Porcupine Lake

Friday night I met my son downtown to see a Canadian film called Porcupine Lake as part of this year's TIFF.

It was an extra special night out at the movies for us. (or me anyways!) Dylan has just moved out of the house at 18 years old to study film making at York University. One of the reasons we chose York is that they have great profs who are also excellent filmakers such as the director for Porcupine Lake; Ingrid Veninger.

So we sat down for a minute or two (no time for popcorn) and started discussing Dylan's memories of volunteering for a couple days on the set for Porcupine Lake last summer. A lot of it was social; great people, fun times during and after shooting. He had a couple good stories about Jane Siberry and her dog who appears in the film.

This is a great film. It is beautifully shot and tells a story about two young teen girls coming of age. Lots of humour and tension about their first kiss, rebelling against their parents and talking about sex. This film feels real. In the Q and A after the film Veninger says she remembers everything about being a 13 year old girl and that comes through in this film.

As a parent of two boys I thought it might not be a film for me but the story is fun and the relationship of the mother and father (Chris Bolton and Delphine Roussel)  who were both great is very real and keeps you interested throughout. As a matter of fact I even wonder why they don't sell this angle a little more in the marketing for the film. (what do I know? I am just a banjo player...)

All the music in the film is by local Toronto band Zeuss. I liked it all. (they even scored the film...great job!)

A shout out to Braden Sauder for the excellent sound recording and mix. There is a nice amount of space in this film to enjoy the ambient sound that is part of what makes a film and a place like Porcupine Lake so beautiful.

p.s. It was a pleasant surprise for both of us to see Dylan's name in the credits.