Today I rushed my most anticipated film at TIFF, The Reflektor Tapes. The Reflektor Tapes is a documentary on the Canadian native pop/ rock band, The Arcade Fire. My first observation of the film was how trippy the editing was. Various filters over the faces of the band members to create a melting face effect, black and white landscape shots color corrected giving the sunlight reflecting on the trees a neon white glow look, and grainy footage of the band demo-ing the first of the Reflektor tracks while sitting Indian style on the floor and getting as intimate as possible with the music they were creating. Knowing the band’s mysterious persona and having seen them live, the extraordinary style of the film certainly did not seem out of place.

The main focus of the documentary dealt with the band members’ testimonials of how they found comfort and peace with themselves while writing and recording their most recent LP, Reflektor, and what inspired the process. During footage of various live concert recordings from different countries, studio recording footage, and footage of community bonding the band shared with different cultures abroad, the band members narrated their experience and motives. Female co-lead singer, Regine Chassagne, explained that she and the rest of her family were born in Haiti, although moved to Montreal, Quebec sometime thereafter. Her cultural roots are Haitian, though her light skin color and North American residency left her somewhere in the middle as an artist and it became her goal to combine the two cultural paths in this new batch of songs. Fellow lead member and husband of Regine, Win Butler, backed her by stating that music is where he has always felt in touch with his inner spirit and that the nature of their music must become more tribal and natural. The band traveled to Haiti and participated in tribal celebrations with natives and celebrated inner spirit by way of face painting, bongo beating, dancing, and rejoicing as one equal hierarchy of people. I learned a deeper appreciation for music from this film.

The Reflektor Tapes taught me as a musician that a song doesn’t always have to be a verse and a chorus and structured to traditional tropes. Music rather should be a reflection of yourself. Who are you and how can you find that out? And once you find that spirit within yourself how can you turn it into something tangible for others to enjoy. The nature of the reflection metaphor says it all. Thank you Arcade Fire.

Here is an excerpt from my journal sharing my first experience of rejection at TIFF earlier in the day today:

Sept. 12 4:50 Lobster Fail

I have finally been broken by rush line after having two successful experiences the last two days. I walked a half hour to catch The Lobster at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, sweating through the weekend hustle and bustle on the city streets. After waiting in line for ten minutes I was informed that I was beyond the cusp of a full house at my spot in line… Time for a frosty brew and an earlier arrival than originally planned to the film I am most excited to rush, The Reflektor Tapes.