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Canadian film review: Slash/Back

A strange creature is lurking in this small Inuit community. The adults are celebrating the solstice party, so these young girls find themselves having to be the ones to defend this town from the creature.

Given the hunting traditions in this area, no one bats an eyelash at the shooting skills of these girls.

Our protagonists are Maika (Tasiana Shirley), Jesse (Alexis Wolfe), Uki (Nalajoss Ellsworth), and Leena (Chelsea Prusky). They have other things on their minds, such as boys and friendships. Even if you have disagreements with your friends, the common goal of defeating the creature unites the girls, mostly.

Slash/Back has a bit of science fiction, girl power, Indigenous culture, and characters and a plot that can keep the audience of the adults who would watch this film with their children or by themselves.

The film might be too much for small children but older children should be fine with watching the film.

Nyla Innuksuk makes her feature film debut with a screenplay from Innuksuk and Ryan Cavan. Not easy making a full-length feature film. Even with the mix of science fiction, the story really is about the trials and tribulations of girls growing up in this part of the world.

The film was shot in the Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung, Nunavut on Baffin Island.

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The filmmakers took local girls and cast them in a film. The story really does stretch well and is a good example of empowering girls.

Slash/Back has played on Crave in Canada.

video credit: YouTube/Shudder
photo credit: Slash/Back

Jully Black opens the door for O Canada lyrics change

My initial reaction to the news about Jully Black changing the O Canada lyrics was "They show O Canada during the NBA All-Star Game?" As readers of our MLB section would know, MLB and Fox Sports have been incessantly obnoxious in refusing to show O Canada to U.S. viewers.

The Tenors changed O Canada before the 2016 All-Star Game. The group kicked out Remigio Pereira for changing the lyrics on his own to a slam against Black Lives Matter. Even in that case, the American audience, should they have seen the anthem, would have been like "those aren't the words."

Jully Black changed the lyrics from "our home and native land" to "our home on native land" to reflect the original Indigenous settlers in what is now Canada.

A subtle and meaningful change. The vocal differences between "and" and "on" means you could slip it in without people noticing. Good on Jully Black to start out the conversation.

“if there was a white face singing the anthem and changed that word, white Canada… would act more quickly… policies would be changing right now.” @JullyBlack on whether the words of the Canadian national anthem should change permanently. she’s right!!! https://t.co/XScDKSkUf9

— Kathleen Newman-Bremang (@KathleenNB) February 22, 2023

Senate finally passes gender-neutral O Canada bill

The English language version changed in 2018 going from "True patriot love in all thy sons command" to "True patriot love in all of us command."

The change, approved in 2018, was brought up by Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, who introduced a private member's bill (defined as not coming from the government in power). The House of Commons passed the bill in June 2016. Bélanger passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease on August 15, 2016.

The extensive delay came from conservative senators who delayed the passage until 2018.

O Canada became the country's national anthem in 1980.

Unlike the English version, the French version hasn't changed in awhile: The French version starts out: "O Canada, Terre de nos aïeux." This essentially translates into "Land of our ancestors." The definition of nos | ours would be the concern. Is it "ours" in the sense of Jacques Cartier, the first European to "discover" what is now Quebec City and Montréal.

Quebecers of European descent likely think of Cartier, even if the wording changes. Nos is subjective and not objective so interpretations can vary.

Even though this line is a basic translation of the English language version, most of the French version is not a translation of the English version.

MLB, Rob Manfred, MLB on Fox need to stop disrespecting Canada

Preaching patriotism on anthems easier when you sing the words 

Empathy for Bélanger might have been more of a motivator to get the gender neutral language changed for O Canada. There are fewer conservative senators by any name in the Canadian Senate than there were back then.

The hostility against a needed change would certainly be a force in future adaptations. 

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We talk often about groups going for more and better representation in Canadian society needing allies in their battles. Black made a strong point that you don't have to be Indigenous to make this point about "native land."

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The NBA finally expanded into Canada in 1995 with the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies. The Grizzlies left Vancouver after the 2000-2001 season.

