Seductio
{{Infobox film
| name = Seductio
| image =
| caption =
| director = Bashar Shbib
| producer = Bashar Shbib
| writer = Bashar Shbib
| starring = {{ubl|Attila Bertalan|Kathy Horner}}
| music = {{ubl|Betty Doroschuk|Erika Hagenlocher|Michel Oicle}}
| cinematography = Michel Lamothe
| editing = {{ubl|Florence Moureaux|Bashar Shbib|Amy Webb|David Wellington}}
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|1987|08|29|MWFF}}
| runtime = 87 min
| country = Canada
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Seductio is a 1987 Canadian film written, produced, and directed by Bashar Shbib.Gerald Pratley, A Century of Canadian Cinema. Lynx Images, 2003. {{ISBN|1-894073-21-5}}. p. 193. The film stars Attila Bertalan and Kathy Horner as Mikael and Melanie, a couple who are lost in the woods when their vehicle breaks down while travelling;{{cite magazine|lang=fr |author=Thierry Hoguelin |title=Chroniques dos à dos |magazine=24 images |date=1991 |page=36}} Melanie is consumed by a fear of being attacked by bears, while Mikael tries to stoke her fears as a psychological game.Jay Scott, "A Kid Brother who's special". The Globe and Mail, August 31, 1987.
Distribution
The film premiered in the Panorama Canada stream at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 29, 1987.{{cite news|language=fr |author=Éric Fourlanty |title=Vue panoramiques |newspaper=Voir|date=August 24, 1987}} It later faced some controversy when the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma initially refused to screen the film in its original form at its 1988 festival;{{cite magazine|lang=fr |author=Hélène De Billy |title=Chbib, le cinéaste du nouvel âge |magazine=L'Actualité |date=August 1991 |page=111}} Chbib attempted to blockade the venue in protest.Bill Brownstein, "Montrealer Shbib shoots on shoestring". Montreal Gazette, August 27, 1991. When the film screened at the 1987 Toronto International Film Festival, Chbib also stripped in public to protest the lack of funding available to independent filmmakers.Ina Warren, "Reality hits fantasy film-maker; Frustrated by funding Chbib heads to Hollywood". Montreal Gazette, February 21, 1989.
Critical response
The film was poorly received by critics. Jay Scott of The Globe and Mail opined that the film had been programmed by TIFF solely "to remind viewers how bad Canadian movies once were", and concluded that "you can escape the theatre, but you can't collect on the debt Seductio owes you for wasted time". John Harkness of Now wrote that publicist Daphna Kastner deserved an award for having to promote the film, and felt personally compelled to ask festival programmer Kay Armatage why the festival even programmed Chbib's films at all.John Harkness, "Cinematic slim pickings dim 1987 festival fervour". Now, September 24, 1987.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=tt0242865|title=Seductio}}
{{Bashar Shbib}}
Category:English-language Canadian films
Category:1987 comedy-drama films
Category:Films directed by Bashar Shbib
Category:Canadian comedy-drama films