Culture: Fall All Over Again

A singer you know, a festival you love and a gripping tale you may have heard, each deserving of a second look. Concert // Madonna

Madonna Concert | BCBusiness
Singer/Actor/Artist Madonna hits Rogers Arena on September 29-30.

A singer you know, a festival you love and a gripping tale you may have heard, each deserving of a second look.

Concert // Madonna

Now a designer, actress, director and children’s book author – not to mention two-time ex-wife and mother of three – it was not so long ago that Madonna was primarily known for her music. To erase the memories of film failures such as Desperately Seeking Susan and Swept Away, and to revisit a simpler time in the self-proclaimed Boy Toy’s life, scalp a ticket for one of the two shows, both of which are sure to be sold out, and let your inner Material Girl (or Material Boy; we don’t judge) run wild. The singer/actor/artist is always a magnet for spectacle and controversy – many will recall that the Vatican condemned her 1989 “Like a Prayer” video – and anything can happen during her live performances (just ask Britney Spears); be sure to take your bathroom breaks with caution. Rogers Arena, September 29 and 30. ticketmaster.ca

 

Film // Vancouver International Film Festival

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Finally, the time has come again to round up your more pretentious film-loving friends for a heavy dose of movies with artistic and cultural weight. Ditch the overpriced popcorn and overwrought explosions of blockbuster movies to immerse yourself in offbeat productions showcasing foreign cultures and languages that may inspire wanderlust. Last year, the event showcased 375 films including the Oscar-winning Iranian drama A Separation, which won the festival’s coveted Rogers People’s Choice Award. Don’t feel guilty for dodging the autumn sun (dare to dream) by ducking into a cinema; these are bona fide cultural experiences, supplying dinner-party talking points at no extra charge. Various locations, September 27 to October 12. viff.org/festival

 

Book // Eating Dirt

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Toronto may be considered the de facto publishing capital of Canada, but Eating Dirt, a recent release from Vancouver-based D&M Publishers Inc., is giving the eastern publishing houses a run for their money. Winner of the 2012 B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, Charlotte Gill’s second novel is taking the country by storm, invading bookshelves and bedside tables from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. In it, Gill offers a personal narrative informed by her 20-year, one-million-tree career as a tree-planter, and infuses it with commentary on the history and the future of tree planting in Canada. An intimate and inside look at a world rarely seen by outsiders, it delves deep into the gritty, painful and oft-romanticized world hidden in Canada’s forests. Greystone Books (2011), $19.95. chapters.indigo.ca