Confederation Park

Confederation Park, originally uploaded by RumAli.

I went to see Bill Brown's latest film, The Other Side. After the question and answer session, we got to watch his film about Canada, Confederation Park.

The last time I viewed this movie was at home, with my - and here I'll say it on cyberspace to make it virtually real - "ex-girlfriend" Mary. I'm still stinging from the way the relationship is "transitioning." I put that stuff in quotes because things like break-ups, and maybe especially the way she likes to break-up, is never permanent. And I'm old enough to know that yes, sigh, relations change all the time.

Anyway, I was happy and relieved that they made time to screen Confederation Park. I wanted to replace my last viewing of this film with Mary with this viewing, sitting in front of two friends, Polina and Thidalpa. You see, it was a thing - not a big thing - to share this film, and by extension, my friendship with the filmmaker, with Mary. We watched it on my computer and she commented on the silly scene where Bill is skipping in front of beautifully slanted shack in the middle of nowhere. When that scene came on, it was difficult not to think of Mary and to not think of how much she would've enjoyed the activism on display in The Other Side, how much she would've enjoyed meeting a traveler like Bill Brown, the advice she would've given to him about his proposed bike ride across the states, and, it does not go without saying, how much we would've enjoyed making out in a theater.

But, alas. And alas, too, when I see this film again. Some associations just stick. Teenagers know this when they make mix tapes. And so, whenever I see Confederation Park, will I always think of Mary saying "There's that place again!" and more importantly, whenever I see The Other Side, will I always think of my desire for Mary, and her implicit rejection?