Recording: "We Have An Anchor" Ensemble

Artist: We Have An Anchor Ensemble

Song: Wrecked House

Recorded at TIFF Lightbox, December 4, 2012.

We Have An Anchor Ensemble - Wrecked House

Full review to follow. A fabulous night for the local debut of Jem Cohen's new film work We Have an Anchor, a nonlinear journey through the landscape and inhabitants of Cape Breton, presented with triple-screen visuals and a live score. The latter was provided by an all-star crew of musicians, including members of the Godspeed You! Black Emperor/Silver Mt Zion Axis (Sophie Trudeau, Jessica Moss, Efrim Menuck) alongside Jim White (Dirty Three), Guy Picciotto (Fugazi) and T Griffin (Quavers). It's no surprise that there was a Constellation of postrock swells, but also some refracted hints of the island's folk music. There were some most excellent GY!BE-esque crescendos, but I was also struck by this quieter meditation, which accompanied a montage of shots taken from visits over several years to the same slowly-collapsing farmhouse.

The whole night was a great example of the forward-thinking programming curated by the Images Festival, showing that non-traditional, non-narrative cinema isn't just an intellectual exercise — it can also pack an emotional punch. A genuine occasion (all the more for the inclusion of vocals from special guest Mary Margaret O'Hara), the programme repeats tomorrow night (December 5, 2012) and should not be missed.