Newfoundland Cultural Update

Each morning after dragging my ass out of bed I head to the computer to try and wake up my brain. In a slightly twee appropriation of magazine culture, I refer to this as the as the "story meeting". It's the time of the day when I monitor trends, manage the zeitgeist, and daily make dozens of choices which will determine the direction of this blog in the long term.

Mostly, though, I'm just trying to wake up.

Well, when two Newfoundland stories emerge on the same day, that's enough to wake me up and quick. I don't go on and on about Newfoundland here like I want to, mainly because in the past I've worried that it might turn off readers unfamiliar with and unwilling to learn about this particular sub-culture. However, I'm well beyond fears of that nature at this point.

Both stories feature news about Mary Walsh; no surprise there. Ms. Walsh is a one-woman cultural ambassador for Newfoundland, and they couldn't ask for a better one. Brassy, sassy, and whip-smart to boot, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Walsh in 1989 when, thanks to Codco, I was already a fan. Codco, Canada's legendary and cultish sketch comedy show, was then winding up and I remember asking what was next for her. She gave me a wink and said, "You'll see."

I have indeed seen. Shortly thereafter Ms. Walsh was involved in the conception of a show called "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", a mock news show which even mocked with its title; "This Hour Has Seven Days" was a pioneering newsmagazine program in Canada in the 60s and 70s. 22 Minutes remains on television today after nearly 15 years and numerous personnel changes, a testament to its neccessary place in the cultural mix of Canada.

Through the Newfoundland Independent Film Corporation (NIFCO) she's been involved in numerous projects which have captured Newfoundland's unique culture on celluloid. Alas, none of these films has yet to be offered on DVD, and more's the pity. She's even starred in "Mambo Italiano" among others, in a rare non-Newfoundland role, as an Italian mother. She last starred in one of the CBC's stand-out original series' last year, entitled "Hatching, Matching, and Dispatching", and my first bit of good news is that the show has been announced for its DVD release!

While it is the CBC's mandate to broadcast to all Canadians, in Vancouver it cannot be tuned in without cable. As much as I'd love to call shame on the Mothercorp (aka the Canadian Broadcorping Castration), as long as they keep releasing DVDs I can't get too mad. However, between that and my chaotic work schedule, I was unable to catch "H, M, & D" in it's initial broadcast run. Aside from a few seemingly lucid reviews and a couple of grainy clips on YouTube, the show remains an enigma to me. Though not, fortunately, for long.

So the news that, it seems, she's directed her first feature, and that it's theatrical run begins on Friday 6 April, would have been good news enough on an average day; today, though, it was just gilding the lily. "Young Triffie" is set in a Newfoundland outport during World War II, and from that synopsis alone I'm salivating to see it. Among the costars is Fred Ewanuick, himself a Canadian acting machine, appearing in both "Corner Gas" and "Robson Arms" as well as a spate of under-promoted feature films.

So now comes the real work: watching HMV for the DVDs and checking my local listings on the off-chance that at least one movie house in Vancouver will be showing "Young Triffie" long enough for me to get down to see it.