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such a thing as destiny', and 'what does it all mean?'" While research is done into the role of electricity in our brains, Baichwal wanted to find out the effect of electricity on the mind. She said that "Lightning is always cast in a scientific light , unless it's used as a joke. We wanted stories that embodied that tension between meaning and chance."
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Instead of using the "traditional scientific approach", Baichwal tackled the issue lightning strikes from a "philosophical point of view". She said "Our main challenge was figuring out how to make a film about something that's totally ephemeral. I love unanswerable questions; questions like 'Is there
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Auster, the "philosophical anchor of the film", relates how he saw his friend being struck by lightning a short distance from him at a summer camp. Auster, 14 years old at the time, survived the incident while his friend died. Auster said "It opened up a whole realm of speculation that I've continued
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which was based on his experience with lightning in South River, Ontario in 1979. In the film O'Reilly says "I can't accept that it happened for a reason, nor can I really accept that there is no reason. The only way to carry on is to be humble, and a little bit in awe of these things you can't
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is
Baichwal's ability to resist this urge to dictate what lightning, and ultimately chance, fate, and destiny mean in the bigger picture." Jancelewicz said that throughout the film Baichwal never imposes her views, and never comes to any conclusion, simply because "there is no conclusion to be
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said the film was "one hell of a thesis". She added that while "most of us live somewhere 'in the continuum of meaning and randomness'", the lives of those appearing in the film, "in one terrifying instant, swung to one extreme or the other".
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is a "random natural occurrence or a predestined event". The film contains seven stories in which
Baichwal interviews people about their personal experiences with lightning strikes. She speaks to American novelist and screenwriter
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took three years to make, which included several years of research and collecting stories from around the world of people "whose lives changed by lightning". De
Pencier was the film's
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in
Toronto on 30 April 2009. It went on general release in Canada on 1 May 2009, and limited release in the United States on 31 July 2009. The film's European premiere was at the 44th
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405:. It was during that film's development and her travels around the world to attend its screenings at film festivals that she started doing research and conducting interviews for
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really understand." Brinkley was also struck by lightning and described it as "dying for 28 minutes and going up to heaven and having a completely life-transforming experience."
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Many of
Baichwal's films are about artists and the creative process, but she has also explored philosophical and spiritual themes, for example in her award-winning documentary
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to live with ever since." Yet in spite of the deep effect this event had on him, Auster insists in the film that it was "nothing more than a random occurrence".
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in France, and a group of
Mexican mothers who accept the loss of their children to lightning at a religious festival as "God's will". She also investigates a
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said the footage taken by
Jennifer Baichwal's partner, Nick de Pencier is "nothing short of remarkable". "One of the amazing things about
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for Best Arts
Documentary. Baichwal is best known for her 2006 multiple award-winning documentary,
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described the film as an "enigmatic meditation on being struck by lightning". Jessica Werb at
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is a 2009 Canadian documentary film that investigates the "metaphysical" effects of being
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2009 Canadian documentary about lightning strikes directed by
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where she studied for her master's degree in philosophy and theology at
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Producer Nick de
Pencier and director Jennifer Baichwal introducing
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came to Baichwal before she started working on her previous film,
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860:"Jennifer Baichwal investigates lightning strikes in Act of God"
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Frith provides the music for his segment of the film, while the
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director Jennifer Baichwal questions whether being struck by
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looks at both the artistic and "metaphysical" side of life.
632:"44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: Act of God"
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was selected as the Opening Night Gala feature at the 2009
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The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia
758:"Jennifer Baichwal's Act of God: Accidental Enlightenment"
458:, the largest documentary film festival in North America.
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gave the film 4 'N's out of 5, and Nathan Southern at
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Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
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Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
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Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
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Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
355:in 1998, which won her Best Biography at the 1999
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593:"2009 Hot Docs Opening Night Gala"
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502:gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5.
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829:"Jennifer Baichwal: Weatherproof"
1116:English-language Canadian films
713:Noakes, Susan (28 April 2009).
343:Jennifer Baichwal was born in
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1040:Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
858:Werb, Jessica (30 May 2009).
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461:Chris Jancelewicz of
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865:The Georgia Straight
765:Canada Entertainment
756:Jancelewicz, Chris.
644:on 26 September 2009
605:on 19 September 2009
485:The Georgia Straight
466:Canada Entertainment
216:Royal Ontario Museum
145:1 May 2009
570:on 1 September 2009
411:Nicholas de Pencier
395:The idea of making
194:struck by lightning
90:Nicholas de Pencier
67:Nicholas de Pencier
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956:Films directed by
522:Southern, Nathan.
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431:Critical reception
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361:International Emmy
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958:Jennifer Baichwal
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427:and co-producer.
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226:on 11 July 2009.
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45:Jennifer Baichwal
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797:"Act of God"
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642:the original
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533:. Retrieved
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443:at the 44th
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264:storm chaser
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161:Running time
138:Release date
18:
415:Paul Auster
329:Dave Bidini
310:Chris Frith
258:and author
245:Paul Auster
117:Dave Bidini
82:Paul Auster
74:Issa Zaroui
71:Daniel Iron
61:Produced by
55:Paul Auster
41:Directed by
1091:Fred Frith
1071:2009 films
1065:Categories
1008:Act of God
916:Act of God
905:Act of God
673:Eye Weekly
506:References
470:Act of God
452:Act of God
441:Act of God
421:Act of God
407:Act of God
397:Act of God
386:Act of God
384:in India.
339:Background
314:brain scan
303:Fred Frith
301:guitarist
287:Act of God
236:Act of God
189:Act of God
165:76 minutes
149:2009-05-01
109:Fred Frith
51:Written by
24:Act of God
1086:Lightning
1024:Watermark
876:21 August
840:21 August
775:21 August
726:21 August
679:21 August
648:21 August
609:20 August
574:21 August
535:21 August
253:US Marine
240:lightning
95:Edited by
921:AllMovie
870:Archived
720:CBC News
529:Allmovie
500:Allmovie
479:CBC News
473:found".
345:Montreal
230:Overview
178:Language
105:Music by
79:Starring
1016:Payback
256:veteran
222:in the
214:at the
181:English
170:Country
147: (
1051:(2022)
1043:(2018)
1035:(2017)
1027:(2013)
1019:(2012)
1011:(2009)
1003:(2006)
995:(2002)
987:(2000)
979:(1998)
971:(1997)
276:Shango
272:Rwanda
268:Yoruba
251:, and
173:Canada
445:KVIFF
321:score
910:IMDb
878:2009
842:2009
777:2009
728:2009
681:2009
650:2009
611:2009
576:2009
537:2009
331:and
297:and
919:at
908:at
802:NOW
763:AOL
495:NOW
464:AOL
234:In
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
