locker rooms are not just for men! [Laughs] That phrase just re-inscribes the idea that sports are for men. That drives me insane.
TV: I really like your photo with legendary director Agnes Varda (taken by photographer Matt Barnes). Your face is quite expressive — serene. Makes me wonder, what are you thinking about? What are you thinking about in that photo?
KR: I was definitely thinking that I need to get a copy of this, so I can show my grandchildren, one day. [Laughs] And also, I was having an out-of-body experience when I was watching it happen. I was also very aware of what I was doing with my hands. I was watching her being photographed all day and she would always be doing something cool with her hands. She has this real confidence and strength in front of the camera, and I was like, “How do I look cool?” So, I just grabbed the chair in front of me and thought that might work. That photo is framed and sitting on my bookshelf now.
TV: What does her work mean to you?
KR: She talked about stories that I cared about. If she could be like this outspoken feminist in the film world, then maybe there’s some wiggle room for me to try to do same.
TV: You Instagrammed a photo of her sleeping on a couch. What’s the story behind that photo?
KR: Agnes cares a lot about the next generation of filmmakers. She’s 88, and when she’s around young people her energy level and aura change. And not in a cannibalistic way. She really wants to support and learn about young people. She was very honoured that this [naming of the TIFF filmmaker lounge after her] was happening. Happy that young people were seeing her films, but she was also a little embarrassed. We had this huge mural of her on the wall [in the lounge]. She gave a little speech and said, “I’m really happy, and when I’m really happy, I always take a five-minute nap.” So, she took a five-minute nap and we shot it.
TV: Did she know that her photo was being taken?
KR: Yeah, she was performing her happy sleep for us. Agnes is the smartest person in the world. She walks into any room and she’s the sharpest mind there. She knows what’s up.
TV: TIFF has a program for young people called Next Wave. What are your thoughts about young people and how they regard cinema?
KR: The folks in that programme are super smart. There’s a wide range of things that they want to do. Some want to direct. Some want to write. Some want to be film critics. They’re really energetic and inspirational. I love running into them around the Festival. They’re always filled with so much energy and enthusiasm. It’s infectious.
***
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Jessica
Jessica recently won NOW Magazine's Face of NOW and we talked about it in this Annex shoot.
Jessica: I'm really excited about being the face of NOW. As an actor, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to be on a cover of a magazine. I'm not super tall or skinny, but I still felt like I should go for it. Their editorial team is going to do a photo-shoot with me and I'm going to be in a NOW commercial. It's pretty crazy.
TorontoVerve: What's the best advice that you've received?
Jessica: My mother told me that "life is beautiful." In a time when I felt that important people were abandoning me, just thinking about that one quote allowed me to envision the brighter things that life could offer.
Follow Jessica on Instagram.
Jessica: I'm really excited about being the face of NOW. As an actor, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to be on a cover of a magazine. I'm not super tall or skinny, but I still felt like I should go for it. Their editorial team is going to do a photo-shoot with me and I'm going to be in a NOW commercial. It's pretty crazy.
TorontoVerve: What's the best advice that you've received?
Jessica: My mother told me that "life is beautiful." In a time when I felt that important people were abandoning me, just thinking about that one quote allowed me to envision the brighter things that life could offer.
Follow Jessica on Instagram.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Sate
Sate: My style is black, powerful, bold and sexy. I'm inspired by risk takers who are unafraid of who they want to be.
TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've been given?
Sate: My mother shared her sister's words, "It's in the struggle that makes life worth while." That reminds me that the struggle is never permanent. It's getting through that struggle that's worth it.
Sate is the lead singer of her own rock band. "People have described us as Tina Turner heading Black Sabbath," she says. "Hard rock, punk and metal are a part of my soul."
Catch Sate's performance tonight at the Horseshoe Tavern.
Follow Sate on Instagram.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Nadine Part 2
Here's Part 2 of my shoot with Nadine at Glen Stewart Ravine.
Nadine: A good friend once told me, "Why not be yourself because everyone else is taken." I find that very poignant because when you're young, you tend to latch onto other identities that are not truly reflective of who you are. It's just a frank and witty way of saying that there's no point in trying to create your identity through others because literally you're true identity is the only one not taken.
See Part 1 of our photo-shoot.
I previously shot Nadine's fall street style in 2013 and collaborated with her on a TIFF tribute shoot in 2014.
