Krista LIEBE
Special to the Tribune
The Williams Lake Film Club will present its last film of the season this Thursday, April 19. We changed the date to Thursday so we will not interfere with the Naturalists’ fundraising banquet. This coming film is the last film of our Canadiana series and deals with the last subject left — sex. The film will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Sex After Kids is a totally fun film. It was filmed in and around Toronto and released in 2013. It runs for 106 minutes and is rated 14A, I just found out, after much research. This should take away some of your qualms. Director/writer Jeremy LaLonde led his all-star Canadian cast on a wonderful romp through the minefield that is Sex After Kids after becoming a parent himself, asking the question: Is it possible to have children and a sex life, and is it even worth it?
Life goes on after having kids, marriages go on, single motherhood does, even romantic relationships do. Sex After Kids follows new parents navigating the messy world of romance after starting a family, whether it’s parents with a newborn baby trying to find intimacy amidst the diaper changes, single parents trying to find love after divorce, or recent “empty nesters” seeking ways to rekindle their passion. This film is a witty examination that almost everyone can relate to. Definitely everyone who has had kids. And it is also great for people planning to have one or two or three of these wonderful creatures just to find out what awaits them.
We showed this film several years ago and afterwards we were immediately begged to show it again. It is so funny, even hilarious, so full of insights, so sharp and witty, and it is so utterly Canadian. It is unafraid to push the envelope when it comes to story line, character development, social issues, and yes – sexuality. But it does so without ever losing the underlying issues of sex, like frustration, confusion, awkwardness, anger, tenderness, panic, angst – and love.
Sex After Kids was shot in only 15 days, spread over three months, on nights and weekends, which means it is very much a low-budget film. LaLonde was open to suggestions by his crew, many of whom have kids, which made for a film that is as rich in dialogue and emotion, as it is in visuals.
I have learned that many Canadians are a bit squeamish talking about sex, feeling that it is not quite decent, but really, sex is a big part of our lives. Sex After Kids is a totally refreshing, utterly funny, even polite way of looking at the angst that is very much a part of sex. An angst that is a direct result of their love for each other and a desire for connection.
We will finish our season with a Big Bang, the 3rd Annual Cariboo Chilcotin Film Fest, which had to be expanded to two days this year as we received so many submissions. It will take place on Thursday, May 3rd, and Friday, May 4th. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, April 19th, when we screen Sex After Kids. After that, they will be available at Open Book and Kit and Kaboodle, at $10 (Thursday) and $15 (Friday) each. For further information please follow us on Facebook or call me at 250-398-9149.