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INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE
Darkon
(USA, 2006, 89 min)
Directors: Andrew Neel , Luke Meyer
Once a month in Baltimore, Maryland, hundreds of rational adults don foam padding and tinfoil to act out the role-playing game Darkon. Skip is a househusband who morphs into Bannor, leader of rebels. He fights Keldor, a.k.a. Kenyon, ruler of the vast Mordom empire. They claim it provides the adventure that is missing from their everyday lives. But Skip's description of getting fired from the family business takes on the tone of his field battle-cries. Is Darkon really just an outlet for his daily frustrations, or has the game become a parallel universe in which he can replay his personal failures into victories? As the distinctions between fantasy and reality blur in the minds of the "characters," so do the conventions of filmmaking. The battles are not recreations, nor are they real, creating a fascinating tension between documentary and drama. With humour, insight and above all else, respect, the film does celebrate heroes: the sensitive, creative and alive souls who are brave enough to pick up cardboard swords and take a swing at mediocrity. Myrocia Watamaniuk
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| Date & Time | Venue | Tickets |
| Fri Apr 28, 10:15pm | Bloor Cinema | $10.00 |
| Sun Apr 30, 9:00pm | Innis Town Hall | $10.00 |
INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE
Darkon
(USA, 2006, 89 min)
Directors: Andrew Neel , Luke Meyer
Once a month in Baltimore, Maryland, hundreds of rational adults don foam padding and tinfoil to act out the role-playing game Darkon. Skip is a househusband who morphs into Bannor, leader of rebels. He fights Keldor, a.k.a. Kenyon, ruler of the vast Mordom empire. They claim it provides the adventure that is missing from their everyday lives. But Skip's description of getting fired from the family business takes on the tone of his field battle-cries. Is Darkon really just an outlet for his daily frustrations, or has the game become a parallel universe in which he can replay his personal failures into victories? As the distinctions between fantasy and reality blur in the minds of the "characters," so do the conventions of filmmaking. The battles are not recreations, nor are they real, creating a fascinating tension between documentary and drama. With humour, insight and above all else, respect, the film does celebrate heroes: the sensitive, creative and alive souls who are brave enough to pick up cardboard swords and take a swing at mediocrity. Myrocia Watamaniuk