Nadine: A good friend once told me, "Why not be yourself because everyone else is taken." I find that very poignant because when you're young, you tend to latch onto other identities that are not truly reflective of who you are. It's just a frank and witty way of saying that there's no point in trying to create your identity through others because literally you're true identity is the only one not taken.
See Part 1 of our photo-shoot.
I previously shot Nadine's fall street style in 2013 and collaborated with her on a TIFF tribute shoot in 2014.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Talking with Former Mayoral Candidate Morgan Baskin
Last year, Morgan Baskin made headlines when she campaigned for mayor just fresh out of high school. We interviewed her then and this summer, we caught up with her for an interesting conversation about city politics, women sexuality, male misogyny and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
TorontoVerve: How have things been for you since the election?
Morgan Baskin: Things have been great. It’s been nice not being “Morgan Baskin - Mayor Candidate” all the time. There are some things I miss, but for the most part, it’s been really nice to do other stuff and engage in other parts of my life with the same kind of passion that I had in the election.
TV: What was the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself after running for mayor?
MB: The biggest thing I’ve learned about myself is probably that I can do things. When you run for mayor, you don’t necessarily believe that it’s something you can do, but to have other people believe in you and rally around you and give you their time and money, it's really humbling in a lot of ways. It also showed me that I can do what I set my mind out to do, and it’s possible to change the world and people’s mind if you’re willing to step up.
TV: How do you think Mayor John Tory is doing?
MB: If you asked me that question two months ago, I would have said, “Just fine.” No politician is perfect, but he did some impressive stuff — especially around homelessness. Regarding the cold snap we had and the homeless people dying, he really responded in a way that the people were calling for, but two months later, he made anti-fact decisions on both carding and the Gardiner. You want to spend 500 million dollars that we don’t have on 5000 people? That’s not taking care of a city. You want to continue to support a policy that’s racist and classist, and that’s targeting some of the most vulnerable populations in our city — even though there’s no indication that it actually works as an investigative tool? That's not a great decision — especially for a 65 year old White dude to make (coincidentally, on the same day as this interview, John Tory called for the end of carding).
Diversity in the movies
TV: In terms of diversity, Warner Bros made impressive moves. For their Justice League universe, they hired an openly gay actor (Ezra Miller) to be Flash, a Hawaiian (Jason Momoa) to be Aquaman and they were the first to announce a female superhero movie (Wonder Woman) and their intentions to hire a female director.
MB: Yeah, Marvel’s treatment of Black Widow in the recent Avengers movie was lacklustre to say the least. Aside from that scene where she said she was infertile, what I found most galling was that her new power was basically being able to calm a man. So [the Hulk] has rage issues and our single female character will be able to sing a lullaby to calm him down. It’s not impressive.
TV: At least with a female director, Wonder Woman won't be shot with the male gaze. The same way that George Miller shot Charlize Theron as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. He never debased her character by making her sexy. I looked at her the same way I looked at Max.
MB: Which is impressive for a director to do. To make you see her as a full human being and not a sex object.
Young women and sexuality
MB: I think if a young woman wants to portray her body in a sexual light, what’s wrong with that? There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s wrong when young men or men take her image and use it without her permission. That’s the problem. The problem is not that she took a picture of her naked body, but we don’t talk about it that way. The blame is always on the young woman who took the picture. Young women are sexual. We sexualize them all over in society so we shouldn’t find it shocking that young women can experience sexual feelings and want to take pictures of their bodies. We sexualize their nudity regardless of whether it’s sexual or not, and then we shame her for taking the photo. It’s like what happened to those celebrities whose nude photos were hacked on the Cloud. What we talked about was that Jennifer Lawrence took nude photos. The over arching narrative was not how wrong it was for her photos to be stolen, but that they existed. That's really problematic.
TV: Aren’t there laws in Canada against posting someone’s nude photos without their consent?
MB: I don’t know what the laws are regarding that in Canada. I think in Windsor, they’re charging teenagers using child porn laws, which I think is really wrong. When a female minor takes nude pictures of her own body and shares them, she could be charged with making and distributing child porn. That’s so incredibly wrong. We need to change the child porn laws to reflect the new reality of a young woman taking photos of her nude body. It makes sense to charge [adults] for taking nude photos of minors, but not when a minor takes her own photos. And the young men who distribute her photos without her permission shouldn’t be charged with child pornography either. They should be charged with something, but not child porn. It’s not the correct punishment and sends the wrong message. We need to be educating young men about consent and a woman's boundaries.
