Picture this: a lecture about Lars von Trier, the Danish film director who recently spoke of “sympathizing” with Hitler, held in Toronto’s downtown Jewish community centre, the Miles Nadal JCC. Having a reaction? Got something to say? Good. Film critic Adam Nayman chose von Trier to kick off the second round of his controversial directors series for that reason.
“It’s deliberately provocative on my part,” he says.
Because — as Nayman learned during his years of writing about film — just because people don’t like a director doesn’t mean they don’t like to read or talk about that director. And Nayman wants to generate discussion in his series more than he wants to hear his own voice.
Tonight kicks off the second round of the series at the Miles Nadal JCC. Most of the directors are art house filmmakers, and each one gets a reaction from those who know their work.
Second up in the series is Austrian Michael Haneke (White Ribbon) on July 18, who Nayman calls a “chilly intellectual director who gets greats reviews.” Following that is Spanish director Luis Buñuel (Belle de Jour) on July 25, with Woody Allen ending it all on August 8.
Though Allen is the most well known director in the series, Nayman says he fits in well. According to Nayman, Allen is very much like a French film director; he acts in his films and they are “usually attributed as personal statements.”
Each lecture is drop-in. Nayman promises to show rare film clips and extras, such as documentary footage, to give context to each discussion.
“As a critic you never really engage in a dialogue with people who are reading you, and engaging in dialogue makes you feel more accountable,” he said.
Love Em Or Hate Em: MORE Controversial Directors in Nayman’s Terms, Miles Nadal JCC, July 11, 18, 25 and August 8