Rude is a 1995 Canadian crime film directed by Clement Virgo in his feature-length directorial debut. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, before having its Canadian premiere at the 1995 Toronto International Film Festival as the opening film of the Perspectives Canada program.Jane Stevenson, "A Rude awakening". Hamilton Spectator, 27 July 1995.
Plot
Set in Toronto, Ontario, the film tells three distinct but interrelated stories about Black Canadian life in the impoverished Regent Park neighbourhood of the city.Peter Birnie, "Clement Virgo colors the way we look at race, ethnicity and film-making". Vancouver Sun, 12 September 1995. One focuses on "The General" (Maurice Dean Wint), a drug dealer trying to rebuild his life with the help of his brother Reece (Clark Johnson) after being released from prison; one centres on Jordan (Richard Chevolleau), an amateur boxer who is convinced to take part in a gay-bashing which forces him to finally confront his own repressed homosexuality; the third centres on Maxine (Rachael Crawford), a woman who has recently been dumped by her longtime boyfriend after having an abortion.Judy Gerstel, "Rude's powerful black voice rivets attention". Toronto Star, 29 September 1995. All three stories are tied together by the voice of Rude (Sharon Lewis), a disc jockey for a pirate radio station in the neighbourhood.Rick Groen, "Film Review: Rude". The Globe and Mail, 29 September 1995.
Cast Maurice Dean Wint - General Rachael Crawford - Maxine Clark Johnson - Reece Richard Chevolleau - Jordan Sharon Lewis - Rude (as Sharon M. Lewis) Melanie Nicholls-King - Jessica Stephen Shellen - Yankee Gordon Michael Woolvett - Ricky Dayo Ade - Mike Dean Marshall - Joe Ashley Brown - Johnny Andy Marshall - Addict Junior Williams - Curtis
Production Rude is the first feature film created by the filmmaking duo Clement Virgo and Damon D'Oliveira after they met and conceived the concept of the film at a Canadian Film Centre residency in 1991. Produced by Conquering Lion Pictures with the assistance of the Canadian Film Centre,Rob Salem, "Young directors take their features about life in black communities to prestigious fest". Toronto Star, 28 April 1995. Rude was the first Canadian dramatic feature to be written, produced, and directed by an all-black team. It was hailed, along with Soul Survivor, as ushering in a new Black Canadian film aesthetic.
Awards At TIFF, the film received an honorable mention from the jury for the Best Canadian Film award."Film fest names winners". Edmonton Journal, 18 September 1995.
The film received eight Genie Award nominations at the 16th Genie Awards in 1996, for Best Picture, Best Director (Virgo), Best Supporting Actor (Johnson), Best Supporting Actress (Crawford), Best Screenplay (Virgo), Best Cinematography (Barry Stone), Best Editing (Susan Maggi) and Best Original Score (Aaron Davis and John Lang).
Restoration In 2017 the film was digitally restored by Technicolor, Toronto and Montreal, under the supervision of Virgo and producer Damon D'Oliveira. The restored version screened in the Cinematheque section of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.
References
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