Boris Riabov

Vancouver offers lots of avant-garde concerts, dance and film. With no journalism left in our city one has to know either by being on email lists or by knowing the people involved. Boris, who is one of the pleasant people who work at Beau Photo, told me this last Wednesday morning, almost apologetically that he had short film that was going to be shown that evening at the Rio Theatre at 6:30. The show was called Run XN Gun.

When I arrived I found out the show was about to be sold out. It was full of people under 30. I am sure I was the oldest person there.

Boris’s film Bonanza Unit involved a most inefficient former sniper who failed in his job as a Vancouver hit-man. The film was “seriously” funny. The other short films where similar in having more of that serious humour. There was an abundance of four–letter words. The films looked as professional as they could possibly be. I felt lucky to have been invited.