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May 7, 2010 - Listen to This
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The Toronto Sun n Friday, May 7, 2010 66 SHOWBIZ Ater watching documenta- ries like the Academy Award- winning Born Into Brothels, a raw yet inspiring look at the children o prostitutes liv- ing in Calcutta, India, I oten question i such ilms are the work o idealistic white liber- als rom the West on a mission to ‘save’ a ew young brown souls. hat question didn’t pop into my head while watch- ing Listen to his, one o the most talked-about flms being screened at this year’s Hot Docs estival. Juan Baque- ro’ s lively littl e documen- tary, which introduces us to three eisty kids — Whitney, Jasmine and Donta — who attend Evolving hrough the Arts, a songwriting workshop or children living in Jane- Finch, doesn’t reek o liberal condescension. How could it when the flm- maker comes rom a coun- try that is demonized by the media much the way Jane- Finch is? “Even though I don’t live in the Jane and Finch area, I eel I have lots in common with people who live there,” Baquero tells me. “I am an immigrant and a lot o new Canadians end up living in areas such as Jane and Finch. And also, Colombia, just like Jane and Finch, is a place that has traditionally been maligned by main- stream media. here’s only limited space in newspa- pers and limited airtime on V and radio so there’s no room or in-depth expla- nations (about what’s hap- pening in those places), and as a result the average per- son ends up with a sketchy image o a place and its peo- ple. “In the case o Jane and Finch, it’s gangs and guns,” he adds. “In the case o Colom- bia, it’s drugs and violence. I’m not trying to say that those things don’t happen. It’s just that they are a small part o the reality o living in those places.” Armed with this empathy and respect or his subjects, Baquero spent several months in the neighbourhood beore bringing his equipment along. He even volunteered to teach a video workshop the summer beore the start o the work- shop and returned regularly to the area. “I think people saw that I was being genuine and they decided to give me what I’ve now learned is the most essen- tial git a documentarian can ever hope to receive — the git o trust,” says Baquero, who studied law and chose mak- ing ilms over making argu- ments. “Without it, you will never be able to tell a story that alls out o the ordinary. With it, the doors to the most universal eelings, aspirations and desires open up and all o a sudden you fnd yoursel in the company o people who can provide the raw emotions or stories to which we can all relate.” Invited into homes his trust is evidenced by olks who invite him into their homes and the ilm’s main characters — who don’t dis- play an ounce o nervousness or attitude when they’re in ront o Baque ro’ s lens. Baquero says he discov- ered Evolving hrough the Arts when he met the pro- gram’s ounder, homp- son Egbo-Egbo, while doing research or a documen- tary about the Regent Park School o Music. Ater Egbo- Egbo received unding to run a week-long songwriting workshop at Firgrove Public School, he hired Baquero to make a short ilm about the program. he ilm, Baquero says, “ended up evolving into a longer documentary ater hompson was able to put the unding together to run a workshop that ran a ull our months.” Asked what he hopes audi- ences can learn rom Jasmine, Whitney and Donta, Baquero says, “I truly hope that people will see kids growing up in the Jane and Finch neighbour- hood with a dierent set o eyes. hese are kids with just as much potential and talent as any other kid growing up in any other part o the city. And i and when things go wrong, it’s not because there’s some sort o mutating gene in their DNA’s that makes it so. Tere must be a reason or that. “Listen to his doesn’t attempt to explore that ques- tion, it merely poses it.” NOTE: Listen to Tis screens Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at he Royal Cinema, 608 College St. For more info, go to hotdocs. ca. And for more information on Evolving Trough Te Arts, visit egbofoundation.o rg. Visi Eo’s bog www. musicinhemessge. bogspo.com. ErrOl NaZarEtH Rhythms N Rhymes Dylan Murray helines the atists o reugees beneft t the El Mocmbo tonight. 7 p.m. $12. 464 Spin ave. A Drummer’s Dream, oc etuing seven mste ummes om vious genes peoming t cmp in cottge county, sceens Suny s pt o Hot docs. 1:30 p.m. The royl Cinem. hotocs.c. Afrolatino Dance Company, Roberto Linares Brown, Changuito n Telmary ply Lul Stuy s pt o Lulwol 2010. 9 p.m. $20. 1585 duns St. W. HEAR This! Now Errol’ s can’t-miss list: 1 2 3 Music f om he ’hood Two o the kids rom Listen to This, a documentary on the Jane-Finch songwriting program Evolving Through the Arts. The flm is part o the Hot Docs estival. Doc Listen to This demonstrates the power o art to lit youth out o difcult circumstances
Transcript of May 7, 2010 - Listen to This
8/7/2019 May 7, 2010 - Listen to This
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The Toronto Sun n Friday, May 7, 201066 SHOWBIZ
Ater watching documenta-ries like the Academy Award-winning Born Into Brothels, araw yet inspiring look at thechildren o prostitutes liv-ing in Calcutta, India, I otenquestion i such ilms are thework o idealistic white liber-als rom the West on a missionto ‘save’ a ew young brownsouls.
hat question didn’t popinto my head while watch-ing Listen to his, one o the
most talked-about flms beingscreened at this year’s HotDocs estival. Juan Baque-ro’s lively littl e documen-tary, which introduces us tothree eisty kids — Whitney,Jasmine and Donta — whoattend Evolving hrough theArts, a songwriting workshopor children living in Jane-Finch, doesn’t reek o liberalcondescension.