The open hostility by the NBA against the Canadian teams was exclusive and legendary. Both Canadian teams were denied access to the top five picks in the first draft. The teams were not allowed a top draft pick in the following 3 seasons, even if they won the lottery. The teams were prohibited from using their full salary cap for the first 2 seasons.

The NBA has only had a single All-Star Game on Canadian soil in 2016 at what was then Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Transplant, Sort Of win top TV honours at 2022 Canadian Screen Awards

Jully Black is more than just a top Canadian musician. Black got a 2022 Canadian Screen Award nomination for her portrayal of Nina Francis on Diggstown. Black lost out to Tamara Podemski on Coroner for Best Guest Performance, Drama Series.

video credit: YouTube/NBA
Twitter capture: @KathleenNB
photo credit: me

British Columbia decriminalizes some drugs but at a really low threshold

Decriminalize. A powerful word that we don't hear much about in North America. For example, the perception is that the Netherlands legalized marijuana for their coffee shops. In fact, marijuana is not legal but coffee shops are permitted to sell up to 5 grams of marijuana to customers for consumption on-site. No takeaway orders.

As of today, Canadians 18 years of age and older in British Columbia will be able to possess up to a cumulative 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA within the province.

Note that the total is half of what is the law in the Netherlands. British Columbia wanted a threshold of 4.5 grams but the federal government lowered the threshold to 2.5 grams.

We have noted that the marijuana threshold in Canada, where pot is legal coast to coast to coast, is 30 grams. So the threshold seems higher for the other drugs but that isn't a fair comparison.

The pilot program is in effect for 3 years. You still can't sell drugs though such a small possession marker would make that an odd charge.

The threshold may not matter too much in Kamloops, Prince Rupert, Abbotsford, Fort St. John, Kelowna, and Penticton. The limit may not be as much of a concern on Vancouver Island in places such as Victoria, Nanaimo, Tofino, and Ucluelet.

The key concern is opioids in Vancouver Downtown Eastside. Fentanyl and its analogues were detected in nearly 86% of drug toxicity deaths from 2019-2022, according to the latest report from the B.C. Coroners Service.

Experts say that some opioids users consume more than 2.5 grams in a day, citing the need for a higher threshold.

Your humble narrator is a bit surprised that the program is province-wide, given the significance of Vancouver Downtown Eastside. Then again, opioids use isn't limited to that area. 

Experiencing marijuana tourism in Canada

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While we promote the idea of marijuana tourism, we aren't as excited about the prospect of tourists taking too much advantage. An 18-year-old might find it unusual to be able to possess 2 grams of cocaine while marijuana is still illegal until they turn 19.

The help for opioids users is that they can have a safe supply and not overdose and die. That isn't the same as recreational use. There is also the theory that an American possessing a legal supply might be suspected of trafficking more than someone with a British Columbia drivers licence. 

We will be very curious to see how this pilot program goes and maybe a higher threshold within the 3 years.

photo credit: Victoria Police Department/CBC News

Canadian film review: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers has had great success of late in front of the camera (Blood Quantum, Night Raiders, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open) and behind the camera (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open).

So taking a step to do a documentary on opioids and addiction might seem unusual. Somehow, this makes sense for someone such as Tailfeathers and her concern for her community.

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is a personal documentary in that Tailfeathers' mother is a physician on the front lines of this battle. The documentary focuses on Tailfeathers' home in the Kainai Nation community in Alberta.

The film explores the quandary between abstinence, an approach that works well for alcoholism, versus harm reduction, which can be more helpful for dealing with the addiction of opioids. Convincing the community of the differences in approach is a significant challenge.

We see the Kainai Nation visiting Vancouver Downtown Eastside, where The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open was set. They learn how harm reduction is helping cut the fatality rate.

Tailfeathers talks with people who are suffering as well as those who are helping those in need. The story of George and Leah is so important: they want to get help but they have 4 steps to get into a treatment centre. Even then, some of those steps have wait lists.

