September 2002

A report by Sean Fitzsimons

MY THOM REPORT FROM THE TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL

Hope all is well, David. Glad to see that the site is returning soon and I'm very disturbed to hear about the grief you took over it last year. Anyway, I've found some nice pics from the Toronto International Film Festival I thought I'd forward to you. It's a great film, in the tone of 'The Wings of the Dove', but different in that it deals with two sisters competing for one man's affections - the wife of one of them.Very vivid cinematography and costumes (1936-46).

As you can see, Helena, Olivia Ward, and Thaddeus O'Sullivan (the director) were all there for this world premiere. This was a very low key event in a downtown multiplex, not one of the widely promoted galas that she's appeared at here previously. Their appearances weren't announced in advance and I don't believe there was even a press conference, just some one-on-one interviews. There was barely a mention in the local papers. They were introduced just before they ran the film. There was a half-hour question and answer session afterwards.

Someone asked about one of the costumes she was wearing and she said that the budget was so low that she borrowed it from a friend for that scene. It leads me to believe that she paid her own way to Toronto for something she really wanted to support, which is very endearing. Her real-life niece plays her niece in the film - someone asked if it was her daughter! She said, sarcastically, 'one of my five daughters!'

I was hoping to say hello personally but the cast was hustled out by a side exit by the front as soon as the questions were done. Oh well, maybe next year. I'll let you know. Thanks.