DVD Releases for the Week of Feb. 24, 2009

How about a little cross-coverage? Seeing as the Rendez-vous du cinema quebecois is this week, it’s only fitting that two of the films showing at the festival are also coming to DVD. A l’Ouest de Pluton (above) covers the stories of twelve teens in a 24-hour span. The actors were picked from a high school and thus the film is said to have a documentary feel (not unlike The Class). The title seems to point to disaffected youth “west of Pluto”, as one character becomes miffed by the fact that the distant rock has lost its planetary status.

Also released this week is Simon Lavoie’s Le Deserteur, loosely based on the true story of a French Canadian executed for desertion during WW2. But why watch these on DVD when you can head on downtown and catch them on the bigscreen, preceded and followed by discussions with the directors, producers and writers involved? Le Deserteur plays Tuesday, February 24th at 7:30pm at the Beaubien Cinema, as well as on Wednesday, February 25th at 7:30pm at the Cinematheque Quebecoise. Both director Lavoie and the principal cast will be present at both screenings. A l’Ouest de Pluton will be playing at the Cinematheque Quebecoise at 7:30pm on Friday, February 27th. Present will be the directors, Henry Bernadet & Myriam Verreault, as well as its producer.

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
The only other release of interest this week is an extremely personal documentary that was originally never meant to be distributed. The film is a tribute to a man who was murdered by one of his friends. Director Kurt Kuenne embarked upon the project when he discovered that the woman who murdered his late friend was also pregnant with his son, named Zachary. This film is for Zachary, but since it has been released to a wide audience has been interpreted as an extremely personal and touching portrait of a man who never lived to be a father. It has been called “an undeniably shattering story” (source) for those with strong constitutions.

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Other Region 1 Releases
Badland
Ironweed
Sex Drive
What Just Happened