Tailfeathers also shows the push back from nearby Lethbridge residents, including violence and death.

Tailfeathers does have an agenda in that harm reduction is a meaningful approach to a very serious problem. She takes great care to show examples of why harm reduction is a working option.

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is also a personal documentary when she tells us that her cousin passed away from an overdose. Personal when her mother Esther forms a detox centre as a transition step to see if the patients want to go to a rehab centre.

There is a concern in taking such a personal interest in a story in a documentary. Tailfeathers helps us see the personification in what is mostly are faceless tragedies.

The film is surprisingly easy to follow and you feel the concerns of these people. This should be required viewing in Canada and the United States.

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Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy won the Canadian Screen Award earlier this year for Best Feature Length Documentary. The documentary also received 2 other Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Cinematography in a Documentary and Best Editing in a Documentary. The film was 1 of 5 winners of the Rogers Audience Award at the 2021 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy is available via the National Film Board in Canada.

video credit: YouTube/NFB
photo credit: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

Canadian film review: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

Ahead of her time. Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On does a very solid job at showing who this person was as a singer, songwriter, and activist. You also learn of the many wonderful thoughts and ideas where Buffy Sainte-Marie was way ahead of the rest of us.

Or as Buffy Sainte-Marie tells us, sometimes you have to "carry the medicine for a long time."

She was way ahead on opiods, writing a song called Cod'ine in 1964. Sainte-Marie had been diagnosed with a bronchial infection and was treated with codeine. Robbie Robertson describes in the documentary about how you can get pain reliever from the drugstore that has codeine in Canada.  

Sainte-Marie was calling what happened to Indigenous people as a genocide decades before a lot of others weighed in on the topic.

She appeared in The Heritage episode of The Virginian in 1968. Sainte-Marie insisted that actual Indigenous people play the extras.

They say the strength of a songwriter is measured in how often others want to do a cover version of a song. The Universal Soldier became so popular than many (sadly) thought Donovan wrote the song. Until It's Time for You to Go was covered 157 times since its original release in 1965. Elvis Presley was a big fan of the latter song.

Sainte-Marie won an Academy Award for co-writing Up Where We Belong from An Officer and a Gentleman. During the time where she was blacklisted from having her songs on the radio, she became a frequent guest on Sesame Street. Sainte-Marie breastfed her son Cody on Sesame Street. She said it wasn't controversial then but would be now.

Later in her career, Sainte-Marie made music with computers, again ahead of her time.

We also learn about her activism. There is a teaching moment, as she points out, when someone in the crowd asks about the red dress hanging on stage. Sainte-Marie points out the dress represents the missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women.

Sainte-Marie was born on the Piapot 75 reserve in Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan to Cree parents. As part of the then government policy, she was taken as an infant and adopted by Americans in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

The documentary shows her in Yorkville in Toronto, playing the folk scene in Canada's largest city. 

Some of the Canadians in the documentary include Robbie Robertson, Joni Mitchell, and George Stroumboulopoulos.

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My parents had Buffy Sainte-Marie records when I was a kid. I had no clue she was Canadian. The thought of her being Indigenous back then wasn't even a thought. They liked folk music and she was a significant artist in their collection. My father has been gone for 22 years and my mother has dementia. They would have loved to see a look at the life and career of Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Canadian rock and roll documentary makes Independent Lens debut on PBS

Sainte-Marie was in Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, a Canadian documentary that has also aired on PBS. If this documentary makes you more curious, this other documentary will help satisfy some of that curiosity.

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Director Madison Thomas incorporates some reenactments in the film to show moments that weren't captured in the moment. Thomas has a lot of ground to cover. The documentary answers a lot of questions yet keeps the viewer curious to learn more, simply because a documentary, any documentary can only cover so much ground.

Whether you do or don't know much about Buffy Sainte-Marie, this documentary will teach you a lot.

