My Winnipeg
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''My Winnipeg'' is a 2007 Canadian film directed and written by
Guy Maddin Guy Maddin (born February 28, 1956) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer, and film editor of both features and short films, as well as an installation artist, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since completing his first film in ...
with dialogue by George Toles. Described by Maddin as a "docu-fantasia", that melds "personal history, civic tragedy, and mystical hypothesizing", the film is a
surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
about
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
, Maddin's home town. A ''New York Times'' article described the film's unconventional take on the documentary style by noting that it "skates along an icy edge between dreams and lucidity, fact and fiction, cinema and psychotherapy". ''My Winnipeg'' began when Maddin was commissioned by the Documentary Channel, and originally titled ''Love Me, Love My Winnipeg''. Maddin's producer directed "Don't give me the frozen hellhole everyone knows that Winnipeg is", so Maddin cast
Darcy Fehr Darcy Fehr is a Canadian actor. Career Fehr's films include '' Desire'' (2000), '' The Saddest Music in the World'' (2003), '' There's Something Out There'' (2004) and '' The Law of Enclosures'' (2000). Fehr's most notable roles have been his po ...
in the role of "Guy Maddin" and structured the documentary around a metafictional plot that mythologizes the city and Maddin's autobiography.


Plot

Although ostensibly a documentary, ''My Winnipeg'' contains a series of fictional episodes and an overall story trajectory concerning the author-narrator-character "Guy Maddin" and his desire to produce the film as a way to finally leave/escape the city of Winnipeg. "Guy Maddin" is played by Darcy Fehr but voiced by Maddin himself (in narration): Fehr appears groggily trying to rouse himself from sleep aboard a jostling train as Maddin wonders aloud "What if?" What if he were able to actually rouse from the sleepy life he lives in Winnipeg and escape? Maddin decides that the only possible escape would be to "film my way out", thus motivating the creation of the "docu-fantasia" already underway. Maddin then describes Winnipeg in general terms, introducing it to the viewer, noting primarily its location at the junction of the
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
and
Assiniboine The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
rivers, a place known as " the Forks". Maddin equates this Y-like junction to a woman's groin and associates it with his mother. Maddin also notes the apocryphal aboriginal myth of a secret "Forks beneath the Forks", an underground river system below the aboveground river system –the superimposition of these two sets of rivers has imbued the site and Winnipeg itself with magical/magnetic/sexual energy. Maddin also notes that Winnipeg is the geographical centre of North America, and thus these secret rivers are "the Heart of the Heart" of the continent and of Canada. Maddin regales the viewer with one of the film's many suspect historical "facts" about Winnipeg: "the
Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
used to sponsor an annual treasure hunt
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
required our citizens to wander our city in a day-long combing of the streets and neighbourhoods. First prize was a one-way ticket on the next train out of town." No winners in a hundred years could bring themselves to leave the city after coming to know the city so closely over the course of the treasure hunt. Maddin then posits an alternative explanation for Winnipeggers never leaving Winnipeg: sleepiness. He notes that Winnipeg is the sleepwalking capital of the world, with ten times the normal rate of sleepwalking, and that everyone in Winnipeg carries around the keys to their former homes in case they return while asleep. Winnipeg by-laws require that sleepwalkers be allowed to sleep in their old homes by the new tenants. Maddin rents his own childhood home at 800 Ellice Avenue for a month, hiring actors to play his family (including Ann Savage as his mother) in order to recreate scenes from his childhood memories, excluding his father and himself. The "family" gathers to watch the television show ''LedgeMan'', a fictional drama in which "the same oversensitive man takes something said the wrong way, climbs out on a window ledge, and threatens to jump." His mother, in the next window, convinces him to live. Maddin's mother is noted as the star of the show. The film recounts the conditions of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, a real-world event with international significance, before returning to the family re-enactments, including Mother's suspicion of Janet Maddin, who hit a deer on the highway but is accused of covering up a sexual encounter. Maddin announces that this, like "everything that happens in innipegis a euphemism." The film then recounts the city's history of
Spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (when not lowercase) ...
, including a visit by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
in 1923. The film next examines Winnipeg architectural landmarks, including the Eaton's building and the
Winnipeg Arena Winnipeg Arena was an indoor arena located in the Polo Park district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The arena was the city's premier ice hockey venue from 1955 to 2004 and is best remembered as the home of the first Winnipeg Jets franchise, whic ...
, both of which are demolished (while the arena is being destroyed, Maddin becomes the last person to urinate in its washroom). Maddin imagines the arena's salvation by the "Black Tuesdays", a fictional team of hockey heroes "in their 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond", then re-enacts a family scene where Mother is harassed to cook a meal. The film recounts a racetrack fire that drove horses to perish in the Red River – the horse heads reappear, ghostly, each winter, frozen in the ice. Further Winnipeg landmarks, including the Golden Boy statue atop the provincial legislative building, the Paddle Wheel restaurant, the Hudson's Bay department store, and the
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a Canadian museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to honoring the history and achievements of sports in Manitoba. The organization began in 1980, and then opened a museum in The Forks in 1993. Afte ...
, make appearances in distorted versions of themselves, as does the Sherbrook Pool. The film then recalls
If Day If Day (french: "Si un jour", "If one day") was a simulated Nazi German invasion and occupation of the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and surrounding areas on 19 February 1942, during the Second World War. It was organized as a war bond pr ...
(an actual historical event when a faked Nazi invasion of the city was mounted during World War II to promote the sale of war bonds), and a buffalo stampede set off by the mating of two gay bison. Time is now running out for Guy Maddin, who fears he will never leave Winnipeg, since the family re-enactments have failed to free him fully. To accomplish this feat of leaving, Maddin imagines a pinup girl for the 1919 strike's newsletter ''The Citizen'': dreaming up this "Citizen Girl" allows Maddin to leave Winnipeg in her capable hands, guilt-free. The final family re-enactment then involves Maddin's brother Cameron, who in real life committed suicide, rationalizing this death calmly in a discussion with Maddin's "Mother".


