Le poids du monde

It's been called the world's first man-made epidemic, and it's killing us. In this riveting documentary, Dr. Stephan Rossner of Stockholm, an expert on obesity, leads us through startling evidence of how our society has created this toxic environment. Cheaper production, "supersized" fast foods and a $12 billion advertising industry are lethal when mixed with a car-dominated culture, urban sprawl and labour-saving technologies. Although North America is the epicentre of obesity, this disease is being exported worldwide as a by-product of western culture. Infiltrating low-income communities and developing nations, obesity is creating a potentially bankrupt health system. Featuring lively animation and hard-hitting science, The Weight of the World reveals that obesity is not an individual problem, but one that requires changes in public policies and attitudes.

Nous voici dans le décor idyllique de North Vancouver, où les sans-abri du coin ont transformé la collecte des bouteilles vides en une sous-culture florissante : la course de chariots d'épicerie. Ancien adepte de la planche à neige et réalisateur de films de sport, Murray Siple revient au cinéma pour relater l'histoire de ces itinérants dans Les Chariots de l'Enfer. Parmi cette fraternité de déshérités se trouvent des hommes comme Big Al, conducteur de chariot intrépide qui fonce à flanc de montagne; Fergie, un alcoolique encore séduisant qui se balade entre son repaire de broussailles, le refuge pour sans-abri et la cellule de dégrisement du poste de police; et Bob, un artiste musicien plein de sensibilité qui récupère juste assez de bouteilles pour faire fleurir son jardin et son art. Alors que se tissent entre eux des liens de plus en plus étroits, le besoin qu'éprouve Murray de retrouver l'euphorie de ses jours de planche à neige s'incarne dans un acte ultime d'audace et de confiance.

Art, activism and disability are the starting point for what unfolds as a funny and intimate portrait of five surprising individuals. Director Bonnie Sherr Klein (Not a Love Story, and Speaking Our Peace) has been a pioneer of women's cinema and an inspiration to a generation of filmmakers around the world. SHAMELESS: the ART of Disability marks Klein's return to a career interrupted by a catastrophic stroke in 1987. Always the activist, she now turns the lens on the world of disability culture, and ultimately, the transformative power of art. Joining Klein are a group of artists with diverse (dis)abilities. Humourist David Roche is taking his one man show, The Church of 80% Sincerity, to New York's off-Broadway. Poet and scholar Catherine Frazee is navigating a jam-packed schedule of teaching and speaking engagements. Dancer, choreographer and impresario Geoff McMurchy is organizing KickstART, an international festival of disability art. Sculptor and writer Persimmon Blackbridge is creating mixed media portraits from “meaningful junk”. Klein gathers these artists for a pyjama party where they take a subversive look at Hollywood stereotypes of people with disabilities: The Monster, The Saint, The Psycho, the Poor Little Crippled Girl, etc. The artists decide to turn the tables, making a pact to meet a year later at the KicksART Festival with the intent of creating their own images of disability. The film tracks this motley gang of five from the BC Gulf Islands, to Nova Scotia and south to San Francisco while they create and then present their multi-faceted self-representations. As we get to know each of these remarkable people driven by a passion for art and transformation, the everyday complexities and unexpected richness of life with a disability are exposed. Packed with humour and raw energy, SHAMELESS: the ART of Disability is a revelation of a film: honest, vulnerable and filled.