EDITORIAL

Well, once again Over-The Edge is out. We have
a bit of a problem right now through.

We’re lacking in News Content.

So, if you know of an event or newsworthy story,
please don’t hesitate to send it in! We desperately
need student input to keep this paper up to your

standards.

Anyways, I shall move on to another topic for the

time being.

There is a student rally against the cuts in
funding happening today. This issue raises a great
deal of questions about our education and the
education of those that will follow us. I don’t
profess to understand everything about the issue
of government funding, but I do realize that there
seems to be a small problem.

No longer can students hope to afford their
education. It’s never been easy for people to
afford to go to University, something that we tend
not to realize when we discuss these issues. It’s
also a great strain on the government for us to
continue to draw on grants and the like.

I’m not suggesting that funding should stop
altogether, but rather a gradual phasing out of
government funding, with a rise in areas that are
currently not being exploited. This is an issue
which many of the great thinkers in our country
are going to have to deal with in the years to come.

We, the people best suited to effecting a change
in the system, can help by making intelligent
choices about what we want to do and how to do
it. Our actions can have a positive nature and
benefit the entire group as a whole. If you have an
idea on how to help, then send us letters. We are
your voice. If we all work together, then we will

be able to help each other.

I look forward to your responses and ideas.

Paul Berard

P.S. Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Being a titanic film fan, I
have for three terms now
prayed to the gods that
gave us Kubrick and
Brando that some, any,
film festival would one
day stumble into UNBC.
Much to my delight, last
weekend the dream
became reality and the
first annual REEL
WORLD FILM
FESTIVAL occurred.
Even better was the fact
that it was excellent, a
treat for all that went to
any of the shows.

The theme of Reel World
films was that of global
concerns, from No
Surrender about the evil
that is Alcan to The Big
Snit, an immensely funny
Canadian cartoon on
nuclear war, love, saws

and Scrabble. The

Auditoriums made fine
theatres, though it takes
away from the movie
atmosphere when you
see “VCR PLAY”
appear on the screen
before the movies. Some
of my favorite films I was
able to see were:

HUNGER: A spooky,
almost terrifying, 11
minute cartoon about
self-indulgence. With its
creepy soundtrack,
strange animated
motions, and the final
image of a grossly obese
man being eaten alive by
starving children, it
made me put down my
popcorn. A great dark
film but strangely paired
with The Big Snit, which
makes it all the more
jarring.

Over the Edge Feb. 07, 1996 page 5

THE WORLD ACCORDING

TO REEL

JOURNEY OF HOPE:
Another dark film which
takes a poor Kurdish
family, and shows how
their hope to build
themselves a new life in
Switzerland destroys
them through naivet_ to
the scheming bastards
that trick and use them at
every stop. The main
character is very flawed,
but it is his obvious
dreams that flash through
his eyes that keeps him
sympathetic. It is an
exhausting journey that is
exhausting to watch. The
final image, with its silent
credits roll, left the
audience in the Canfor
Theatre in a stunned
silence.

BABAKURERIA: A
satisfying satire that, like
the recent Travolta film
“White Man’s Burden”,
switches race relations.
The difference in this
Australian film is that it
is the Aboriginals that
arrive in modern
Australia and overtake
the society of obese, hot
dog eating, beer guzzling
Europeans. With biting
humour, the film makers
satirize treatment of
Aboriginals, from the
Ministry of White
Relations to a reporter’s
experiences of what it
means to live in the white
ghetto. The title refers to
the mistranslation of
where they arrive when
they land on the beach,
right in the middle of a
Barbecue area—
Babakureria, see what I
mean, clever. It also is not
without seriousness; its

dark ending brings to
the front the fact that
even though this is
satire, the issues are real
within any society.

NO SURRENDER: The
highlight of film festival,
I think, which dealt with
Alcan’s dealings with
Native Americans in the
Nechako area, and the
BC environment in
general. An excellent
exploration though I
personally would have
liked to have seen a
confrontation, or at least
some attempt of defense
from Alcan to show how
they would attempt to
explain the glaring
injustices shown. Also,
as an added bonus, the
director of the film,
Sheila Jordan, was on at
the end of the film to
discuss the issues raised.

All the films that I saw
were enjoyable, and
there were many more I
was unable to make it to.
In speaking to friends,
they raved about the
power of the film
BANDIT QUEEN, and
the fun of watching
WHO’S COUNTING?

After the film, there
were also tables set up
that dealt with global
issues, like Unicef, and
Amnesty International.
All in all, an excellent
and enlightening way to
spend a weekend. I
deeply look forward to
next year’s. Thank you
Gods!

SGWNGTTYHN