The Offering (1966 film)

{{short description|1966 Canadian drama film}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Offering

| image =

| caption = Film poster

| director = David Secter

| writer = Iain Ewing
Martin Lager
Gillian Lennox
Michael Ondaatje
David Secter
Jan Steen

| producer = Robert Fresco
John Labow
Gillian Lennox
Wayne Lum
Clarke Mackey
Michael Ondaatje
David Secter

| starring = Kee Faun
Ratch Wallace

| cinematography = Stan Lipinski

| editing = Tony Lower

| music = Paul Hoffert

| studio = Secter Films

| distributor = Columbia Pictures

| released = {{film date|1966|11|24}}

| runtime = 80 minutes

| country = Canada

| language = English

| budget =

}}

The Offering is a Canadian romantic drama film, directed by David Secter and released in 1966.David Secter, "Director's postscript on The Offering". The Globe and Mail, November 26, 1966. One of the first Canadian films ever to depict an interracial relationship, the film portrays a romance between Mei-Lin (Kee Faun), a dancer with a touring Peking opera company, and Gordon (Ratch Wallace), a stagehand at the theatre in Toronto where the troupe is performing.Martin Knelman, "He shoots The Offering in July". The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1966. Philip Givens, the real-life mayor of Toronto at the time the film was made, appears in the film as himself;"The Mayor? As a film star?" The Globe and Mail, July 11, 1966. the cast also includes Ellen Yamasaki and Marvin Goldhar.

The film was shot in part at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre.

The film was more poorly received than Secter's 1965 film Winter Kept Us Warm,Joan Fox, "Secter's latest offering contrived". The Globe and Mail, November 25, 1966. and because Secter had largely worked with non-union crew, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees intervened to prevent the film from being screened theatrically anywhere outside of Toronto."Stagehands' union tells Secter 'you talk too much'". The Globe and Mail, December 1, 1966.

Soon after the film's release, Secter abandoned most of his new projects and moved to New York City, where he joined a bohemian artists' commune and worked as a theatre director, and did not direct another film until the low-budget sex comedy Getting Together in 1976.