CANADIAN CHANGE MAKERS: Coast To Coast Shorts

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The Canadian Change Makers program showcases “change makers” who are driven by the genuine goal of making the world a better place in some way.

Click here for more of the Change Makers Program.

See our film guide here!

 

VIEWING REGION: Canada & USA, FREE ADMISSION

Monday, SEPT 26, 11:45am | United Church Hall | 73 mins

See our film guide here!

The following shorts were curated to round out the Canadian Change Makers program and highlight diverse perspectives coast to coast. The individuals and communities woven through each of the films in the collection explores the relationships and connections we make with ourselves, with one another, and with the environments that make us all a part of the common thread of the whole — as witnessed through a filmmaker’s lens. 

 

See below for additional information on the shorts program.

CONCRETE CREATIONS

2022 | Canada — Nova Scotia | 11 mins

Director: Madeline Toal

This short documentary film is a study of Ivan Higgins, a skilled concrete sculptor who has created a sprawling artistic garden in Liverpool, Nova Scotia

PERIPHERY

2021 | Canada — Ontario | 27 mins

Director: Sara Yacobi-Harris

Periphery is an evocative short documentary that explores ethnic diversity in the Jewish community in Canada through dance, poetry, and personal narratives. Following 10 Jews of Black/African, Korean, Iraqi, Indian, and South American ancestry, the film challenges perceptions of who is a Jew, exploring ideas of representation, intersectionality, race, and sexuality. Periphery invites us to appreciate the richness of Jewish identity and cultural expression while also illustrating what it feels like to grapple with a sense of belonging and to seek recognition within one’s own ethnic community.

VIOLET GAVE WILLINGLY

2022 | Canada — British Columbia | 22 mins

Director: Claire Sanford

Violet Gave Willingly immerses us in the colourful world of textile artist Deborah Dumka, inviting viewers to witness the unflinchingly intimate details of her artistic process and inner life. Nestled in a cluttered studio by the sea, we witness an artist at work on a project that delves into a past unspoken. An intimate study of the nature of memory and how it can both harm and protect, the film lays bare the continuum and legacy of gender-based discrimination, sexism, and sexual violence. More than a portrait, the film is a conversation. As mother and daughter struggle to give voice to their experiences, power radiates from speaking uncomfortable truths.

GRANDMOTHERS

2021 | Canada — Prince Edward Island | 14 mins

Director: Millefiore Clarkes

Grandmothers is a lyrical, short documentary that lends deep listening to, and seeks universal wisdom from, three formidable older women from diverse communities. Grandmothers explores the worlds of three women who have reached a formidable age. It gently seeks universal wisdom through their specific tales of hardship and humour. In response to these stories, three young artists (a dancer, a musician and an animator) weave their work throughout the film. