Volume 8, Issue 9 / September 2004

Spotlight on Guy Maddin

Inspired by the recent retrospective at the Cinématheque Quebecois, this month Offscreen celebrates the eccentric words and images of Guy Maddin with four pieces covering his varied output. Roberto Curti’s piece and Totaro’s “Guy Maddin: Tales from a Maverick’s Diary” serve as introductory overviews on Maddin’s work; Totaro’s second piece reviews Maddin’s first collection of writings; and Daniel Garrett reviews Maddin’s latest film The Saddest Music in the World within the broader context of recent Canadian cinema and its reception in the United States. Rounding out the issue is Michael Vesia’s report on the debut of Montreal’s Italian Film Festival. Aside from the missteps one would expect from first-time film organizers, the festival was a resounding success within the Montreal Italian-Canadian community, and the future looks bright for upcoming editions (ed Donato Totaro).