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Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Filed under: Life in General Tagged: gloomy, rain, Toronto ]]> http://katblogsit.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/gloomy-day/feed/ 0 Kat gloomyday http://katblogsit.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/is-farming-good-for-you/ http://katblogsit.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/is-farming-good-for-you/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:45:45 +0000 Kathleen Mackey http://katblogsit.wordpress.com/?p=692 ]]>

From Farming and the Rural Community in Ontario: An Introduction, 1985.

(from Starting a Farm in Ontario: A Guide to Living and Farming in Rural Ontario, 2000)

The week is almost over, and it’s hard to believe that the DOC NOW film premieres and Opening Galas have come and gone!

The films premiered at the John Spotton Theatre (NFB, 150 John Street) over three nights (June 7-9).  It went so well, and I was happy that everyone enjoyed the work, and that people liked my film!  Woohoo!

The Opening Galas for the photo and new media exhibitions were on June 10th starting at Beaver Hall (29 McCaul Street), and then at the 80 Spadina Avenue base camp (Toronto Image Works, Studio Two, and Ryerson Gallery), with four galleries total opening their doors to the public, showcasing the awesome works of the Documentary Media (MFA) graduates.  Congratulations everyone!

The festival isn’t over yet though!  The exhibitions run until the end of June, with some going until early July.  There are more film screenings starting TODAY (June 11), and then on June 12th and June 15th.

The next screenings for my film are on June 12th (2pm) and June 15th (7pm).

Visit the DOC NOW website for more information!  Check out the exhibitions—they’re AMAZING!

The first screening for my film is tonight (at the NFB, 7pm), and also jump starts the DOC NOW screenings for this year’s festival!

If you’re interested in attending tonight, or screenings on June 8th and 9th, please contact general@docnow.ca to RSVP. All other screenings are general admission and do not require an RSVP.

There are screenings on June 11th, 12th, and 15th as well at Ryerson University.

ALL SCREENINGS AND EXHIBITIONS ARE FREE!!!

The films and exhibitions are all amazing, and I encourage anyone reading this to go check them out.  Visit the DOC NOW website for all the details!

Last Thursday evening I took part in the DOC NOW panel, presenting aspects of my thesis film on the family farm in relation to the panel’s theme: preservation/transformation.  I presented alongside two other classmates, Tara Ernst and Marc Losier, who are also both exhibiting work at the DOC NOW festival.

The panel was a great way for me to practice talking about my film and the ideas that surround it.  My film is not just about my family farm and its sale but also about the ways the farm is being preserved whether it be through photographs, home videos, a Mackey Family History book, street signs memorials (see image below), or objects taken from the farm and used again (like the beautiful peonies and delicious rhubarb that can be found in various relatives’ gardens).

In fact, last weekend I transplanted a rhubarb root from my parents’ garden to my backyard in Toronto.  The root originally came from the farm, and my Dad estimates that it’s at least 50 years old.  Now, if only it would survive in Toronto…we’ll see!  The squirrels have already chewed what was left of it aboveground, but here’s hoping the root is resilient!