Lisa Ray casts shadow on Toronto film fest

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/images/arts_lisa-ray_392.jpgA raging political controversy that refuses to subside and the sad news that Indian-origin actress Lisa Ray is fighting an incurable strain of cancer have cast a long shadow on the 34th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).


Even though the ten-day festival has quickly warmed up with a slew of Hollywood stars like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Connelly and Megan Fox gracing the red carpet screenings of their latest films, there have been outpourings of grief from moviegoers in the city for Ray.

Canadian movie fans have been expressing shock and despair ever since the 37-year-old, Toronto-born Lisa Ray announced on her blog that she is suffering from multiple myeloma a type of incurable cancer.

Lisa Ray who will be attending the world premiere of her latest film, Dilip Mehta’s Cooking With Stella, on Wednesday, has made it known that she isn’t giving up without a fight.

“I’m looking for full remission, deepest crises are moments of greatest opportunity…a place from which to combine survival and celebration,” wrote the actress who will be joined by her co-stars Seema Biswas and Shriya Saran on the red carpet.

On a different plane, TIFF’s decision to showcase a package of films about and made in Tel Aviv in its inaugural ‘City to City’ section has sparked off a debate among opponents and supporters of the move.

Canadian writer Naomi Klein has claimed that the number of artists, filmmakers and activists who have put their signatures on a statement decrying the Tel Aviv focus has crossed 1000.

However, the protesters’ stand seems to have only boosted demand for the ten films in the package and tickets are flying off the counters.

Supporters of the Tel Aviv showcase argue that the call for a boycott is tantamount to an unacceptable form of censorship.

Detractors have been at pains to assert that they have nothing against individual Israeli filmmakers and their stand is against the form of apartheid that Israeli state practises.

The protesters, whose ranks include the likes of veteran actress Jane Fonda and filmmaker Ken Loach, have accused the TIFF organisers of falling prey to an Israeli ploy designed to give the suspect global image of the country a makeover.