This month we asked members of the Carleton community to write a love letter. Specifically, a love letter of any kind: just choose a piece of media about some sort of “love,” whatever that means to you, and recommend it to us! In that way, we have painted a picture of what love means to various members of the Carleton film studies community. We could argue all day about Valentine’s day — whether it’s a worthwhile “holiday” or just a really well-done capitalist bid — but there’s no doubt that we are reminded of romance everywhere we turn for the month of February. Perhaps in an effort to melt all that January snow?
February is also Black History Month, and although one should appreciate Black content and acknowledge the heavy history that Canada is not exempt from, we would like to acknowledge the importance of the month in amplifying Black voices and media. Some of the recommendations on this list would be especially worth your while in terms of the history of the Black community in Canada and around the world.
So, we hope you enjoy the February rec list of five feature films, one trilogy, and one short!
Our first recommendation this month is from Dr. Aboubakar Sanogo, Soleil Ô (1970, Med Hondo). Dr. Sanogo is the current Graduate Supervisor of the Film Studies Program who has taught a great many courses at Carleton ranging from topics such as African cinema, documentary film theory, and the history of world cinema.
Synopsis: The film Soleil Ô, shot over four years with a very low budget, tells the story of a black immigrant who makes his way to Paris in search of “his Gaul ancestors”. This manifesto denounces a new form of slavery: the immigrants desperately seek work, a place to live, but find themselves face to face with indifference, rejection, humiliation…until the final call for uprising. “Soleil Ô” is the title of a West Indian song that tells of the pain of the black people from Dahomey (now Benin) who were taken to the Caribbean as slaves.
“I would like to recommend Soleil Ô (1970) by Mauritanian filmmaker, Med Hondo, which is a love letter to Africa, to cinema, to the possibility of cross-cultural communication, to human togetherness. It explores the need to fight racism, colonialism, neocolonialism as a precondition/condition of the possibility of love between humans across race, class, gender, etc. It is available through the Criterion Channel. February is also Black History Month and indeed, the film is very about loving Black people.”
For more of Dr. Sanogo’s thoughts, you can find his article on the Criterion Channel that is part of “Martin Scorcese's World Cinema Project №3.”
Recommended by a film studies alum, Pretend It’s a City (2021) is a recent release from Martin Scorcese, and can be described as a love letter to New York.
Synopsis: Wander the New York City streets and fascinating mind of wry writer, humorist and raconteur Fran Lebowitz as she sits down with Martin Scorsese.
“Honestly had never heard of Fran Lebowitz before this, but Scorsese is my saviour so I had to go in on this. After finishing this I believe she is the most hilarious person ever, and I have purchased the Fran Lebowitz Reader with a gift card I got for Christmas. Her rants remind me of those of the Kid Mero, whose New York upbringing also affects his outlook on life. However, she feels like a Scorsese character (and, as we see, has been), and he frames her so perfectly, just as he did with Steven Prince. Meanwhile, her own sensibilities mirror that of Scorsese’s, and the series traces a cinematic history through his films and beyond, as only his documentaries can do. the whole series feels like one of Fran’s most long-winded takes, a tightwire act that makes you think and laugh your ass off — and Marty sure laughs his ass off!”
Pretend It’s a City is available to stream on Netflix and clocks in at 210 minutes.
A recommendation from a fourth-year film major we have a colourful and heartwarming film — Rafiki (2018) directed by Wanuri Kahiu — starring Samantha Mugatsia, Neville Misati, and Nice Githinji.
Synopsis: Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety.
“Rafiki was beautiful and heartbreaking. The love story between Kena and Ziki was mutually uplifting and empathetic, the cinematography was gorgeous, and the soundtrack was excellent. Queer movies that don’t feature the fetishization of LGBTQ+ relationships and sex are so important to me, and I’m looking forward to diving into more of Wanuri Kahiu’s works.”
You can find Rafiki’s 82 minutes for streaming on the Criterion Channel.
