My Winnipeg 2008

As the “docu-fantasia” unfolds, Guy Maddin (voiced by himself) awakens on a train, his gaze heavy with the weight of stagnation. The author-narrator’s inner monologue is a poignant reflection of his longing to break free from the monotony of life in Winnipeg, where he finds solace only in the art of filmmaking. Maddin’s desire for escape manifests as an insatiable curiosity: what if he could awaken from the sleepy haze that envelops him and leave behind the familiarity of his hometown? This existential crisis becomes the driving force behind the creation of the film, a cinematic odyssey through which Maddin hopes to exorcise his own sense of claustrophobia.

As he begins to narrate, Maddin paints a vivid portrait of Winnipeg, situating it at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers – a sacred site known as “the Forks”. He draws parallels between this Y-like junction and the mysteries of femininity, associating it with his own mother. This primordial connection imbues the city with an otherworldly essence, as if the very fabric of Winnipeg holds secrets waiting to be unearthed. Maddin regales us with another of the film’s many “facts” about this enigmatic city: the Canadian Pacific Railway once sponsored an annual treasure hunt that required citizens to scour the streets and neighbourhoods in search of hidden prizes. The catch? First prize was a one-way ticket out of town – yet, astonishingly, no winner could bring themselves to leave Winnipeg after growing so intimate with its rhythms.

Maddin proposes an alternative explanation for this phenomenon: sleepiness. He notes that Winnipeg holds the dubious distinction of being the sleepwalking capital of the world, boasting an alarming ten times the normal rate of somnambulism. As he wryly observes, everyone in Winnipeg carries around the keys to their former homes, a constant reminder that the city’s residents are forever poised on the threshold between wakefulness and slumber. By-laws dictate that sleepwalkers be allowed to re-enter their old abodes by the new tenants, a quirk that underscores the peculiar affinity between Winnipeggers and their beloved city.

In a bold experiment in self-discovery, Maddin (actor’s name) embarks on an immersive journey by renting his childhood home at 800 Ellice Avenue for a month. He assembles a cast of actors to portray his family members, including the enigmatic Ann Savage as his mother, and together they recreate scenes from his formative years, carefully omitting the figures of his father and himself. This surreal exercise in nostalgia is set against the backdrop of Maddin’s fascination with the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, a pivotal event with far-reaching international implications. As his “family” gathers to watch the fictional drama LedgeMan, where an oversensitive protagonist teeters on the brink of despair, his mother (played by Ann Savage) intervenes to coax him back from the ledge.

The film’s narrative is peppered with Maddin’s personal anecdotes and family legends, including a mysterious incident involving Janet Maddin, who strikes a deer on the highway but is accused of covering up a scandalous encounter. With characteristic wit, Maddin declares that everything in Winnipeg is a euphemism for something else, setting the tone for an exploration of the city’s rich cultural heritage.

Maddin delves into Winnipeg’s fascinating history of Spiritualism, recalling the visit of renowned author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1923. The film also takes viewers on a tour of iconic architectural landmarks, including the Eaton’s building and the Winnipeg Arena, both of which meet their demise (in the latter’s case, Maddin becomes the last person to answer nature’s call in its washroom before it’s destroyed). In a whimsical interlude, he envisions the arena’s salvation by the “Black Tuesdays”, a team of hockey heroes from beyond the grave.

As the film progresses, Maddin re-enacts a family scene where his mother is harassed into cooking a meal, revealing the intricate web of relationships and dynamics that shaped his childhood. Through this unique blend of personal reminiscences, historical context, and imaginative flights of fancy, Maddin’s film becomes a poignant exploration of memory, identity, and the power of storytelling to shape our understanding of the world around us.

As the cinematic narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the film is haunted by the ghosts of a devastating racetrack fire that claimed the lives of numerous horses on the Red River. Each winter, these equine specters reappear, frozen in time like sculptures carved from the ice. The Winnipeg landscape itself becomes distorted and surreal, with landmarks such as the Golden Boy statue atop the provincial legislative building, the Paddle Wheel restaurant, the Hudson’s Bay department store, and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame all taking on an otherworldly quality. Even the Sherbrook Pool seems to warp and writhe like a living thing.

As if these eerie visions weren’t enough, the film also delves into the city’s rich history, recalling the infamous If Day, when Winnipeg was invaded by mock Nazi forces in order to promote war bonds during World War II. Meanwhile, a bizarre and fantastical sequence involving a stampede of buffalo, triggered by the mating rituals of two gay bison, serves as a reminder that even the most unexpected events can shape our understanding of reality.

For Guy Maddin, however, these surreal occurrences serve only as a backdrop for his own existential crisis. As he grapples with the notion that he may never truly leave Winnipeg behind, he becomes fixated on creating a pin-up girl for the 1919 strike’s newsletter The Citizen. This exercise in imagination allows him to finally break free from the shackles of his hometown and confront the guilt that has been weighing him down.

In the film’s climax, Maddin’s brother Cameron is brought back to life through a family re-enactment, a poignant reminder of the fragility of human existence. In a chillingly rational conversation with their “Mother,” Cameron calmly explains the circumstances surrounding his own tragic passing, leaving Maddin to confront the dark secrets that have haunted him for so long.