The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On debuts tonight on PBS as part of the American Masters series. Check your local listings for the PBS station in your area and when the station will show the film. Canadians can watch PBS through cable or satellite as well as antenna in limited areas. The PBS version may be censored in some parts, depending on the station. The film is available in Canada on Crave.

video credit: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On/PBS
photo credit: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

Mi'kmaw filmmaker Jeff Barnaby has passed away at 46

How I'll miss you, @tripgore.

Beautifully stubborn ’til the very end, Jeff Barnaby was bold in his life and his work. He bore a sensitivity, poignancy and depth within him, that translated through his films and resonated with audiences Indigenous and non-Native alike. pic.twitter.com/Ha9cV5VBRG

— Devery Jacobs (@kdeveryjacobs) October 13, 2022

Jeff Barnaby, who opened a lot of eyes with his first 2 full-length feature films, has died at the age of 46. The writer and director of Rhymes for Young Ghouls and Blood Quantum had reportedly a yearlong battle with cancer.

We mentioned Barnaby as someone who could have take over and done a second season of Trickster for the CBC. A devastating loss to film, Canadian film, and especially Indigenous portrayals on screen.

There was a bit of hype for Rhymes for Young Ghouls, which turned out to be worth the hype. Blood Quantum took 13 years to make yet the timing was rich to come out in a pandemic.

Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, TIFF Rising Star 2018, got her first leading role in Rhymes for Young Ghouls. Jacobs also was in Blood Quantum.

"Beautifully stubborn 'til the very end, Jeff Barnaby was bold in his life and his work. He bore a sensitivity, poignancy and depth within him, that translated through his films and resonated with audiences Indigenous and non-Native alike," Jacobs was quoted as saying in a media release.

Canadian film review: Blood Quantum

Canadian film review: Rhymes for Young Ghouls

Canadian films that might explain a bit about the world of residential schools

Barnaby also did 3 short films earlier in his career: From Cherry English (2004), The Colony (2007), and File Under Miscellaneous (2010).

We run through a lot of up and coming Canadian filmmakers. Few of them have the energy and attention Barnaby put into his work. My desire to see Blood Quantum was based on consuming Rhymes for Young Ghouls. That doesn't happen often enough in the Canadian film world.

To the point Jacobs made, Barnaby's films had the ability to tell authentic Indigenous stories in ways that transcended who was in the audience. Blood Quantum was a zombie film on one level while telling multiple stories below that line.

We should have had so many more films from Jeff Barnaby. Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Blood Quantum and his short films showed an artist powered by a blazing fire. He understood horror on its deepest levels. Such a shock. RIP. pic.twitter.com/qgILv4aieq

— Cameron Bailey (@cameron_tiff) October 13, 2022

Michael Greyeyes, currently starring in the U.S. show Rutherford Falls, won Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Blood Quantum. The film received 10 Canadian Screen Awards in 2021 and won 7 CSAs. Other wins came for art direction/production design, costume design, editing, makeup, visual effects, and stunt coordination. Barnaby received a nomination for original screenplay. Other nominations came for cinematography and casting.

Jacobs was nominated for Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards.

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If you haven't seen either of Jeff Barnaby's two films, now is the time. BLOOD QUANTUM is available on-demand, and RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS is streaming on @cbcgem. https://t.co/pwNxfbeb6U

— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) October 13, 2022

We do spend a bit of time on this blog to encourage people to watch more Canadian film. Watch these films to see an amazing filmmaker and storyteller in motion.

Barry Hertz from The Globe and Mail pointed out options in Canada. In the United States, Rhymes for Young Ghouls is on Tubi and Blood Quantum is on AMC+. Halloween is coming soon and Blood Quantum should be on that list.

Twitter captures: @kdeveryjacobs; @cameron_tiff; @HertzBarry
photo credit: @cameron_tiff

Michelle O'Bonsawin to become the first Indigenous person on the Supreme Court of Canada

Michelle O'Bonsawin will become the first Indigenous person to serve on Canada's highest court, the Supreme Court of Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his nomination for the Supreme Court.

O'Bonsawin is Abenaki from Odanak. She is Franco-Ontarian and fluently bilingual, according to the nomination news release. O'Bonsawin has served as a judge on the Ontario Superior Court of Justice since 2017.