School dress codes
MB: Dress codes are so often framed around policing young women’s bodies in order to make young men more comfortable. That’s not right. You should be able to wear what you want to wear. Maybe we ban profanity on t-shirts. I could understand that, but I can't understand how a woman’s midriff can be that distracting to young men. Maybe those young men should figure out a way to pay more attention in class. I think it’s important to recognize that young women are exploring how they want to look and what they want to do with their bodies. Also, our conversations about dress codes have not acknowledged race and class. Dress codes are enforced more strictly with students who go to school in poorer neighbourhoods, and we so sexualize young Black women’s bodies in a way that we don’t do with White women. It comes back to that innocence thing. We see White children as more innocent than Black children. The language is so coded too. You’re not allowed to wear gang symbols or have unkept hair. That stuff happens and it’s not ok.
Street harassment
MB: I’ve been hit on by guys who are 35 years of age and over since I was literally 12 years old. I remember when much older men would constantly sit close to me on a streetcar — even when there’s empty seats everywhere. They won't sit too close for you to call them out on it, but it’s close enough. Or when you’re standing on a crowded streetcar and someone rubs against you just a little bit. Not enough to call them out on it, but just enough to make you feel like an object. That’s uncomfortable and it happens all the time. If you’re a woman in this city, men will whistle at you, slap your ass, grab you and make sexually explicit comments about you. That's the reality for a lot of young women. You just want to go about your day. It’s a problem when men think they’re entitled to a woman’s time and attention because they’re not. “Look at that face. You’d be so pretty if you smiled.” Leave me alone. I just want to buy my groceries. The words are innocuous, but if someone has a 100 pounds on you and it’s eight o’clock at night and you're alone…I mean, there’s so many layered power dynamics that are not just about the words being said, but about physical presence and power. It's not ok.
TV: Aside from graduating university, what are your future goals right now?
MB: I don’t know. I don’t have goals right now. I’ve been really goal-oriented for the last year and a half of my life. I’m just really excited to be 20 and take things as they come. I have goals like getting good grades, being happy and helping to make the world a better place. I’m really interested in urban studies and the anthropology and sociology side of how we build our communities, but in the next few years I want to actively do things that I thought I would never do. That’s what made me run [for mayor]. It wasn’t a calculated decision. I want to be able to do that again. Think less about every step and just walk through life.
TV: Will you run for mayor again?
MB: We’ll see. I suspect that I will run for public office of some sort. When, how and why? I don’t know yet. It’s important to engage in elections in a capacity that you feel is the best for you. If an election arrives where I feel that I would be the best person for the job and I feel very passionate and fired up again, that’s when I’ll run. I really feel that we should frame politics around passion and ability because we’re not doing that right now. I would never want to run just to run. I’m happy to be a politician, but I want to be so many other things too.
Follow Morgan Baskin on Twitter and Facebook.
TorontoVerve: How have things been for you since the election?
Morgan Baskin: Things have been great. It’s been nice not being “Morgan Baskin - Mayor Candidate” all the time. There are some things I miss, but for the most part, it’s been really nice to do other stuff and engage in other parts of my life with the same kind of passion that I had in the election.
TV: What was the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself after running for mayor?
MB: The biggest thing I’ve learned about myself is probably that I can do things. When you run for mayor, you don’t necessarily believe that it’s something you can do, but to have other people believe in you and rally around you and give you their time and money, it's really humbling in a lot of ways. It also showed me that I can do what I set my mind out to do, and it’s possible to change the world and people’s mind if you’re willing to step up.
TV: How do you think Mayor John Tory is doing?
MB: If you asked me that question two months ago, I would have said, “Just fine.” No politician is perfect, but he did some impressive stuff — especially around homelessness. Regarding the cold snap we had and the homeless people dying, he really responded in a way that the people were calling for, but two months later, he made anti-fact decisions on both carding and the Gardiner. You want to spend 500 million dollars that we don’t have on 5000 people? That’s not taking care of a city. You want to continue to support a policy that’s racist and classist, and that’s targeting some of the most vulnerable populations in our city — even though there’s no indication that it actually works as an investigative tool? That's not a great decision — especially for a 65 year old White dude to make (coincidentally, on the same day as this interview, John Tory called for the end of carding).
Diversity in the movies
TV: In terms of diversity, Warner Bros made impressive moves. For their Justice League universe, they hired an openly gay actor (Ezra Miller) to be Flash, a Hawaiian (Jason Momoa) to be Aquaman and they were the first to announce a female superhero movie (Wonder Woman) and their intentions to hire a female director.
