Rating: G

Canadian documentary film icon Ron Mann (DREAM TOWER, GRASS, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS) uses his trademark mix of vérité style intercut with animation and archival film to follow literary superstar Margaret Atwood on her paradigm-shifting book tour for THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD. After decades as an author, Atwood decides to turn the sometimes stuffy and reverential tone of a book tour inside-out by creating a travelling theatrical spectacle in hopes that her literary prophesy of an environmentally compromised world doesn’t become a reality.

To help bring the words off the page, Atwood collaborated with Orville Stoeber to compose a new style of devotional music infused with elements of gospel, jazz, folk and the country ballad—songs which help further turn traditional readings literally on their ear. Mix the excitement of a book tour with the power of theatre and advocacy and you have a film that captures an “old dog” with new tricks.

BDG