Canadian Premiere
No artist calls attention to light and space like the legendary Robert Irwin, who has been singular to his minimalist vision for decades. Instilling a sense of the sublime, Irwin is known for his ability to reframe the ordinary into something awe-inspiring. Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling provides rare views of the artist’s astonishing body of work, including paintings, installations, and site-specific environments. It likewise follows the creation of the artist’s latest piece, a revisiting of the ruins of a military hospital in Marfa, Texas. Elusive yet down to earth, Irwin is a true original, eschewing the art market and favouring simplicity in an age of excess. His art is ephemeral and experiential, it cannot be bought, sold, or hung on walls. Director Jennifer Lane has crafted a stunning portrait of one of the most important and influential contemporary artists of our age; the film features fascinating archival footage, and interviews with fellow artists and writers. A treat to the eye, and an inspiration to the mind.
Presented by
Series Media Partner
Community Partner
Robert Irwin
USA
2022
Portraits
English
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Carolyn Pfeiffer, Nancy P. Saunders
Producer
Jennifer Lane, Joseph Cashiola, David Hollander
Screenwriter
Jennifer Lane
Cinematography
Layton Blaylock, Joseph Cashiola, Joan Churchill, David Hollander, Rick Siegel
Original Music
Fredrico De Caroli
Director
Jennifer Lane
Jennifer Lane is a director and film producer. Lane’s short films have been screened at the UCLA Hammer Museum, the Austin Film Society, the Miami International Film Festival, Antimatter and many other galleries, museums and festivals. Her debut feature film, Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling is her first feature as a director and editor. She is the Co-Founder of CineMarfa, a film festival that showcases artist made films, archives, and other rarely screened films.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Everybody to Kenmure Street
This rousing documentary (100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) never puts a foot wrong as it recreates a tense, prolonged stand-off between the police and the citizens of Glasgow when an Immigration Enforcement squad attempt to arrest two men from their homes.
Namesake
Powell River... named for Israel Wood Powell, a 19th century politician and a man of his time, an advocate for residential schools and the Indian Act. The Tla'amin Nation asks the city to consider changing its name, a request which sparks intense debate.
Julio Avila Cuban Band Live + The Mambo Kings Film Screening
Feel the heat! Shake your booty as we combine a live set of exhilarating Cuban music followed by a rediscovered 90s barnstormer of a movie starring Latin heartthrobs Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas alongside the likes of Tito Puente and Celia Cruz.
The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) gives FBI serial killer hunter Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) pointers from his maximum security cell. But is he trying to aid the investigation, or just messing with her head?