illustration by Priscilla Yu
This month, I was going to write about Bill C-11 (you know, the bill that could bring SOPA-like online piracy laws to Canada), and how we all need to put a stop to it. Instead, I got caught up in a gluten-free, non-dairy baking dork fest. If the bill passes, I will be dreadfully sorry to all of you.
I will regale you instead with a story about one of the most awkward and terrifying experiences known to mankind: a trip to the hairdresser, or hair stylist I should say (less of a dirty word). If my hair didn’t get afro-big or knotted up, I would probably never go, but alas, this is not an option for me. When I lived in Kelowna, I always saw the same hairstylist who did a great job so it wasn’t such a traumatizing experience. Now that I live in Vancouver, finding the right stylist has been a daunting task. Here’s how my past year of hair adventures have gone:
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Filmstripped
Pina (2011) by Wim Wenders
by Angela Yen
illustration by Amy Goh
Pina is a conceptual 3D documentary that pays tribute to German choreographer/dancer Pina Bausch. Near the beginning, the film cuts to archive footage of Bausch instructing her class. She states that words cannot fully describe or express one’s feelings and so, that is when dance comes into play. The film inhabits this motto and expresses Bausch’s persona, talent and influence through visuals and dance rather than straight narrative.
Pina is a stunning work that transports the audience from one gorgeous backdrop to another, which becomes the stage for a string of captivating dance routines. For instance, Bausch’s troupe of dancers recreate her interpretation of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” where the dancers desperately trudge through a dirt-covered stage, while the tormented and bizarre “Café Müeller” has three women clumsily walking through a sea of chairs and into the walls like broken windup toys. The audience glides along and moves in and out of each dance with an omniscient presence, which is only further enhanced by the 3D.
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