Live Zoom with director Elizabeth McCormack.
Back In The Day is the story of the pioneering Halifax music club The Arrows Club, which rose to significance in the 1960’s as one of the first and most popular Black owned nightclubs in Halifax. All of the major Black artists passed through there – Miriam Makeba, Ben E. King, Teddy Pendergrass, the Bluenotes, Ike and Tina Turner. Started by railroad porter Billy Downey the legendary Arrows Club operated between 1962 and 1979. As Billy said (Blacknsnews.com) “Even in the early days, whites and blacks drank and danced together, well into the wee hours. And for just a time, they washed away the colour lines that were sure to rise by morning.” Originally curated for Africadian Visions by Pamela Edmonds, Elizabeth McCormack’s Back in The Day was created for the Centre for Arts Tapes. This rare archival copy is screened courtesy of the Dalhousie University Archives.
Also Screening:
*Please note due to scheduling issues the longer Nelson Symonds documentary is unavailable for this date. In its place we present the following two short films:
Begone Dull Care
Directed by Norman McLaren & Evelyn Lambart (1949 | 7 min)
In this extraordinary short animation, Evelyn Lambart and Norman McLaren painted colours, shapes, and transformations directly on to their filmstrip. The result is a vivid interpretation, in fluid lines and colour, of jazz music played by the Oscar Peterson Trio.
Oscar
Directed by Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre (2016 | 12 min)
Brilliantly mixing animated sequences and archival footage, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre paints a touching portrait of virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson. As with her previous films (McLaren’s Negative and Jutra), Saint-Pierre pursues her bold and personal approach with this animated documentary of Oscar Peterson at the twilight of an exceptional career, as he wistfully meditates on the price of fame and the impacts of the artist’s life on family life. Oscar explores the profound solitude of an artist constantly on tour, and the difficulty in reconciling his professional success with his role as husband and father.
*Audience Choice Award for Program A
-New York City Short Film Festival 2016
*Official Selection
Regard- Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay 2017
Nelson Symonds Quartet
Directed by Mary Ellen Davis (1984 | 15 min)
This rare film by Montreal filmmaker Mary Ellen Davis features Symonds playing with Jean Beaudet, piano; Dave Gelfand, bass; and Pierre Gauthier, drums.
Presented in collaboration with the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.
