The Far Shore
Joyce Wieland, 1975, English, 105 min, colour
The
Far Shore is a consummate expression of Joyce Wieland’s artistic sensibility,
a gorgeous painterly film, formal in conception, deliberate in its flagrant
symbolism (the rigid imposition of WASP power on French-Canadian culture)
and portrayal of Canadian myths (the mystery of Tom Thomson’s drowning
in Algonquin Park), and exuding romantic naturalism. This northern love
story, rooted in the landscape of the Group of Seven and the realities of
the Canadian experience, is a tale of passion both carnal and artistic.
"I think of Canada as female. All the art I've been doing or will be doing is about Canada. I may tend to overly identify with Canada." — Joyce Wieland.
Reviews
“The Far Shore is ... symbolically, a story about Quebec culture
overwhelmed by the brute power of English Canada. On the level of subject
matter and symbolism, this may be the most densely Canadian movie ever made."
— Robert Fulford, Globe and Mail, 1997.
Awards
Three Canadian Film Awards – Supporting Actor (Frank Moore), Art Direction (Anne Pritchard), and Cinematography (Richard Leiterman).
Screening
Monday, February 21, 7:30pm
Part of a double bill with
Artist on Fire
Introduced by Kay Armatage
Total screening time: 2hrs, with a 15min intermisssion.
About the Director
Joyce Wieland
b 30 June 1931; Toronto, Ontario
d 27 June 1998; Toronto, Ontario
FILMOGRAPHY (as director)
Tea in the Garden (1958)
Larry’s Recent Behavior (1963)
Peggy’s Blue Skylight (1964)
Patriotism Part One (1964)
Patriotism Part Two (1964)
Water Sark (1966)
Bill’s Hat (1967)
Barbara’s Blindness (1967)
Sailboat (1967)
1933 (1967)
Handtinting (1967)
Catfood (1967)
Rat Life and Diet in North America (1968)
Dripping Water (1969)
La raison avant la passion (aka, Reason Over Passion , 1969)
Pierres Vallières (1972)
Birds at Sunrise (1972)
Solidarity (1973)
The Far Shore (1975)
Cast and crew
Producers
Joyce Wieland, Judy Steed
Writers
Brian Barney, based on a story by Joyce Wieland
Cinematographer
Richard Leiterman
Editors
George Appleby, Brian French
Music
Douglas Pringle, Debussy
Principal Cast
Céline Lomez, Frank Moore, Lawrence Benedict, Sean McCann, Susan
Petrie, Charlotte Blunt, Cosette Lee, Don Le Gros, Leo Leyden, Murray Westgate,
Jean Carignan
Links
TAKE ONE tribute to Joyce Wieland
The Film Reference Library's biography of Joyce Wieland
Review of The Films of Joyce Wieland, by Kathryn Elder.
Joyce Wieland: one of the Top Ten Great Canadian Artists.
