Tony Wohlfarth
This month, The Centretown BUZZ viewed the reopened Canadian Museum of Nature. I also viewed the Rembrandt in Amsterdam exhibit at the National Gallery and participated in the Calgary Folk Music Festival. And I review the premiere of Pig, a film which premiered at the Mayfair Cinema.
Canadian Museum of Nature
The CMN (240 McLeod Street) reopened on July 16 to sold-out crowds. Visitors were eager to see the amazing collection of mammals, fossils, birds, insects, rocks and minerals on display. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday (Thursday until 7 p.m.) Visitors must reserve at: www.nature.ca and wear a mask. The museum is child-friendly, incorporating a scavenger hunt with matching sounds in each gallery.
I was impressed to see an electronic counter in each gallery, automatically recording the number of guests and the capacity. The elevators are also arranged to enhance safety: one to ascend and the other to descend.
On July 28, the CMN welcomed back Owls Rendez-vous (included with admission). The outdoor exhibit featured five owls and one magnificent bald eagle.
The National Gallery of Canada
The NGC (380 Sussex Drive) has re-opened with its first exhibition of art by Rembrandt van Rijn, Rembrandt in Amsterdam, which runs until September 6.
Rembrandt was born in Leiden in 1606 and moved to Amsterdam, where he died in 1669. He created many portraits, landscapes and sketches over his lifetime. One of his portraits is captured here.
What is remarkable about the exhibition is that it reinterprets Rembrandt’s art in the context of Dutch colonialism and the history of slavery. The intriguing links are captured in a video with the curators available online at www.gallery.ca/whats-on/exhibitions-and-galleries/rembrandt-in-amsterdam-creativity-and-competition (the talk runs 1.5 hours.)
The NGC is open daily (except Tuesday) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays until 8 p.m. Evening admission on Thursdays is free. Visits must be booked in advance at: www.gallery.ca
The Canadian War Museum (CWM)
The CWM (1 Vimy Place) reopened in mid July. Highlights of my visit included Forever Changed, stories from World War II, and the annual World Press Photo travelling exhibition. The WPP exhibit contains the best of photojournalism in 2020, including both spot news like the riots at the US Capitol and the massive explosion in Beirut, and also extraordinary sports, nature, environmental, and feature series on everything from frogs’ eggs to American gun collectors. The Ottawa showing of these large-format photos closed August 15, but you can see all 159 photos online at: https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photocontest/2021
The Calgary Folk Music Festival
Live music returned to Calgary in mid-July. Tom Wilson and iskwē performed at the fest in July. After their set, I interviewed the duo. They met at the Indspire Awards in 2020, where they performed onstage (with Chuck Copenance): www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkfsY1avGHc
The Ottawa Jazz Festival
Wilson and iskwē will also headline the Ottawa Jazz Festival on August 19.
The jazz festival – live and virtual – runs from August 18 to 22. The live shows, at locations ranging from Confederation Park to the NAC to Sparks Street to local clubs, are free. The virtual shows can be booked at: ottawajazzfestival.com with a festival pass or individually. All of the virtual shows are available to screen anytime for up to two weeks. Almost all the in-person shows must be reserved in advance.
The festival wraps up on the Sunday with a virtual “Swing Swing Swing!” show with some of the best of Ottawa’s jazz musicians backing star vocalist Kellylee Evans in infectiously bright arrangements of classic swing tunes. This show was a hit at the National Arts Centre and previously at the jazz festival.
ByTowne Cinema is back (325 Rideau)
The ByTowne Cinema is under new ownership. Andy Willick and Daniel Demois, who also operate independent cinemas in Toronto and Kitchener, have taken over. They are currently renovating the concessions area, and the projection booth, as well as obtaining a liquor license. No screenings have been announced, but in a July email to subscribers, the owners said they hoped to reopen in early September. Watch this space for news and updates.
The Mayfair (1054 Bank Street)
On July 16, the Mayfair reopened with a reduced capacity of 90 persons.
The Mayfair has launched a weekly podcast with its programmer, Josh Stafford. Edition #333 coincided with the theatre’s reopening and talks about the world premiere of Pig: soundcloud.com/mayfair-theatre#.
Pig
Nicholas Cage stars in this survivalist thriller, which was released on July 16 and premiered the next day in Ottawa at the Mayfair.
Rob (Cage) lives with his pet pig in a remote wilderness cabin. Rob survives by harvesting truffles – which his pig is uniquely equipped to find. Once a week, a friend Amir (Alex Wolff) shows up to buy his rare fungi.
Rob’s solitary existence is turned upside down when the cabin is attacked, and his pig kidnapped. Rob is forced to return to the city (Portland, Oregon) to search for his missing companion. The film has some brutal scenes as Rob confronts characters from his past. It also has some poignant moments, when he visits his childhood home and listens to a tape of an unknown woman.
Pig is directed by Michael Sarnoski, his feature directorial debut. The running time is 1h32m. Cage’s performance is the highlight of this film.
Labour Day 2021
On Monday, September 6, labour activists will gather for the annual Labour Day parade and BBQ.
For updates, please RSVP at: ottawalabour.nationbuilder.com/labour_day_2021
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The NFB adds new films to its website regularly. The latest is a selection of 23 films about the experience of Indian Residential Schools: www.nfb.ca/channels/residential-schools/
National Day of Reconciliation
Wednesday, September 30 is now the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. To mark the event, look for to a series of events to honour the legacy of the residential schools.
Check here for updates: reconciliationcanada.ca
Tony Wohlfarth is an Ottawa-based freelance film, and entertainment writer. He visited the CMN, the NGC, the CWM and the CFMF on behalf of The Centretown BUZZ.