The Falls (1991 film)

The Falls
Directed byKevin McMahon
Written byKevin McMahon
Produced byMichael McMahon
Brian Dennis
Narrated byRita McMahon
CinematographyDouglas Koch
Edited byMichael McMahon
Music byKurt Swinghammer
Production
companies
Channel Four Films
Primitive Features
Release date
  • September 1991 (1991-09) (TIFF)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Falls is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Kevin McMahon and released in 1991.[1] The film is an exploration of the cultural significance held by Niagara Falls in the collective imagination.[2]

According to McMahon, "It would have been very easy to do something trite and cheap and ironic — you know, making fun of Niagara Falls as a tourist trap. But I was interested in exploring the mythic side of it."[3] Instead, he tried to make a film which encompassed all aspects of the Niagara Falls area, including poetic meditation on the power and force of the falls themselves, an acknowledgement of the tacky aspects of the Clifton Hill tourist district, and an exploration of the environmental consequences of pollution and hydroelectric development in the area, including the controversy around Love Canal.[4]

The film was screened for distributors at the Cannes Film Market in May 1991,[5] and had its public premiere at the 1991 Festival of Festivals,[6] before having a limited commercial release in October.[3]

  1. ^ "The Falls". Canadian Film Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ Elizabeth Aird, "Extraordinary, absurd The Falls dubbed a must-see". Vancouver Sun, October 15, 1991.
  3. ^ a b Mark Bastien, "The Falls: Film shows beauty and beast". Ottawa Citizen, October 26, 1991.
  4. ^ Craig MacInnis, "The Falls: A grand tragi-comedy film". Toronto Star, September 4, 1991.
  5. ^ Craig MacInnis, "The Canucks in Cannes". Toronto Star, May 12, 1991.
  6. ^ Peter Goddard, "Rock flick Highway 61 sets pace of Canadian features race: The Toronto film festival's annual rite of self-discovery takes an unusualy perspective in otherwise familiar setting". Toronto Star, July 24, 1991.