The Image Before Us: A History of Film in British Columbia – Take 5
Screening Dates
  • March 18, 2019 7:00

“I called the movie Chi because I think Babz had a tremendous life force that was just contagious. The Chinese call it Chi, the Indians call it Prana.”

Anne Wheeler

The distinguished B.C. director Anne Wheeler (Loyalties, Better than Chocolate) returned to her roots in documentary in this moving work, which bears witness to the final months in the life of actress Babz Chula, a fixture of Vancouver’s film and theatre scenes. Losing a long battle with breast cancer, Chula travelled to a clinic in Kerala, India, to seek treatment from a renowned Ayurvedic healer. Wheeler accompanied her friend on the journey and is a presence in this highly personal film. Chula shows promising signs of improvement, but learns upon returning home that her cancer has advanced.

Canadian Screen Award, Best Short Documentary

preceded by

BONE WIND FIRE
Canada 2011
Jill Sharpe
30 min. DCP

Local filmmaker and painter Jill Sharpe’s Emmy-nominated short creatively mixes drama, documentary, and animation to explore the creative processes of three trailblazing 20th-century artists: Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, and B.C.’s own Emily Carr.

Introduced by Curtis Woloschuk, Associate Director of Programming, VIFF

Guest in attendance: Jill Sharpe

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