The Best of Norman Mclaren

The Film Festival is showing a program of The Best of Norman Mclaren. Frustrating the festival doesn't list this collection of shorts on the website the same way as in the book. Instead each individual movie is listed separately. Norman Mclaren is one of those filmmakers who put the NFB on the map. His wiki entry has a weird error, its lists him as being Scottish. He was an ethnic Scot born in Scotland. However he spent the last 2/3 of last life in Canada at the NFB.

This was the oldest screeening audience I have ever been to at TIFF. Big chunks of the audience were invitees and special guests resplendant in warm suits and formal wear, the theatre was painfully cold. There was a red carpet, the area was aswarm with special duty NCO's and plainclothes mounties. The Governor-General introduced the film with some very general remarks. Her husband had more particular comments about Mclaren and he spoke for continued existence of the NFB and other noncomercial havens for filmmakers. The head of TIFF, Piers Handling was also on hand. The other films I saw today were introduced by underlings. Underlings important enough not to be their own roadies.

I was going to write something insightful and informative unfortunately/fortunately I was blown away. I have seen everyone of these shorts before. However seeing as in an unbroken stream at the end of a long day made the whole experience a little overwhelming. Each successive animation added to the enjoyment of the next as different themes and techniques were developed and explored.

What I learned: Jazz, classical and Indian music can all have a place in animation.