Niyousha’s Pick: Lord of the Rings Marathon
If you’re not in the mood for expressing love with roses and candles and chocolate this week, you can spend the day expressing your love for The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) instead – though there is no reason this can’t involve chocolate too. The Concordia Student Union is hosting a LOTR marathon on Saturday – all three movies will be screened, and costumes are encouraged. Whether this is your first or tenth LOTR marathon, the event will be a magical alternative to the Valentine’s Day cliches. The full-day event is free and the only ring you need is the one to rule them all. The marathon also marks a monumental first: never before have all three extended editions been brought together on a big screen for the Montreal public. So pull out that dusty Gollum mask, and get ready to spend your day in Tolkien’s fantastical realm.
Rosie’s Pick: ShortStanding Festival of Short Performances
Take a night off from midterms and take in a world of performances – or five different worlds, each presented in thirty minutes or less. The second annual ShortStanding Festival of Short Performances takes place this week, featuring two separate evenings of programming, each with their own lineup of innovative works. In one night you can meet a man who thinks he’s a fish (You Were a Fish in a Former Life), experience the Klondike Gold Rush (The Passage), and engage in experimental improv (This Show Is Broken). The ShortStanding Festival is presented by the Freestanding Room, a creators’ collective, where artists with their own projects and companies come to collaborate and develop their work. From puppetry to low-fi film, this festival pushes the limits of performance. So step outside the bubble and into the Freestanding Room for an evening of adventure.
The ShortStanding Festival runs until February 15. Head to freestandingroom.com for the full schedule and ticket prices.
CSU’s Lord of the Rings Marathon is Saturday February 14. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and the screening begins at 11 a.m..