A Winter Tale

'A Winter Tale' reminded me of a snow globe. Not only because it happens in winter (hence snow) and not only because the world of this small black Toronto community gets shaken (as snow globes do) by the accidental shooting death of a young child ... but also because of the closeness and intimacy of everything. The feeling was of being invited into a small space (like a snow globe) to meet these characters, experienced with an emotional and visual closeness (e.g. many close up shots of their eyes, faces, mouths) which pressed them and their lives against me as a viewer. How could we all fit into this small globe without becoming more intimately involved (visually and emotionally) or without feeling some kind of intensity?

Gene, one of the main characters (a social worker), forms a male support group, which addresses the need for 'dialogue' among the men of the community. In contrast, there are points in the film where there is no dialogue ... where what is not said speaks as loudly as (louder than?) what is or could be. This absence (of dialogue) stood out for me for two scenes in particular: (i) after the shooting of the boy, one of the men returns to the eatery to tell the grandfather that his grandson is dead. This is done so wordlessly and powerfully that in the moment I was aware of the power of silence (absence of words). Anything voiced at that point would have ruined it. (ii) Gene (social worker) crying in bed after the shooting of the boy, his wife's long, white arm reaching out to touch his turned back. He eventually turns to her, still crying, and there is an overhead shot of their naked interracial bodies intertwined. Sensual. Maternal. Come to think of it, the men in the film often come across as boys, particularly when in the presence of the women in their lives (whether wife, girlfriend or mother). They seemed to be reflections of that little boy who got shot: just as vulnerable - both emotionally and in the sense of being potential victims of gun violence themselves.

I enjoyed the film's textures, camera work and editing. At times I found myself thinking that I could have been looking at a painting - particularly in the scenes that showed the city of Toronto. I saw it in a blurred, abstract, almost surreal way - in contrast with the realness of the life of the main characters. The close up red of a street car passing was like a paintbrush with red paint on it, streaking across the screen. The silhouetted CN tower against a golden watercolour blur of sky. A quick, haunting glimpse of a black brush-stroked female figure standing alone on a snowy sidewalk. Blurry memories of childhood. At points the editing, angles and distance of the shots worked together to make me feel as though I was seeing this urban painting through the window of a passing train: quick snippets. Not much of the city had to be shown to depict it. Like a few simple Japanese brush strokes creating the whole picture.

The soundtrack was there throughout, supporting and driving, but never standing above. The only point where I consciously became aware of it and found myself listening to what the music was 'made up' of was a looped instrumental part just before the little boy gets shot. I remember listening to it and being aware of the silence and spacing between the notes enhancing the tension of 'something about to happen'.

Canadians are thirsty for stories that reflect and motivate us. Director Frances-Anne Solomon's recent offering A Winter Tale is just that kind of story... and more. Solomon and her cast deliver extraordinarily credible, emotionally raw and sincere performances that depict the vulnerability, self-preservation, and salvation of Toronto residents in the wake of gun violence.

Set in Toronto's Parkdale community, the story opens with a social worker named Gene (played by Peter Williams) and his attempts to "get the black men in his community to talk", after an innocent 12-year old takes a fatal bullet meant for a drug dealer. The backdrop for much of the film is at the Caribbean Takeaway Restaurant run by Miss G (played by Leonie Forbes) where the men hang out drinking beers, speaking patois and playing cards and pool.

The cast of A Winter Tale was "encouraged to bring a little piece of themselves" to every scene. This included their varied Caribbean and African backgrounds. Using an often overlooked technique, Solomon and her cousin, Michele Lonsdale-Smith (who directed the theater version of the movie) held improvisation workshops, where the actors could channel their characters freely. As a result, much of the cast is credited with helping to write the script. The cast also lived in Parkdale during the filming.

On screen the group dynamics are riveting. The film is never stereotypical and never preachy. More importantly it's gripping and real, at times even nostalgic. We know these characters, not just on screen, but in our daily lives too.

Each scene is ultimately a window into the tragedies, joys, and struggle with the negative elements in our society. The climax and resolution of the film leave you spent, unsure of what to feel next other than anxious, a little "mad", and exposed at the same time. Of the film, Solomon said she wanted to "pack an emotional punch". It does - violence is not a spectator sport, and nowhere in this film could you simply watch, - you felt the call to action and even discussion. No doubt before long, this film will be screening in theaters across Canada.

