Rating: NNNNN
LIFT: RETRO CELLULOID — THE PAST PARTS 1 & 2 (various, 1981-1997) concludes the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers with a free rummage through the organization’s impressive archives. Thursday’s big draw will probably be Peep Show, Atom Egoyan’s early short about — what else? — voyeurism. But the night’s real gem is David Roche Talks To You About Love, excerpts from the Toronto actor’s achingly precise monologue about unrequited love. Though the short is interesting chiefly for Roche’s wry observations, it also showcases the young Jeremy Podeswa’s skill at following Roche through the lonely shadows of his apartment. Another solemn classic is Letters From Home (Mike Hoolboom), a blunt, multi-faceted portrait of life with AIDS. Far less serious is Ed Ackerman and Colin Morton’s Primiti Too Taa, a Dada poem that comes to impish life as an animated typeface. It’s as much fun as Sesame Street. Friday’s lineup includes a couple of short documentaries, some lyrical dramas and two excellent, pointed works of animation — the sexy/creepy Nukie Takes A Valium (Jonathan Amitay) and Iris Paabo’s hand-painted animal kaleidoscope, Leaving The Poisons Behind. Here’s hoping LIFT’s future is as bright as these golden oldies. NNNN (April 5 and 6, Cinematheque)
