The Flying Machine is a new family friendly movie starring Heather Graham that premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival last week. Part of their launch campaign was to invite bloggers to attend the premiere as well as a q&a with Heather. Sadly, because I live in Ottawa and back to school time is too crazy for me, I couldn't attend, but ShopMummy blogger Loukia did get to go, so here's a fab guest blog by Loukia about her TIFF experience.
I received an email from Erica a couple of weeks ago that got me really excited. She asked all the YMC bloggers if anyone wanted to attend the film screening of The Flying Machine at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with the chance to meet and interview Heather Graham afterwards.
Immediately, I emailed her back and said "YES! ME! I WILL GO!" and so, I went, I saw, and I interviewed Heather Graham.
And? It was just as amazing as I thought it would be. It was well worth my 10 hour drive to and from Toronto in one day.
The Flying Machine is a very artistic 3-D live action animated film that stars Heather Graham (yes, Roller Girl!) and famed pianist Lang Lang, playing the classical music of Chopin. Heather Graham plays Georgie in the movie, a busy, overworked mom who can't seem to put down her Blackberry, even during a piano concert she took her two children to.
Then, the music starts... Chopin takes us away and we're thrown into the animated story, about an 11-year old girl Anna, who lives with her father in Poland. His toy store is closed down, and she has to move in with her aunt and little cousin. She misses her father terribly, and one day, she decides to run away. She sits down on a pile of 'junk'. This junk happens to be an old piano, and her cousin manages to get on board before it takes off and becomes... The Flying Machine! They fly over Warsaw and she realizes she can find her father again. This was my favourite part of the movie, because the music is really moving and really does take you on a magical journey.
After the animated short, we're taken back to the concert as it's ending. The children are clapping and of course their mom is still on her Blackberry. Her children go up to meet Lang Lang and once Georgie realizes they're gone, she goes looking for them. The children have left on a ride on The Flying Machine. She goes after them, into this fantasy world, with Lang Lang, where she makes some important life discoveries, like what's truly important to her and why she works so hard - to provide her children everything she wasn't able to have when she was younger.
"Home is the big theme of our film," says Hugh Welchman, Producer of The Flying Machine. Heather agreed to do the movie because she "loved the story" and loved the animation. It also gave her an appreciation of classical music and because of the movie, she became a fan of Chopin - his music really does take you away.
After the movie, we attended a private press conference at the Hyatt - just a handful of bloggers and myself - and Heather Graham. She walks in, and we started asking her questions. We all got the chance to take a picture with her, too. She was very nice to everyone, and looked fantastic.
I think The Flying Machine was a very cool movie, especially if you (or your children) are interested in music. It's a great movie to watch to gain some appreciation for classical music.
Next year? I'm going to TIFF for more than one day - it was such an incredible experience, and one day was simply not enough!
I'm also giving away a DVD of The Flying Machine!
To enter leave a comment below telling me how you help your children appreciate music.
Yummy Rules and Regs: You must be a Yummy Mummy Club member to win. Click to sign up! It's free and filled with perks. One comment per member. Entries accepted until September 22, 2011. Contest open to Canadian residents. Winners will be picked using www.random.org.
"
Printer-friendly version