Thu May 24 | 1:00 pm | VIFC

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Director: Allan King, Canada, 2006, 113 minutes
This film has been classified for all ages (Parental Guidance suggested); no membership required.

A bullet blasts a hole in a family’s front window –  the target was their son. A tireless community leader tries to get through to him. “They are trying to kill you. Did you see your mother’s face? This can only end two ways.” Allan King, master of the documentary form and pioneer of cinéma-vérité, turns his attention to the high-risk young men from Toronto’s suburbs, and to the forceful and committed individuals fighting to safeguard their futures.

Brian Henry is a volunteer for HOOD-LINC, a youth agency. He is tough on the kids themselves and relentless on their behalf. “You are succeeding at keeping the black race in prison,” he bluntly says to one. Though often confronted with their pose of defensive impenetrability, it is impossible for him to stop trying. He unremittingly lobbies the educational system and in return is accused of acting in self-interest. “I’ve met more honourable people in prison,” he says, alluding to a past that still defines him.

His dedication is echoed by that of mathematician and writer John Mighton, who volunteers in the same community. Mighton’s math classes are as much about building confidence as they are about numeracy. As his students surpass goals once thought impossible, they are bashful in the face of their own achievement.

The tireless commitment of the film’s protagonists is matched by King’s own. His trademark depth of vision is fully present here as he thoughtfully observes these young men. Without narration or interview, King allows the eloquence of his subjects’ actions to reveal the complexity of this world with an immediacy and urgency that is characteristically immersive. This is a relevant and profound offering from a giant of Canadian cinema.

The summer of 2005 was branded in the press as Toronto’s “Summer of the Gun,” and much of the attention centred on these neighbourhoods. EMPz 4 Life is a respectful exploration of a community often simplified by the purple prose of daily headlines. — M arguerite Pigott

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Preceded By:

Sun City

Music Video; Artist: Artists United Against Apartheid, USA, 1985, 7mins
– See curator's essay Rockumentaries

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