Five films to check out at FIFA

The 2015 edition of International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) isn’t only exciting because it’s got nearly 243 films about art on view – it’s also an edifying excuse to stay indoors and avoid the last bit of cold. From March 19 to 29 in cinemas all over the downtown core, the range of films shown is one of the festival’s best assets – proving that art is in everything, from architecture to dance to animation.

Here are five films in English (or with English subtitles) presented at FIFA 2015 that you won’t want to miss.

Escape From Moomin Valley, directed by Charlotte Airas

This Finnish animation film profiles Tove Jansson, the woman behind the wildly famous Moomin books, a series of illustrated comic books for kids and bigger kids that has captured the imagination of generations. Jansson’s artistry went far beyond the good-hearted creatures of Moonin; she was a versatile and prolific artist and author, who above all considered herself a painter. Escape from Moomin Valley delves into Jansson’s life outside of the Moomins, portraying her early years and her search for an artistic identity in Europe between the two World Wars.

Making Space: 5 Women Changing the Face of Architecture, directed by Ultan Guilfoyle

As famous as figureheads like Zaha Hadid may be, architecture is still a male-dominated industry – but not for long. This film shines a spotlight on five female movers and shakers in the field from around the world: Annabelle Selldorf (New York), Farshid Moussavi (London), Odile Decq (Paris), Kathryn Gustafson (Seattle/London) and Marianne McKenna (Toronto). The film follows each of them in their personal and professional environments and shows some of their projects, exploring the different architectural genres they work in, from urban to landscape to sustainable.

Strange and Familiar: Home, Hope and Architecture on Fogo Island, directed by Marcia Connolly and Katherine Knight

This beautiful film is a great opportunity to see an area of Canada you might not know. Fogo Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, is a budding breeding ground for cutting edge architectural and artistic projects. One of the most remote areas of the country, it’s attracting attention of an international crowd due, in part, to groundbreaking projects like the artist’s pavilions and the hotel designed by Canadian architect Todd Saunders. This film examines how this small community has reinvented itself in the face of a collapse of its cod fishing industry.

Marc Quinn: Making Waves, directed by Gerry Fox

Marc Quinn is a contemporary artist who has gained international acclaim for his sculptures, occasionally featuring the form of famous people such as Kate Moss. This British film shot over a year in the artist’s life explores the pressures he experiences from his commercial success and the effect it has had on his creative process. Over the course of the film, he zips around the globe, meets the Queen, hangs with Lionel Richie and spontaneously converts to veganism.

The Man Who Saved the Louvre, directed by Jean‑Pierre Devillers and Pierre Pochard

This film tells the incredible saga of Jacques Jaujard, the man who organized the evacuation of 4,000 treasures from the Louvre during the Second World War. As the director of the museum during the wartime, Jaujard formed a resistance group specifically to save its collection from the Nazis. The film talks about this important chapter of history via interviews, rare footage that includes Jaujard’s notebook, animated sequences and footage shot in situ.

www.artfifa.com