MB: Yeah, Marvel’s treatment of Black Widow in the recent Avengers movie was lacklustre to say the least. Aside from that scene where she said she was infertile, what I found most galling was that her new power was basically being able to calm a man. So [the Hulk] has rage issues and our single female character will be able to sing a lullaby to calm him down. It’s not impressive.
TV: At least with a female director, Wonder Woman won't be shot with the male gaze. The same way that George Miller shot Charlize Theron as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. He never debased her character by making her sexy. I looked at her the same way I looked at Max.
MB: Which is impressive for a director to do. To make you see her as a full human being and not a sex object.
Young women and sexuality
MB: I think if a young woman wants to portray her body in a sexual light, what’s wrong with that? There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s wrong when young men or men take her image and use it without her permission. That’s the problem. The problem is not that she took a picture of her naked body, but we don’t talk about it that way. The blame is always on the young woman who took the picture. Young women are sexual. We sexualize them all over in society so we shouldn’t find it shocking that young women can experience sexual feelings and want to take pictures of their bodies. We sexualize their nudity regardless of whether it’s sexual or not, and then we shame her for taking the photo. It’s like what happened to those celebrities whose nude photos were hacked on the Cloud. What we talked about was that Jennifer Lawrence took nude photos. The over arching narrative was not how wrong it was for her photos to be stolen, but that they existed. That's really problematic.
TV: Aren’t there laws in Canada against posting someone’s nude photos without their consent?
MB: I don’t know what the laws are regarding that in Canada. I think in Windsor, they’re charging teenagers using child porn laws, which I think is really wrong. When a female minor takes nude pictures of her own body and shares them, she could be charged with making and distributing child porn. That’s so incredibly wrong. We need to change the child porn laws to reflect the new reality of a young woman taking photos of her nude body. It makes sense to charge [adults] for taking nude photos of minors, but not when a minor takes her own photos. And the young men who distribute her photos without her permission shouldn’t be charged with child pornography either. They should be charged with something, but not child porn. It’s not the correct punishment and sends the wrong message. We need to be educating young men about consent and a woman's boundaries.
School dress codes
MB: Dress codes are so often framed around policing young women’s bodies in order to make young men more comfortable. That’s not right. You should be able to wear what you want to wear. Maybe we ban profanity on t-shirts. I could understand that, but I can't understand how a woman’s midriff can be that distracting to young men. Maybe those young men should figure out a way to pay more attention in class. I think it’s important to recognize that young women are exploring how they want to look and what they want to do with their bodies. Also, our conversations about dress codes have not acknowledged race and class. Dress codes are enforced more strictly with students who go to school in poorer neighbourhoods, and we so sexualize young Black women’s bodies in a way that we don’t do with White women. It comes back to that innocence thing. We see White children as more innocent than Black children. The language is so coded too. You’re not allowed to wear gang symbols or have unkept hair. That stuff happens and it’s not ok.
Street harassment
MB: I’ve been hit on by guys who are 35 years of age and over since I was literally 12 years old. I remember when much older men would constantly sit close to me on a streetcar — even when there’s empty seats everywhere. They won't sit too close for you to call them out on it, but it’s close enough. Or when you’re standing on a crowded streetcar and someone rubs against you just a little bit. Not enough to call them out on it, but just enough to make you feel like an object. That’s uncomfortable and it happens all the time. If you’re a woman in this city, men will whistle at you, slap your ass, grab you and make sexually explicit comments about you. That's the reality for a lot of young women. You just want to go about your day. It’s a problem when men think they’re entitled to a woman’s time and attention because they’re not. “Look at that face. You’d be so pretty if you smiled.” Leave me alone. I just want to buy my groceries. The words are innocuous, but if someone has a 100 pounds on you and it’s eight o’clock at night and you're alone…I mean, there’s so many layered power dynamics that are not just about the words being said, but about physical presence and power. It's not ok.
TV: Aside from graduating university, what are your future goals right now?
MB: I don’t know. I don’t have goals right now. I’ve been really goal-oriented for the last year and a half of my life. I’m just really excited to be 20 and take things as they come. I have goals like getting good grades, being happy and helping to make the world a better place. I’m really interested in urban studies and the anthropology and sociology side of how we build our communities, but in the next few years I want to actively do things that I thought I would never do. That’s what made me run [for mayor]. It wasn’t a calculated decision. I want to be able to do that again. Think less about every step and just walk through life.
TV: Will you run for mayor again?
