Todd Solondz with Palindromes April 7, 2005

Palindromes by Todd Solondz (2004, 100 min.). From the creator of Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, and Storytelling comes the most controversial American film of 2004. Palindromes traces the journey of 12-year-old Aviva, who wants desperately to be a mother. When she runs away from home, she encounters a range of bizarre (though generally kindly) characters, inevitably folding back to her suburban home. Palindromes is not so simple, though: the sympathetic protagonist is performed by many actors. She is in constant transformation of race, shape, size, accent, demeanour, and even age, which has a remarkable cumulative effect: an immensely humanitarian vision of "everygirl" at one level and, at another, raising questions of character, personality, identity, and performance. Adapted from Kay Armatage, Toronto Film Festival. Screening followed by a discussion with director Todd Solondz.
Tickets: MFA members, seniors, and students $8; general admission $10.