2021-09-15

Fall events spring into action

Lunenburg Doc Fest

The eighth annual Lunenburg Doc Fest kicks off on September 23 with a hybrid program of online and in-person events.

Following the success of last year's festival, which had to be held online because of pandemic health regulations, this year's festival will stream all films online again, with the benefit of reaching audiences throughout North America. However, there's also a line-up of in-person events occurring in the town.

On September 23, Lunenburg's waterfront promises to be bustling with a harbourfront Opening Night Social for pass holders, presented in partnership with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Six free public screenings will be paired with themed displays such as a massive domino topple art installation by Nova Scotia's large-scale domino artist, Bill Oakley.

According to a news release issued by the festival's organizers on September 10, a record number of international producers submitted their films for consideration this year. The festival opener is Fanny: The Right to Rock, the untold story of a self-formed, California garage band - that included queer and Filipina American bandmates - "which morphed into the ferocious rock group Fanny, the first band of women to release an LP with a major record label (Warner/Reprise, 1970)."

Becoming Cousteau will be featured online and on deck at the Zwicker Wharf in Lunenburg. The film takes an inside look at the experiences that made Cousteau the 20th century's most unique and renowned environmental voice - the man who inspired generations to protect the Earth.

Set on Fogo Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, Hell or Clean Water portrays the Newfoundland diver, Shawn Bath, who has devoted himself to what appears to be the impossible task of cleaning up the ocean floor, one rotting tire at a time.

In Lily Topples the World viewers meet 20-year old Lily Havesh, "the world's most acclaimed domino toppler and only 'girl' in her field," according to the festival promoters

Disruption of a different sort is portrayed in Rebel Heart, the story of nuns in Los Angeles in the 1960s who stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church and challenged the notion of what a nun and a woman are supposed to be.

There's also a diverse selection of short films.

Each year the Lunenburg Doc Fest supports a Seniors Workshop and Youth Program. This year's seniors film project, Food Security for All, is funded by the Government of Canada's New Horizons For Seniors Program. The youth project, Experimenting With The Bluenose: Unconventional Approaches To A Legendary Icon, is supported by the Bluenose 100 project.

The festival is offering flexible pricing to ensure Lunenburg Doc Fest is accessible to all film enthusiasts. Tickets are available at https://lunenburgdocfest.com/ For a complete 2021 schedule, visit https://watch.eventive.org/lunenburgdocfest

Barn Bhreagh

Acclaimed as an "electrifying" Cape Breton band by promoters Nova Scotia Arts Factory, Morgan Toney, Jesse Cox, Isabella Samson, and award-winning musician and producer Keith Mullins, will be serving up a live performance at the Lunenburg Opera House September 23 for a Celtic and traditional music show. The group is soon to head off on a European tour. Show starts at 7 p.m.

Ashley MacIsaac

The mesmerizing musician returns to Lunenburg for what promises to be another memorable performance, September 24 at 4:00 p.m. at the Lightship Brewery in Lunenburg Harbour. The renowned fiddle player, piano player and step dancer has performed in the opening ceremonies at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics to a worldwide audience and with artists such as Phillip Glass and The Chieftains and The White Stripes for their Under Great White Northern Lights Canadian tour, which was turned into a documentary.

Photography exhibit

Bridgewater Photo Club members are hosting their Lines and Shapes Exhibit at the Margaret Hennigar Library for the months of September and October. Prints include a variety of subject matters, ranging from macro photography to landscapes, but all tied together by the common theme of lines, shapes, or both. To find out more information about club activities or to visit a meeting as a guest, go to https://bridgewaterphotographicsociety.wordpress.com/ on the internet.