I was reviewing past coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and realized that as good as it is to use social media, I missed having a record of the films I saw and my thoughts about them. I took a break from this blog because I prioritized getting you the information as fast as I could. A quick post on Instagram which links to my Facebook page as well as twitter, is expeditious but it leaves no lasting memories.

In looking back, for example, at my Nordic coverage, I can see posts about directors I’ve connected with over the years such as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Dome Karukoski, and Imran Haq, and remember my time seeing their films and chatting with them. Those who seek out their work also have a connection through the words I have written.

This year, I am hoping to chat with director, Jukka-Pekka Valkeapää (J-P), who I interviewed when his film They Have Escaped screened at TIFF 2014. J-P is back this year with a film that TIFF Senior Programmer, Steve Gravestock writes “In its inseparable fusion of horror, grief, and comedy, Dogs Don't Wear Pants plays like a late Buñuel film…” The title alone, and its accompanying picture (below) are gripping, but the name-dropping of Buñuel pushes my interest in the film off the scale! I’m also curious to see how actor Pekka Strang handles the role of an on-the-edge surgeon dealing with the repercussions of his wife’s death. I last saw Strang in Karukoski’s Tom of Finland, in which he plays the iconic photographer of erotic images of gay bikers and leathermen.

Dogs Don't Wear Pants by J-P Valkeapää
Photo: www.tiff.net

In relaunching my blog at this time, I’m hoping that the boost of energy I get from TIFF 2019 will propel me to record more for you here, not just for this festival but for other areas of film, theatre and the arts-at-large.