Cast

* Ann Savage as Mother *
Louis Negin Louis Negin (20 October 1929 – 2 December 2022) was a British-born Canadian actor, best known for his roles in the films of Guy Maddin."Enchantment". ''In Toronto'', September 2011. Career Born in London, England, and raised in Toronto, Ontari ...
as Mayor Cornish *Amy Stewart as Janet Maddin *Darcy Fehr as Guy Maddin *Brendan Cade as Cameron Maddin *Wesley Cade as Ross Maddin *Lou Profeta as Himself *
Fred Dunsmore Frederick Roy Dunsmore (March 30, 1929 – May 13, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey centerman who was runner-up for Manitoba's "Athlete of the Century". He played baseball for the Winnipeg Goldeyes briefly in 1954. Awards and achievements ...
as Himself *Kate Yacula as Citizen Girl *Jacelyn Lobay as
Gweneth Lloyd Gweneth Lloyd, OC (September 15, 1901 - January 1, 1993) was a co-founder of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, a ballet teacher and choreographer. Lloyd was born in Eccles, Lancashire, United Kingdom. She attended The Perse School in Cambridge, but b ...
*Eric Nipp as Viscount Gort *Jennifer Palichuk as Althea Cornish


Release

A limited theatrical release of ''My Winnipeg'' involved live narrators, including Maddin himself,
Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...
and "scream queen"
Barbara Steele Barbara Steele (born 29 December 1937) is an English film actress known for starring in Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s. She has been referred to as the "Queen of All Scream Queens" and "Britain's first lady of horror". She played th ...
. The DVD release of ''My Winnipeg'' by Seville Pictures, in addition to the feature film, contains a music video titled "Winnipeg" by Andy Smetanka (images) and Paul Copoe (music). The DVD also contains some documentary footage of the film's screening at the Royal Cinema in Toronto (on June 18, 2008), where it was narrated live by Maddin. The DVD also contains three of Maddin's short films: ''Spanky: To the Pier and Back'', ''Berlin'' and ''Odin's Shield Maiden''.


Book adaptation

Maddin also released a book titled ''My Winnipeg'' (Coach House Books, 2009). Maddin's book contains the film's narration as a main text surrounded by annotations, including outtakes, marginal notes and digressions, production stills, family photos, and miscellaneous material. The book contains a "Winnipeg Map" by artist
Marcel Dzama Marcel Dzama (born May 4, 1974) is a contemporary artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who currently lives and works in New York City. His work has been exhibited internationally, in particular his ink and watercolor drawings. Education Dzama r ...
featuring such fictional attractions as "The Giant Squid of the Red
iver Iver is a large civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park. Geography, transport and economy Part of the 43-square- ...
, various poster designs for the film, and short articles about working with Maddin by Andy Smetanka,
Darcy Fehr Darcy Fehr is a Canadian actor. Career Fehr's films include '' Desire'' (2000), '' The Saddest Music in the World'' (2003), '' There's Something Out There'' (2004) and '' The Law of Enclosures'' (2000). Fehr's most notable roles have been his po ...
, and Caelum Vatnsdal. Maddin also includes an angry e-mail from an ex-girlfriend, collages and notebooks pages, and an X-ray of the dog Spanky from the film. The book also includes an interview with Maddin's mother Herdis, conducted by Ann Savage, and an interview with Maddin conducted by
Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...
. Maddin's publisher offers the book with or without a DVD of the film, distributed by Seville Pictures.