MB: We’ll see. I suspect that I will run for public office of some sort. When, how and why? I don’t know yet. It’s important to engage in elections in a capacity that you feel is the best for you. If an election arrives where I feel that I would be the best person for the job and I feel very passionate and fired up again, that’s when I’ll run. I really feel that we should frame politics around passion and ability because we’re not doing that right now. I would never want to run just to run. I’m happy to be a politician, but I want to be so many other things too.
Follow Morgan Baskin on Twitter and Facebook.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Laural: In Her Own Words
"I wanted to tell the archetypal story of reaching into the deepest corners of our psyche, confronting the shadows, and emerging strong and radiant after finding the well of internal power there."
I had completely lost the will to live and grow during an awful relationship, and when that ended I was suddenly on my own trying to figure out how to live and function and dream up a new future. I was absolutely crushed and reduced to a blank slate, but in that place I started rebuilding and rewriting my narrative.
I've been able to confront my darkness and fears through both ruthless and compassionate self-exploration. I saw how I had adapted to painful circumstances by creating patterns of coping that were destroying my life. And I started taking responsibility for them so I could start consciously acting outside those patterns. It's been years of grueling self work, reflection, and exploring boundaries. Oh, and therapy. Lots and lots of therapy.
It's the myth of Innana's Descent into the Underworld. She is a Sumerian love and fertility goddess, and she descends into underworld to comfort her sister who is mourning and heart broken. Inanna reflects her sister's experience with so much empathy that she dies in the depths of the underworld. Her allies come to seek her out, and she is resurrected with their help. She arises renewed and more powerful for having confronted, accepted, and befriended her dark side. I've been doing that for the last three years (as part of my Saturn Return in Scorpio - it's an astrological coming of age), and this summer has been my rebirth. The work is nowhere near over, but I am finally emerging from the hell of recent years.
A big part of this summer has been reclaiming my sense of personal style, which I'd lost to appease the controlling ex and fit into a construction job. When I felt lost and disempowered I saw no value in taking care of myself, style, or aesthetic pleasures. I found out that it's crucial to my well-being to express my internal landscape through style. I finally feel confident enough with where I'm at and who I am to express it. These photos are me returning to a place I used to explore with that ex, reclaiming it as my own. I feel empowered, fierce, independent, and tough. I feel like myself.
Finally.
Follow Laural on Instagram.
We previously captured Laural's street style earlier in the summer.
I had completely lost the will to live and grow during an awful relationship, and when that ended I was suddenly on my own trying to figure out how to live and function and dream up a new future. I was absolutely crushed and reduced to a blank slate, but in that place I started rebuilding and rewriting my narrative.
I've been able to confront my darkness and fears through both ruthless and compassionate self-exploration. I saw how I had adapted to painful circumstances by creating patterns of coping that were destroying my life. And I started taking responsibility for them so I could start consciously acting outside those patterns. It's been years of grueling self work, reflection, and exploring boundaries. Oh, and therapy. Lots and lots of therapy.
It's the myth of Innana's Descent into the Underworld. She is a Sumerian love and fertility goddess, and she descends into underworld to comfort her sister who is mourning and heart broken. Inanna reflects her sister's experience with so much empathy that she dies in the depths of the underworld. Her allies come to seek her out, and she is resurrected with their help. She arises renewed and more powerful for having confronted, accepted, and befriended her dark side. I've been doing that for the last three years (as part of my Saturn Return in Scorpio - it's an astrological coming of age), and this summer has been my rebirth. The work is nowhere near over, but I am finally emerging from the hell of recent years.
A big part of this summer has been reclaiming my sense of personal style, which I'd lost to appease the controlling ex and fit into a construction job. When I felt lost and disempowered I saw no value in taking care of myself, style, or aesthetic pleasures. I found out that it's crucial to my well-being to express my internal landscape through style. I finally feel confident enough with where I'm at and who I am to express it. These photos are me returning to a place I used to explore with that ex, reclaiming it as my own. I feel empowered, fierce, independent, and tough. I feel like myself.
Finally.
Follow Laural on Instagram.
We previously captured Laural's street style earlier in the summer.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Angela
Angela: "This is my bohemian and free-spirited look. I think I was a hippy or revolutionist in a past life. I like the mentality of the 60's. People were more open and I think that's a good reflection of me. I don't really follow any rules. I have my own style. I made this headband."
TorontoVerve: "What was the best advice you've received and from whom?"
Angela: "My mother always told me to be unique and never buy stuff at full price (laughs)."
