What’s on this month in Ottawa

Tony Wohlfarth

National Arts Centre

As the NAC returns to in-person (if physically-distanced) shows, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Alan Doyle performs live along with the Ottawa Valley’s own Kelly Prescott in the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall on Tuesday, November 16. The NAC is offering a physical copy of Doyle’s forthcoming EP with each ticket.

Canadian folk icons Connie Kaldor and Garnet Rogers perform together in the NAC Studio on November 19.

Looking ahead to December, the NAC features Jill Barber & The Skydiggers on December 3 to 4. On December 18, the NAC welcomes back Matt Anderson in a Christmas show called The Snowman’s Ball. The New Brunswick born guitarist made his debut on the NAC stage with Stuart Maclean’s Vinyl Café in 2009.

JW Jones

On December 16, Centrepointe Theatre (101 Centrepointe Drive) features a concert with Ottawa blues guitarist JW Jones & Friends.

Kellylee Evans

On December 18, the Shenkman Arts Centre (245 Centrum Boulevard) welcomes Ottawa’s own Kellylee Evans in her Christmas show, Winter Song, featuring a mix of holiday classics and original songs.

Nomadland

Frances McDormand plays the lead role in this award-winning film from 2020. It will screen at the ByTowne Cinema (325 Rideau), from November 21 to 24.

Nomadland portrays the lifestyle of The Nomads, an underclass of seniors who live in their recreational vehicles (RVs). They eke out an existence at a variety of casual jobs: in an Amazon warehouse or as park rangers. Fern (played by McDormand) is typical. When she lost her husband, she lost her home in Empire, Nevada, and was “houseless” – not homeless.

The script is based on a book of the same name by Jessica Bruder.

I found McDormand’s performance in Nomadland incredible. The camera work by Joshua James Richard is also remarkable.

Nomadland won the Academy Award for best film in 2021. Its director, Chloé Zhao, won the Academy Award for best director, and McDormand also won the award for best actress in a leading role. The running time is 1h47m.

Night Raiders

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers stars in an extraordinary science fiction feature-length film, currently screening at the ByTowne until Nov. 13.

Tailfeathers plays the role of Niska, the mother of an eleven-year-old girl. The film opens as the duo abandon their survival existence and move to the city. The new world is a dystopian post-war existence, where drones and viruses control the population.

Niska and Waseese (Brooklyn Letexier-Hart) lead an aboriginal rebellion against a militaristic society bent on population control and limits on personal freedoms.

Night Raiders premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September, where its director, Danis Goulet, won the Emerging Talent Award. The film is in English, with some dialogue in Cree with English subtitles. The running time is 1h37m.

National Gallery of Canada

On October 31, The Centretown BUZZ had an opportunity to preview three exhibitions at the gallery (380 Sussex).

The New Generation Photo Awards are on display until December 5. The Sobey Art Award nominees are on offer until February 20.

100 Years of Documentation Files offers highlights from the Library and Archives Canada’s extensive collection about artists and leading Canadians like A. Y. Jackson, Frederick Banting, Joe Fafard, and Jean-Paul Riopelle, as well as international artists like Yoko Ono.

Holocaust Education Month

November is Holocaust Education Month. The Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) is offering a virtual talk with Helena Epstein on November 14. More info and registration are at chesatottawa.ca

In 2019, I was one of over 600 who heard leading Holocaust Scholar Deborah Lipstadt speak in Ottawa. I was delighted to discover highlights of Lipstadt’s presentation available online at newsroom.carleton.ca/story/deborah-lipstadt-tackles-holocaust-deniers/

Yousuf Karsh Portraits in Montreal

Yousuf Karsh was perhaps the world’s most important portrait photographer.

A collection of 111 of his portraits is now on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1380 Sherbrooke) until January 30.

The show opens with the most iconic image of Winston Churchill from 1941. The British Prime Minister arrived in Ottawa at the invitation of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. He famously scowled to Pearson, “Why wasn’t I told about this?”

The exhibition fills three rooms in the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion. I was transfixed by the incredible photos he captured of the likes of Ingrid Bergman, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and Nelson Mandela. What is less well known about Karsh is that his studio was located at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.

My visit to the museum also took in Ragnar Kjartansson’s immersive 360-degree film and musical experience. Kjartansson is a renowned Icelandic artist and film director. I also enjoyed the museum’s excellent permanent collection of European art.

Immersive Monet in Toronto

The immersive art exhibition at the Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front Street) has been extended to February 6, 2022. Tickets and information are available at monettoronto.com/

Tony Wohlfarth is an Ottawa-based freelance film, and entertainment writer. Last month, he was a guest of the NGC and the MFA. He is currently in Amsterdam, covering the International Documentary Film Festival.