A highly regarded animated film, this Carleton student recommends Coraline (2009, Henry Selick) — if you’ve been putting off watching this very creepy but no less enjoyable film, then maybe this is a sign.
Synopsis: When Coraline moves to an old house, she feels bored and neglected by her parents. She finds a hidden door with a bricked up passage. During the night, she crosses the passage and finds a parallel world where everybody has buttons instead of eyes, with caring parents and all her dreams coming true. When the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her.
“Coraline is an example of learning to love one’s family as they are, and making new friends after moving to a new place; also a story with a primary character’s arc being rooted in becoming a better person alongside a character named Sadness — though this one is spelled ‘Whyborn’.”
Coraline runs 100 minutes and is available to stream on Netflix Canada.
Another recommendation from a Carleton film major is Brooklyn (2015) directed by John Crowley starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, and Domhnall Gleeson.
Synopsis: In 1950s Ireland and New York, young Eilis Lacey has to choose between two men and two countries.
“It’s about a young Irish girl who arrives in Brooklyn in the 1950s as she’s trying to choose how to live her life and ends up falling in love with an Italian family. She reflects a lot on her life and how different her new lifestyle is compared to her one in Ireland.
I’ve always enjoyed some romance in my movies and this is one of my favourites. When I was really young I watched it with my sister and just thought it was so sweet.”
At 111 minutes you can stream Brooklyn for free on CBC Gem: here.
A recommendation from a Carleton film studies minor, The Before Trilogy consists of three movies — Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013) — directed by Richard Linklater.
Synopsis: Chronicling the love of Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke), from their first meeting as idealistic twentysomethings to the disillusionment they face together in middle age, The Before Trilogy also serves as a document of a boundary-pushing and extraordinarily intimate collaboration between director and actors, as Delpy and Hawke imbue their characters with a sense of lived-in experience, and age on-screen along with them.
“Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy centers around a love story between two characters, Jesse and Celine, that takes place over 18 years. Remarkably, the story is told in real-time, with each film actually being filmed and released nine years apart, starting with 1995’s Before Sunrise and ending with 2013’s Before Midnight. When looked at individually, each film is very minimalist, taking place over just a single day, and not featuring much plot other than conversations between Jesse and Celine. However, when viewed as a whole, the trilogy allows Jesse and Celine to become two of the most richly developed characters I have ever seen in film. 2022 is right around the corner, so who knows, we may even be seeing them again soon.”
In total, the trilogy is 290 minutes and can currently be streamed on Crave.
To round off our February rec list I have a personal short film recommendation. Ice Breakers (2019) directed by Sandamini Rankaduwa is an essential watch considering how little of your time it will take up.
Synopsis: Josh Crooks is a promising teen hockey star in a sport where Black players like him are chronically underrepresented. Ice Breakers reveals the buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada, as Crooks discovers that his unshakable passion is tied to a rich and remarkable heritage.
A love letter to the ice and to hockey, but specifically the Black hockey players and community that makeup Atlantic Canada’s hockey history. Hidden behind jerseys in the Sports Hall of Fame, the history of Black hockey has remained buried to those who don’t think to dig deeper. Ice Breakers is a beautifully shot and poignant unearthing of this history while following a young player who reconnects with his hockey heritage.
Only 15 minutes, Ice Breakers is available to stream for free on the National Film Board of Canada website: here.
Thank you for reading the February recommendation list. All the film synopses were taken from Letterboxd, except for Ice Breakers, which is from the NFB. Many thanks to Dr. Sanogo and my fellow Carleton students for providing the different media on this list.
Is there a movie, short film, or series that you’re really loving lately? Drop a comment below or direct message @mycufilm on Twitter/Instagram with the title and a blurb about why you like it for it to appear in the March blog post. No theme for next month, just whatever you’re really enjoying lately or want people to watch. As always, we really appreciate hidden gems or media from unique and underappreciated perspectives.
This blog post was written by Lily Inskip-Shesnicky, a third-year film studies student at Carleton University, and the CU Film social media manager, with the help of Amanda Prusila a film studies MA student and the Graduate representative.