While the court has been more progressive on having women on the court, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Mahmud Jamal — the first justice of colour — who started on Canada Day in 2021.

O'Bonsawin is the 11th female justice in the history of the Supreme Court of Canada compared to 6 in the United States Supreme Court.

Canada Day 2021: A time for reflection and some celebration

Mahmud Jamal would be Canada's first Supreme Court justice of colour

O'Bonsawin will replace Michael Moldaver, who will reach the retirement age of 75 on September 1. Moldaver, a Stephen Harper appointee, has been on the court since October 21, 2011.

This leaves 3 Harper appointees on the court, though Chief Justice Richard Wagner was a Harper appointee promoted to chief justice by Trudeau. The current prime minister will have 5 appointees on the 9-person court.

Harper's strategy was to pick younger justices who would be able to be on the court for a long time. The next opening of a Harper appointee won't be until October 3, 2030 when Andromache Karakatsanis would have to retire.

Russell Brown, easily the most conservative and controversial of the Harper appointees, could last on the court until September 15, 2040.

Justices can choose to retire before they reach 75. A judge could also be taken in by illness or death. The last justice to die while on the court was John Sopinka, who was a puisne (associate) justice from 1988-1997.

As we've noted, unlike the United States Supreme Court, justices aren't as aligned to the prime minister who picked them.

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Our U.S. readers are used to pages of analysis, where the justices might fall within the current makeup of the U.S. Senate. Such infighting is not part of the Canadian landscape. Pick a responsibly good justice candidate and get them onto the court. Done.

Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau definitely have different thought processes for what should go into the process. 

Also, chief justices get promoted from within and not necessarily selected based on the party of the prime minister. Brian Mulroney picked Beverley McLachlin to be on the court in 1989 yet Jean Chrétien selected McLachlin as the first female chief justice on Canada's highest court in 2000. 

Trudeau appointed Richard Wagner, a Harper appointee in 2012, to be the chief justice in late 2017.

You might also recall that Wagner served in the role of the governor general before Mary Simon was picked as a permanent replacement.

photo credit: CBC News

Pope Francis I arrives in Canada on Sunday for an expected apology on residential schools

Pope Francis is coming to Canada next week. Not a vacation for the 85-year-old Catholic pontiff; definitely a business trip.

The pope will visit Edmonton, Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne in Alberta, Quebec City in Quebec, and Iqaluit in Nunavut.

The schedule includes 9 homilies and addresses and saying 2 Masses. The primary focus for Pope Francis is an expected apology for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

The pope will arrive in Edmonton on Sunday and be in the area July 24-27. He will be in Quebec City July 27-29. His stay in Iqaluit will be less than a day.

Could Marc Cardinal Ouellet be the first Canadian pope?

While the apology will be welcome, there are other pressing concerns from the church. 48 Catholic church entities signed on to fundraise $25 million for survivors as part of a settlement agreement with the term "best efforts." Somehow, those "best efforts" resulted in just under $4 million. The Catholic Church can afford to write out a check for the difference.

The church could also release all residential school documents and records to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Theoretically, the pope has the power to make all of that happen. The requests aren't for anything extra but to get justice for those damaged by the residential schools system.

Canadian films that might explain a bit about the world of residential schools

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We hope that the relevant population gets some relief from the papal visit to Canada. Quite frankly, more transparency and compensation, too.

If you still don't know too much about residential schools, especially if you are deeply Catholic, we invite you to read our Indigenous coverage to get some idea before Pope Francis lands on Canadian soil.

video credit: CBC News

Canadian film review: Wildhood

Wildhood is a coming of age film that explores how a young person does this when he doesn't know much of who he is. Lincoln (Phillip Lewitski) takes care of his half-brother Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony) trying to avoid his highly abusive father Arvin (Joel Thomas Hynes).

Lincoln discovers happenstance that his mother is still alive. After a fight with his father, Lincoln takes off with Travis on a quest to find her.

