One of the great perks I get as an employee of TIFF is ten free advance tickets and I can use my staff pass in any "rush" line (its like flying standby) to obtain a free ticket, including Press and Industry screenings.
On this particular day I chose a film titled "Scared Sacred", by fellow Canadian Velcrow Ripper. It turned out to be the most moving cinematic experience of my life.
The theme of the film is that Mr. Ripper travels to the "Ground Zeros'" of the world to explore how people cope with the worst possible atrocities that humanity inflicts upon itself.
To my recollection, he visits The Killing Fields, Bhopal, Auschwitz, Hiroshima and other locales. While the film wrenches your gut as people testify to the horrors of their experience, it is an astonishing testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. It was a remarkable experience being among the first to see this film with Mr. Ripper present and many in the audience weeping openly.
He gave a Q and A afterwards, and I can attest that he is a very talented and wise soul.
Mr. Ripper also has a new film coming out called "Fierce Light" which premiered at the Hot Docs Film Festival recently. The film deals with people who challenge authority from the grassroots level.
I deeply hope that Mr. Ripper gains a wide audience, as he has a lot to teach us.
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