Episode 339: Carl Bessai and Vincent Gale

Filmmaker Carl Bessai and actor Vincent Gale are legends of the Vancouver screen scene. These two legends have worked together before – Vincent was nominated for a Leo Award for his work in Carl’s iconic comedy-drama Fathers & Sons – and their latest collaboration, Field Sketches, screens at VIFF Centre on April 12 and 14 as part of National Canadian Film Week.Carl mined his own life and family history for Field Sketches. Vincent stars as Peter, a middle-aged architect whose business and personal life are imploding. With nothing left to hold him in the city, Peter decides to move to his family farm and spend the winter in Saskatchewan. He soon discovers that pioneer life is much more than he bargained for.  And the silence and loneliness play tricks on his imagination. Field Sketches takes its characters and audiences from a gorgeous mid-century modern home in Vancouver, to Peter’s rustic family farm in Saskatchewan (played by Carl’s family farm), and into the past, to East Germany (played by Berlin). The result is a singular piece of art that is rich with surprises, fleeting and impactful beauty, and insight into what it means to age as an artist, an immigrant, and the descendent of immigrants. In this fascinating conversation, Carl and Vincent reflect on their journey with Field Sketches, and how their own experiences with art align with Peter’s journey.Episode sponsor: Directors Guild Of Canada, BC District Council