by Amanda Tripp

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a big social scaredy-cat: I hate showing up a parties alone almost as much as I hate applying for jobs that I know I’m not really qualified for. But in a big busy city with so much to see and do and so little time to waste it seems rather obvious that succumbing to the fear of personal rejection would just mean missing out on a lot of great opportunities. So when I heard about an upcoming event taking place at Montreal’s Cinémathèque Québecoise (where, much to my shame, I’d never yet set foot) I knew I had to bite the bullet of a few potentially awkward conversations and too many cheese cubes, stand up tall like I belonged there, and take advantage of one of the city’s coolest, and most underrated, under-celebrated and ultimately, under-attended venues.

Not that places like this are really hiding, but in the hubbub of Montreal nightlife, quieter locations frequently (and tragically) get passed over unless we wind up there by happy accident. Montreal’s Cinémathèque Québecoise is a real gem, and despite all my claims of film study, I’d never even been. This is even more embarrassing because it’s right beside my own personal favorite untapped film space – the NFB headquarters at de Maisonneuve and St-Denis, where movie magic happens every day, and you can screen privately, in comfort, knowing that every second you’re getting the best of Canadian media for a reasonable price. Of course now, because the NFB truly loves us even though we’ve been terribly neglectful over the last few years, you can even do this at home: nfb.ca offers free streaming of almost all its collection, and you can even watch films on your iPhone. The Cinémathèque however, is really worth the visit in person. First of all, it’s just beautiful, all glassy and trendy, and it itself is a veritable treasure chest of other esoteric cultural events, secreted away in its back halls.

Case and point: Wednesday night the Cinémathèque concluded its retrospective of Jeon Soo-il’s cinematic oeuvre, brought to us by the good people of Cine-Asie (5$ for each only-chance-to-see-it-on-the-big-screen showing, beat that, Scotiabank). A huge success in his native Korea, Soo-il has yet to break into the North American scene: this retrospective, excitingly starting in Montreal, and subsequently making its way through Toronto, Vancouver, New York and eventually Los Angeles, is the beginning of what promises to be a big North American breakout for Jeon. Boasting a repertoire of really varied stylistic achievements, Soo-il’s films promise to bring Korean culture to a new forefront in the North American artistic spectrum – too frequently overlooked based on generalizations of a tradition of conservative or didactic media. Jeon’s films range from meditative political critique, whimsical New Wave-style dreamscape, psychological travel, bringing out so many different faces of Korea as to disprove all sweeping preconceptions and writings off of a so-clearly diverse and internally-conflicted landscape and its massive potential in cinema.

After the complimentary wine and cheese portion of the evening (oh, did I mention there was food? And it didn’t cost me 18$ on top of my movie ticket, thanks) I’m on my way back out into the cold un-glamor of Maisonneuve on a Tuesday night when unexpected noises stop me in my tracks…Screaming? Or laughing? I make my way towards the sounds into the Cinémathèque’s cafe: it’s, get this, Tuesday night improv. And don’t pretend that wouldn’t move you: we were all raised on the same Whose Line is it Anyways and you couldn’t convince me you didn’t love it as much as I did. Nestled away behind the classy gathering in the lobby is a barrage of indecipherable noise and imagination – what can I say, it’s almost too McLuhan, even for a devotee. The Cinémathèque isn’t just a showcase opportunity: it literally houses the stuff great art is made of – people, fun, invention, cheap liquor, unexpected opportunity to step outside your comfort zone. And cheap pints on Saturdays for hockey games. And really good movies. What on earth was I afraid of? I have found my mecca. So buck up Montreal, and brave the initial fear of attending an event alone, of going where you don’t belong, of following strange noises, because there is always so much more to see.

Jeon Soo-il’s retrospective continues its North American tour in Toronto January 2-6. For further dates in other cities check out CineAsie at cineasie.ca, or become a fan on their Facebook page. The Cinémathèque Québecoise’s program is available on their website.