Critical reception

''My Winnipeg'' received consistent critical praise. As of July 9, 2015, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 94% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 87 reviews. Metacritic reported "universal acclaim" based on 24 critics (scored 84 out of 100). Critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave the film a perfect 4/4 star rating, stating of Maddin's work generally that "If you love movies in the very sinews of your imagination, you should experience the work of Guy Maddin." Jonathan Romney began his review by stating that
This reviews section, you'll have noticed, operates a five-tier ratings system, but there are occasions when this just doesn't suffice. Once in a blue moon, you encounter a film so extraordinary that it's not enough to award the icon of a woman standing, hands raised in applause. You really need her to be levitating several feet above her armchair, body racked with the transcendental ecstasies of Saint Teresa. Such a film is My Winnipeg, by Canadian film-maker Guy Maddin.
''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated that "'Docu-fantasia' is too mild a label for 'My Winnipeg,' Guy Maddin's simultaneously heartfelt and mocking ode to the hometown he describes as the coldest, most soporific city on Earth," also calling the film "Hilarious for those on Maddin's mad wavelength and more varied than his strictly fictional features." J. Hoberman called the film "Maddin's best filmmaking since the nono-dissimilar confessional bargain-basement phantasmagoia, ''
Cowards Bend the Knee ''Cowards Bend the Knee'' (also known as ''The Blue Hands'') is a 2003 film by Guy Maddin. Maddin directed ''Cowards Bend the Knee'' while in pre-production on ''The Saddest Music in the World'', shooting entirely on Super-8mm film with a budget o ...
''."


Top Ten lists

Roger Ebert named ''My Winnipeg'' the tenth best film of the decade. The film appeared on several other critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. *3rd –
Richard Corliss Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects. He was the former editor-in-chief of '' Film Commen ...
, ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' *4th – Marc Savlov, ''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogr ...
'' *5th – Rick Groen, ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' *6th – Marjorie Baumgarten, ''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogr ...
'' *7th – Liam Lacey, ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' *10th – Noel Murray, ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' In 2015, the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
placed ''My Winnipeg'' in the
Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time The Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time is a list compiled by the Toronto International Film Festival ranking what are the considered the best Canadian films. The list has been compiled once roughly every 10 years starting in 1984, typically assembl ...
.


Legacy

''Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg'' by Darren Wershler
Darren Wershler Darren Wershler, also known as Darren Wershler-Henry, (b. 1966) is a Canadian experimental poet, non-fiction writer and cultural critic. Wershler was the senior editor of Coach House Books between 1997 and 2002, where the works he edited included ...
, a Canadian avant-garde poet, critic, and assistant professor in the Department of English at Concordia University, has published an academic monograph on ''My Winnipeg''. This book-length work, ''Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg'' (U of Toronto P, 2010), contextualizes the film in relation to avant-garde literature and art by drawing on media and cultural theory. In Wershler's words, In the context of its Canadian production, ''My Winnipeg'' difference from the documentary genre also marks the film as distinct from the work historically advanced by the
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
. Maddin has called ''My Winnipeg'' a "docu-fantasia" and Wershler similarly points out that the film's "truth" lies somewhere "in the irresolvable tension created by the gap between documentary and melodrama".Wershler, Darren. ''Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg''. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 2010. Print.


Awards

*2007:
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
 – Best Canadian Feature Film *2008:
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC), formerly known as San Francisco Film Critics Circle, was founded in 2002 as an organization of film journalists and critics from San Francisco, California based publications. Included in it ...
 – Best Documentary *2008:
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) is an organization of film critics from Toronto-based publications. As of 1999, the TFCA is a member of the FIPRESCI. History The Toronto Film Critics Association is the official organization of Toront ...
 – Best Canadian Film *2009: International Urban Film Festival,
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
 – Best Experimental Documentary


References


External links


Interview with Guy Maddin
at ''Cinefantastique Online'' * * * * *
''My Guy’s Winnipeg''
an essay by
Wayne Koestenbaum Wayne Koestenbaum (born 1958) is an American artist, poet, and cultural critic. He received a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University and is a 1994 Whiting Award recipie ...
at the
Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinep ...
{{Authority control 2007 films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Guy Maddin Films shot in Winnipeg Films set in Winnipeg Canadian mockumentary films 2000s English-language films 2000s Canadian films