If you've forgotten how to believe in the power of the people, then the short but sweet film Grand Wheel is a must see. Directed by McGill graduate Gavin Heffernan, the controversial film doesn't have a linear plot line, and instead takes the viewer through a series of seemingly incongruous scenes, from children on a merry-go-round to fish being caught on a large boat.
The film focusses on repeated scenes of war protesters marching through the streets-a powerful reminder that a large group of people have the power to enact real change. With sounds, colours, and images that blend together beautifully , the film is brilliantly put together. Viewers are especially struck by the slow, enchanting, piano soundtrack, which both contrasts with the sounds of the city and renders vocals and conversations simply as background noise. The audience must therefore rely on emotion and image association to take from the film what they wish. The string of seemingly unrelated but politically-charged scenes makes the viewer question authority and recent government decisions. Therein lies the controversial aspect of this film.
The strong, colourful film has been extremely well received since its premiere at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival. It was also awarded the Special Jury Prize for Best Cinematography at the 2008 Canadian Film Festival in Toronto. In addition to screenings in the United States, Grand Wheel recently found a global audience with screenings at foreign film festivals in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Russia and Spain.
Grand Wheel is available online at http://www.vimeo.com/1917372 . The film's accessibility, combined with a short running time of six minutes, means there's no excuse for missing out on this important film.
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