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We are, in 2014, just two years shy of Cronenberg`s 50th anniversary as a filmmaker, but it was his 1975 film, Shivers, that laid the foundation for his extraordinary career. In fairly quick order, Shivers was followed by Rabid, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly. His slow move to more mainstream films began with Dead Ringers in 1988. A little more than a decade later he gave us Spider, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. More recently, the lush if disturbing A Dangerous Method, and at the end of this month, Maps to the Stars. Now after the highly collaborative profession of filmmaking, David Cronenberg has embraced the rather lonely, by comparison, task of writing a novel.
Crime, disease and philosophy entangle themselves in his dark debut novel, Consumed. At PEN Canada’s Benefit, which takes place on Thursday, October 23, the opening night of the International Festival of Authors, philosopher Mark Kingwell will discuss how these themes relate to Cronenberg’s decades-long engagement with writers like J.G. Ballard, William S. Burroughs and Vladimir Nabokov.
PEN Canada is a nonpartisan organization of writers that works with others to defend freedom of expression as a basic human right, at home and abroad. The organization promotes literature, fights censorship, helps free persecuted writers from prison, and assists writers living in exile in Canada. In short, they deserve your support. And with this special appearance by one of Canada`s renowned filmmakers, the price of admission, $100, is great value.
Tickets can be purchased online. The PEN Canada benefit will be held at the IFOA Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, 207 Queens Quay West. |