They come across openly two-spirit Pasmay (Joshua Odjick). Lincoln is also two-spirit but hasn't really explored any of this. Two-spirit deals with cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identity within some Indigenous communities.

Pasmay helps Lincoln on his quest as they also are tempted in exploring each other.

Bretten Hannam, writer and director, adapted this film from his earlier short film Wildfire, winning Best Short Film at the Screen Nova Scotia awards in 2020. Hannam tells most of the story through looks and gestures. There isn't that much dialogue, especially once Lincoln and Pasmay meet.

You will likely have questions, lots of them. The stereotype of the Indigenous spirit guide: is that also offensive is the other person is half Mi'kmaq? Both Lincoln and Travis ask Pasmay for Mi'kmaq words often in the film. Pasmay teaches Lincoln a Mi'kmaq dance. Pasmay puts his life aside to help Lincoln. Why?

We don't discover answers or motivation. In fact, we don't really learn much about any of the major characters. The only one we seem to learn about is Sarah (Savonna Spracklin), which is all the more interesting in an otherwise testosterone-laden film.

Hannam makes a choice to not translate most of what is said in Mi'kmaq. Your humble narrator rarely needs a Q&A from the director but that choice needs an answer. As we noted, the dialogue is sparse as it is. A film can succeed even when the audience doesn't know what is happening, but most of the time, this doesn't work. A lot of the English dialogue is rather basic; you hope what is said in Mi'kmaq is more meaningful.

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Michael Greyeyes has fun in a small role in the film.

The story is almost too easy, especially with the initial struggle. Your humble narrator hates too much confrontation but this film is shockingly light on confrontation. The film is rather simplistic storytelling; not much compelling or dramatic within the story.

The problem is that you have a great potential in the core story. Even a scene where Pasmay pushes back on being the spirit guide would have been an acknowledgment. A more meaningful script and Mi'kmaq translations would have made this a much better film.

Wildhood is a pretty film. The more you suspend reality, the more fun you will have with this film.

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Lewitski received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022. The film debuted at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

Wildhood is available in the United States on Hulu.

video credit: YouTube/Mongrel Media
photo credit: Wildhood

Canadian film review: Red Snow

Home and where you belong are consistent themes of Red Snow, even as the film bounces around in establishing the significance of those themes.

Dylan Nadazeau (Asivak Koostachin) is a Canadian soldier fighting in Afghanistan. Nadazeau is also from the Gwich'in First Nations people.

The Taliban ends up capturing the soldiers, double crossed by their interpreter Aman (Shafin Karim). The interrogator is convinced Nadazeau is a spy because his notebook is in Athabaskan. The words are for his love for his girlfriend back home.

The Taliban interrogator explains the irony of a Canadian soldier fighting in someone else's home while Canada occupies the solider's homeland.

The movie shows off Dylan's life growing up with his grandmother (Tantoo Cardinal). Dylan bonds with his young cousin Asana (Miika Bryce Whiskeyjack).

Aman is caught in the need to protect his own family, which is why he turned on the Canadian soldiers. Aman is a teacher, which is of little value in the Taliban world.

Canadian film notebook: Making Canada look like Afghanistan

Combing through the TIFF Top 10 Canadian film lists of the 2010s

Marie Clements, as writer and director, filmed in Canada in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia, which is not apparent from seeing the film. Her portrayal of Dylan trapped in a thankless war in Afghanistan. His entry into the army is conflicted in that Canada, the country for which he is fighting, doesn't do well by Indigenous people back home.

The film shifts with Dylan and Aman's Pashtun family back on the same side and on the run. Dylan bonds with Aman's young boy, who reminds Dylan of Asana.

Getting through the first half of the film is difficult. The second half of the film is worth the rough patches of the first half.

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An Indigenous story set in the Afghanistan war is an intriguing way to tell a story in Canada and also not Canada. The lessons learned are impactful yet the film is still entertaining.

Red Snow is available on Netflix.

video credit: YouTube/VIFF
photo credit: Red Snow