Articles by Mark Barber

Festival Coverage

Blood in the Snow 2015: ‘The Dark Stranger’

By: Mark Barber Chris Trebilcock’s The Dark Stranger understands that the power of horror is derived in part not from its tonal seriousness but from its ability to confront the issues in ways that are creatively charged.  Taking on the issue of depression, The Dark Stranger might take some flak for what at times feels like a facile exploration of depression.  However, Trebilcock deserves praise for creatively literalizing the demons we face as a means…

Festival Coverage

TIFF 2015: ‘Dégradé’

Trapped in a hair salon while chaos ensues outside, the characters of Arab and Tarzan Nasser’s tensely-written Dégradé are confronted by the worsening socio-economic conditions of Palestine: frequent brownouts, lack of security, armed conflict, and ideological extremism.  The Nasser twins use their diverse range of female characters – all differing in terms of devoutness, personality, and in some cases cultural background – to weave together a flowing, stimulating dialogue on the political and social climate…