Thursday November 8, 2012 @ 8:30pm
From British Columbia to the Caribbean, three films explore the importance of telling our story in building our own identity. These stories give strength, like that of Massiel, who decides to stay in her homeland of Cuba, even when all other family members have left; reveal a proud history, as that of Chinese-Jamaicans, as recalled by filmmaker Jeanette Kong; and inspire, as does Banchi Hanuse on a personal journey to determine her place in preserving the oral traditions of the Nuxalk people of Canada.
Distancias
Distancias offers a glimpse at migration from the standpoint of three individuals who, either as a conscious decision or because of uncontrollable circumstances, didn’t migrate with their loved ones. Left in Cuba, they strive to keep family ties and memories, coping with feelings of displacement and missed opportunities while hoping for a better future.
Bio: Mariona Guiu is a Melbourne based screenwriter and director. She co-directed the short documentary Mejor con canciones and directed the documentary series Revelados for The Biography Channel. Lina Badenes’ documentary work has taken her to Holland, Italy, Uruguay, Argentina and Cuba. She is the founder of Turanga Films in Spain, where she works in fiction production and documentary direction.
The Chiney Shop
Between the 1930s and the 1970s, the ever-present convenience stores in Jamaica were owned by Chinese families. These shops played an important role in bridging the gap between Chinese and Jamaican cultures. Over time, locals and newcomers formed complex relationships made of acceptance, mistrust, differences, similarities, affection, integration and solidarity.
Bio: Jeanette Kong was born to Hakka Chinese parents in Jamaica who immigrated to Canada in 1974. She recently made the transition from public television to be an independent filmmaker. In attendance
Cry Rock
With no more than fifteen speakers of the Nuxalk language left, director Banchi Hanuse embarks on a personal journey to find the true meaning of cultural values and traditions through memories and oral storytelling. Can technology help keep a language and its culture from disappearing?
Bio: Banchi Hanuse began in the film industry as a camera assistant. Cry Rock is her directorial debut, and has received awards from the Yorkton Film Festival and the Dawson City International Short Film Festival. In attendance
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