Angela Argentina is an artist, designer and Holistic Health Coach. Check out her website Kindred Spirits and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Tamara
"My step-aunt always said, 'let us reason instead of fight.' It's never worth arguing with anyone."
Follow Tamara on Instagram at @YoungQuinoa.
TorontoVerve made #4 on Street Style News' Daily Most Popular list!
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Natalie
Natalie: "My style is casual and chic. Grace Kelly inspires me. She's so classic."
TorontoVerve: "What has surprised you the most about yourself this year?"
Natalie: "Taking risks with fashion. I would never have shown this much leg before. I was a lot more conservative."
Follow Natalie on Instagram.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Christoph
"I'm still developing my style, but I love 90's urban glam. I'm really inspired by Aaliyah and Michael Jackson."
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Alison
"My style is classic, modern, tribal and a little bit gangsta. Mary-Kate Olsen inspires my fashion. I like her oversize sweaters and how she layers her necklaces. Kourtney Kardashian is an inspiration too. I love her bohemian and free-spirited style."
Alison Smyth is an actress and will be busy next summer performing in two theatre festivals. You can catch her in Hilda's Yard at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre and Wait Until Dark at the Classic Theatre Festival in Perth.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Lily
Lily: "My style is dependent on the weather and whether I've done laundry or not. I'm a model and actress so model Liu Wen inspires me because she's Chinese and our body types are very similar. I love what she wears."
TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"
Lily: "The one regret in my life is that I didn't tell my parents how much I love them more often. They're both still alive, so I'm making up for that now. I show them how much I appreciate everything they've done for me."
Lily previously appeared on TorontoVerve in Spring of last year.
Follow Lily on Instagram and Twitter.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Gege
"This is my only had two hours of sleep look."
We previously captured Gege's street style last fall.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Riley
Riley: My style has always been vintage. This top is from the lingerie section of The Salvation Army. My mother inspires me. She's the most womanly woman I know. She would never leave the house in anything less than lipstick and a pair of pumps and I think I just took everything from her -- especially now that I'm grown up. Lipstick is like my weapon (laughs).
TorontoVerve: What are you most happiest about this year?
Riley: I've been working on this startup company all year and we just incorporated. It's a film company based in Nova Scotia and we're going to produce the kind of projects that's going to put Nova Scotia on the map. I'm so over-the-moon excited about it.
TorontoVerve: You moved to Halifax from Toronto. What has the transition been like for you?
Riley: It's hard to go from a big city to a small centre. You lose the diversity and energy, but you really have to figure how to create it on your own. You can either fade into the background and decide it's a small town, I should just stay home and watch Netflix, or you can just go out and make crazy waves. I feel like I've done more things in the past year in a big way than I would have done in Toronto in the next five years.
TorontoVerve: How would you describe the street style in Halifax?
Riley: There's not much street style in Halifax, but when there is, people are so ambitious about it and they're completely unapologetic. They do not care. They would just throw it all out there and I have to admire them for that.
Riley's vintage street style previously appeared on TorontoVerve two years ago.
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Caroline
Caroline: My style is cool, calm and casual. The triple "C". I like to dress according to how I feel. My style is very governed by what is typically associated with male fashion. I've always liked to wear loose clothing. As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate my femininity, which is mostly shown in my face, jewellery and by the way I style my hair. I like to wear kicks, baggy pants and t-shirts. That's when I feel sexiest -- not when I'm wearing a skirt. I feel strong this way and that's when I feel more beautiful.
TorontoVerve: You're a photographer. How would you describe your creative work?
Caroline: It's raw. I always want to capture realism. When I see a photo, I want to be able to feel that I know that person -- like I'm almost getting emotionally attached. I prefer to do portraits and doc-style. Something that conveys a story -- something real. I'm not into the bravado or what you see in most magazines. I think the photos in advertisements are awesome, but they don't make me want to buy clothes. However, sometimes they make me want to put on make-up and cuddle with a guy at the beach.
Check out Caroline's photos and videos at CarolineBrassard.com or visit her Instagram.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Jason & Alex
Jason: "My style is modern rock n' roll."
TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"
Jason: "Not listening to my parents. I should have listened to my parents."
TorontoVerve: "What was one thing that you should have listened to them about?"
Jason: "Choose your friends wisely."
Alex: "My style is laid back -- whatever's comfortable. I'm not picky. I'm not a freak who lays out her clothes in the morning. I just pick it up and go. I'm usually in a rush."
Follow Jason on Instagram.
& Alex on Instagram & Twitter.
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