Lazhar la zap

The film Monsieur Lazhar has been playing for what seems like a billion weeks in Gatineau, but a special night was organized to celebrate it here in Ottawa. Quebéc director Philippe Falardeau's drama was screened at an invite-only NAC shindig earlier this week, 25 years after Falardeau ended his stint there as a theatre usher.

Monsieur Lazhar has already been named Canada's Best Film of 2011 by the Toronto Film Critics’ Association and is on the fast track to winning at least one Genie Etrog and (possibly) an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film this year. Canadian films previously nominated for that Oscar are The Decline of the American Empire (1986), Jesus of Montreal (1989), The Barbarian Invasions (2003) and Water (2006). The Barbarian Invasions is the only nominee to win a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar - so far. 

The Genies have a little bit better track record of rewarding Canadian movies. Every year, pretty much. Lazhar faces off against A Dangerous Method, Café du flore, Starbuck, and The Whistleblower for Best Motion Picture in March (http://www.genieawards.ca/genie32/main.cfm).

Here's Monsieur Lazhar's synopsis from Telefilm Canada:

"While going through his own personal tragedy, Bachir Lazhar, is hired as a substitute in an elementary school after the abrupt death of one of the teachers. With great sensitivity and humour, Monsieur Lazhar depicts the encounter of two distant worlds: that of a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant and of a group of shaken but endearing kids. Together they will transcend their losses." - http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/en/catalogues/production/monsieur-lazhar

Check out the short video interview Falardeau did with CBC Ottawa's Sandra Abma (http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Canada/Ottawa/1305550861/ID=2193553667).

As always, you can find where and when movies are playing here in Ottawa by checking out Google showtimes (http://www.google.ca/movies?near=kanata-ottawa&hl=en&view=map&date=0) found throughout the moviequips.ca site.

Thanks for checking in.