christie pits film festival
Sunday, July 17, 2022

mermaids

With the short film MerB’ys

In Toronto documentarian Ali Weinstein’s charming feature début Mermaids, women from all walks of life find healing power in the seemingly frivolous act of dressing up as and embodying mermaids. Custom swim-suits allow these magical creatures to disappear into alter egos and stage personas - or rather, aquarium personas - that emanate joy and authenticity.

In a similar vein, Newfoundland filmmaker Jamie Miller’s MerB’ys documents the delightful and moving story of twelve maritime men who slide into mermaid tails and don colourful manes to pose for the island’s annual fundraising calendar. In close parallel to Mermaids, each model has a different reason to be drawn to the freeing experience of posing in nothing but a colourful fin.