Otherwise, you're missing out on one of the best truly Canadian films this year.

Neither chained by realism nor burdened by it, director Frances-Anne Solomon thoughtfully explores the issue of Black-on-Black crime within the Black community, which certainly transcends national boundaries. Nevertheless, in "A Winter Tale"—the opening night presentation for this year's African Diaspora Film Festival in New York City—Solomon remains specific to Black Canadian affairs. Her consistent use of intimate scenes reminds the audience that such a universal theme is grounded in a specific location that is worthy of close-up attention.

The film opens with the death of a young boy as a result of stray gunfire near a drug location. Instead of allowing female characters to pronounce the pain and mournfulness of the moment, Solomon captures the devastated sounds and piercing silence of men's pain, tears and struggles. Solomon does not ignore facial dialogue. In fact, she makes good use of visual resources at the most telling moments. Her thoughtful portrayal of a crime that might only merit a blurb in newspapers is the reason for viewing the film.

Following the death, a young community-builder, Gene Wright, starts a local support group exclusively for men. Wright thinks that this unfortunate homicide will galvanize men across generations to address problems of the community. The first meeting, however, fails expectations. It is only within a local eatery, Miss G's Caribbean Take Away, that the men start to come together. It is in this more intimate setting that the film shows how crimes within the community are intertwined and have lasting effects within the home despite the bantering and play that goes on in the eatery. Amidst the urgent need to address the recent killing, each key male character has difficult issues of home that do not have comforting or identifiable resolutions.

In a question-and-answer session following the premiere screening, some audience members observed that the instructive potential of the film might be lost due to some explicit content. In response, the director upheld the current format of the film in order to show how these explicit images are not holistically demanding. Likewise, I think that although driven by true-to-life narratives, the edgy exactitude of Solomon's cinematography indicates the artist's innovative imagination.

In "A Winter Tale," Solomon along with her talented cast deliver a complex yet common story that respects the audience's interpretative freedom by preserving the dynamic lives of each character. (Courtesy of SeeingBlack.com)

A Few weeks ago I was at the 15th Annual African Diaspora Film festival here in New York and by chance I happen to attend the screening for this film called A Winter Tale.

The film took place in Toronto, in a neighborhood called Parkdale.

Now I'm not at all familiar with Toronto or the neighborhoods, or the city dynamics etc. but I loved this movie so much. The acting was really good, well written. The way certain details came through the exposition was handled really well.

Its a story thats mainly centered around the events that take place after a young boy is shot in the head, and the effort of one community member to create a support group against the deaths of young Black males in the city.

I don't want to give up what happened, but i'm sure some of you have heard, or probably seen the film. (I think it was released in Canada in early 2006?)

I really enjoyed how the film focused in on the Black community in Toronto. I caught a little deja vu while watching the film (as a kid my father owned similar west Indian type of restaurant in the bronx). I'm a young Black male and I come from an African American/Caribbean Background, and I knew of certain things issues going on up there but I'm not too informed. (What I know of city issues in Toronto come from my niece and nephew that live up there)

watching the move was refreshing because it really is a remarkable work of art, but at the same time I was frustrated because, I said to myself damn why is it they never try to show you Canada from this perspective

I would definitely recommend this movie here are some links about flick: ledaserenesnewz1.blogspot.com, awintertale.ca

Best thing about it was the Director and two of the actors were in the audience. The director said that most of the script was based off of improv, that right there was remarkable.

I have to say, I loved this movie (thank you Peter for bringing it with you) The story was very moving (well done Frances Anne) with a few fun moments and tragedy. However, the underlying story is very fresh today, whether in Canada, USA, UK, and all over the world. Its an issue that really needs to be noted, and for people to start realising. We are a multicultural society now, we have to learn to live and respect one another. This movie would be very good shown in schools, to show kids the gritty side of life, not the glamorised side like a Hollywood movie.

I have to say, after watching A Winter Tale, I'm considering a career change. I'm seriously considering re-training and doing something more meaningful with my life, to help kids/youths/supporting adults. I've been thinking about it for a while, and with seeing A Winter Tale, I'm very seriously contemplating this move. Sorry, back to the movie: Would I watch the movie again? Yes Would I buy the movie? Yes! Well done everyone on the movie!!