This past week UTP participated in several events with TIFF to promote a new title in our Canadian Cinema Series, which is published in collaboration with TIFF, Allan King’s A Married Couple by Zoë Druick.
The festivities started on Wednesday, September 8th with a book launch in conjunction with This is Not A Reading Series at the Gladstone Hotel. With approximately forty people in attendance, including Druick’s parents, this event featured Druick in conversation with Marc Glassman from TINARS. Steve Gravestock from TIFF introduced the evening, welcoming special guests Colleen Murphy, Allan’s partner, and Allan’s son August Murphy King. Druick and Glassman discussed the genre in A Married Couple; its roots in both documentary and its relation to Douglas Sirk’s melodramas from the 1950s. Druick discussed her long relationship with the film and the personal connections that made her choose this film to write about. After a long discussion about Allan King and the film, including several clips, the floor was opened for audience questions. An invigorating discussion about feminism, family, sexuality, and politics ensued.
TIFF and UTP continued to celebrate this Canadian documentary and its corresponding book with a special screening of A Married Couple Friday, September 10th, as part of the TIFF official schedule. Screening to an almost full house, once again Steve Gravestock introduced the event, describing Druick’s book as “well-written and insightful,” and mentioning that it is available for sale at the newly opened Bell Lightbox for the low price of $16.95. The enthusiastic crowd was receptive to the film. As Billy, Antoinette, and their son Bogart navigate the sometimes difficult journey through marriage, the often playful, yet serious film observes and records a real relationship. Colleen Murphy stated in her brief introduction to the film; King made films to live in the present tense, and the audience seemed to agree. Following the screening was a lively Q&A session with Druick, Colleen Murphy, August Murphy King, and Amanda Gordon; questions about the personal lives of Billy and Antoinette, and Allan King were the crowd favourites. August, who has admitted at the launch as to not having seen his father’s film yet, when asked after the screening, said that he enjoyed it thoroughly and thought it was funny.
University of Toronto Press is very pleased to have been able to participate with TIFF for these events in the launching of Zoë Druick’s new book. With the release of Druick’s book, as well as the new Criterion Collection of Allan King’s film, a new generation of film-goers are becoming aware of Allan’s work, and based on the audience’s reaction, enjoying Allan’s contribution to Canadian cinema.
