Decked out in a suit and low-tech Halloween Headquarters makeup, Art Tiwari created a deadpan absurdist icon whose encounter with a public that does not at all find him strange was the cherry on top of a hypnotically joyous experience. Werewolf Ninja Philosopher was a black-and-white slow cinema comedy about a lycanthrope New York detective investigating the murder of a film critic. Now that all my cards are on the table, how does the movie hold up in round two?Ī lot better, I’ve gotta say, and the secret to appreciating this particular Secret Society (for me, anyway) lies in context. And, yes, my friendship with Sujewa factored heavily into that courtesy. You’re right in thinking this isn’t a courtesy I extend to every movie that fails to knock me out on the first viewing. It was an awkward position to be in, for sure, and I held off writing a review of Slow Romance until I could watch it again. And when I finally got to see the finished work toward the end of last year…I thought it was okay. We chronicled the casting, scripting, shooting, and long post-production/release process. “The Slowdown” was also a platform for Sujewa to discuss his next film, Slow Romance (during the COVID-19 pandemic both the movie’s scope and title expanded to The Secret Society for Slow Romance). In a flash, I had rocketed past my self-imposed “independent film” boundaries that had been largely defined by Fox Searchlight and A24 releases. Soon after, Sujewa and I began a monthly podcast series called “The Slowdown”,* in which we reviewed expansive and imaginative indie epics from around the globe by the likes of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jim Jarmusch, and Lav Diaz. Who could’ve known that those hastily scribbled names, concentric circles, and dotted lines would change my life? Many of the directors on the diagram were pioneers and practitioners of “Slow Cinema”, which, I soon learned, wasn’t just a fancy way of describing “long, boring movies”. Partway through the conversation, Sujewa pulled out a sheet of paper and began drawing Paul Schrader’s “Chart of Non-Narrative Cinema” from memory. As such, the goal is to reform the Assisted Reproduction laws in Canada, and this complex social issue is thoroughly examined from all sides in this comprehensive and surprising documentary.An hour before I introduced the 2019 Chicago premiere of Werewolf Ninja Philosopher, I interviewed filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake in the offices above the Facets theatre, along with the werewolf himself, actor Art Shrian Tiwari. The absurdity of the official rules is brought to the fore when you realize that Canadian law allows for egg “donation” for compassionate reasons, as long as no remuneration exchanges hands. From lobbying to have federal laws changed, finding loopholes that may come with hefty price tags, and shopping overseas for eggs they cannot legally access through commercial means on Canadian soil. Meet the courageous women who are trying to help Canadians in this precarious situation. Canadian women who wish to hire an egg donor to deal with infertility can face federal charges for a perfectly legal activity south of the border and in many other countries. Rebecca Campbell’s eye-opening feature shines a light on a uniquely Canadian health crisis. THE SECRET SOCIETY is one of the many incredible documentaries focusing on women’s issues at this year’s WFF.
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