How could it when the flm-maker comes rom a coun-
try that is demonized by themedia much the way Jane-Finch is?
“Even though I don’t livein the Jane and Finch area,I eel I have lots in commonwith people who live there,”Baquero tells me. “I am animmigrant and a lot o new Canadians end up livingin areas such as Jane andFinch. And also, Colombia,just like Jane and Finch, is aplace that has traditionally
been maligned by main-stream media. here’s only limited space in newspa-pers and limited airtime onV and radio so there’s noroom or in-depth expla-nations (about what’s hap-pening in those places), andas a result the average per-son ends up with a sketchy image o a place and its peo-ple.
“In the case o Jane andFinch, it’s gangs and guns,” headds. “In the case o Colom-
bia, it’s drugs and violence.I’m not trying to say that thosethings don’t happen. It’s just
that they are a small part o the reality o living in thoseplaces.”
Armed with this empathy and respect or his subjects,Baquero spent several monthsin the neighbourhood beorebringing his equipment along.He even volunteered to teacha video workshop the summerbeore the start o the work-shop and returned regularly to the area.
“I think people saw that Iwas being genuine and they decided to give me what I’venow learned is the most essen-tial git a documentarian canever hope to receive — the gito trust,” says Baquero, whostudied law and chose mak-ing ilms over making argu-
ments. “Without it, you willnever be able to tell a story that alls out o the ordinary.With it, the doors to the mostuniversal eelings, aspirationsand desires open up and all o a sudden you fnd yoursel inthe company o people whocan provide the raw emotionsor stories to which we can allrelate.”
Invited into homes
his trust is evidenced by
olks who invite him into theirhomes and the ilm’s maincharacters — who don’t dis-play an ounce o nervousnessor attitude when they’re inront o Baquero’s lens.
Baquero says he discov-ered Evolving hrough theArts when he met the pro-gram’s ounder, homp-son Egbo-Egbo, while doingresearch or a documen-tary about the Regent Park School o Music. Ater Egbo-
Egbo received unding torun a week-long songwritingworkshop at Firgrove PublicSchool, he hired Baquero tomake a short ilm about theprogram. he ilm, Baquerosays, “ended up evolving intoa longer documentary aterhompson was able to putthe unding together to run aworkshop that ran a ull ourmonths.”
Asked what he hopes audi-ences can learn rom Jasmine,Whitney and Donta, Baquero
says, “I truly hope that peoplewill see kids growing up in theJane and Finch neighbour-
hood with a dierent set o eyes. hese are kids with justas much potential and talentas any other kid growing up inany other part o the city. Andi and when things go wrong,it’s not because there’s somesort o mutating gene in theirDNA’s that makes it so. Teremust be a reason or that.
“Listen to his doesn’tattempt to explore that ques-tion, it merely poses it.”
NOTE: Listen to Tis screensSunday at 4:30 p.m. at heRoyal Cinema, 608 College St.For more info, go to hotdocs.ca. And for more informationon Evolving Trough Te Arts,visit egbofoundation.org.
Visi Eo’s bog www.musicinhemessge.
bogspo.com.
ErrOlNaZarEtH
Rhythms N Rhymes
Dylan Murray helines the atistso reugees beneftt the El Mocmbo
tonight. 7 p.m. $12. 464Spin ave.
A Drummer’s Dream, oc etuing seven
mste ummesom vious genes
peoming t cmp incottge county, sceensSuny s pt o Hot docs.1:30 p.m. The royl Cinem.hotocs.c.
Afrolatino DanceCompany, RobertoLinares Brown,Changuito n
Telmary ply Lul Stuys pt o Lulwol 2010.
9 p.m. $20. 1585 dunsSt. W.
HEARThis!
Now
Errol’s can’t-miss list:
1
2
3
Music fom he ’hood
Two o the kids rom Listen to This, a documentary on the Jane-Finch songwriting programEvolving Through the Arts. The flm is part o the Hot Docs estival.
Doc Listen to This demonstrates the power oart to lit youth out o difcult circumstances
