I couldn't help sensing a bittersweet energy while watching Trigger, our DVD Club pick this month. The knowledge that star and indie darling, Tracy Wright, died shortly after filming of pancreatic cancer, and that the whole team hurried to get the film done on time, filtered into my experience viewing it. I could feel the history and chemistry between the actors on screen.  When I noted that a lot of them were producers on the film too, I knew it was a collective labour of love.

Here is a great interview at with Wright at TIFF 2006 when the film Monkey Warfare  was premiering.  It was the first time she got to play the full-fledged lead in a feature.  She was most in demand for off-beat supporting roles.

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The DVD Club and  Vancouver Canada Screens have joined forces for the release of Bruce McDonald's Trigger on DVD, July 27th.

On July 20th, the popular screening series will show Trigger, at District 319 in Vancouver, along with a Skype Q&A with writer Daniel MacIvor. 

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The scene in Last Train Home where the father hits his rebellious teenage daughter in a rage left me feeling voyeuristic and disturbed. 

I felt like I was witnessing something private and heartbreaking.  I'm not saying this is a bad thing. It certainly intensified my viewing experience and helped make the film such an honest portrait of a crumbling family.

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I like to think I'm a conscious consumer, buying organic and local food, shopping at vintage stores and favouring indie designers.  But I like a good deal as much as the rest of us, and I often succumb to a cheap and cheerful t-shirt at H&M or Joe Fresh. I always wonder who made my shirt, when it says "Made in Cambodia" or "Made in Taiwan."  And I always wonder how much the person who made my shirt got paid.  Especially when I only paid a whopping $12.00 for said shirt.

The argument for globalization I often hear is that at least these people working in factories around the world have jobs, and are supporting their families. I also hear that their living costs are much lower, so the pay scale is appropriate.

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Last Train Home, Lixin Fan's unflinching doc, was awarded The Genie last month for Best Feature Documentary, was an Official Selection at Sundance, Won Best Documentary at IFDA in Amsterdam, and as it continues to tour the globe, racks up awards and positive critical reviews.

If you don't take my word that this is an unmissable film, you can check out a few reviews I've collected here.

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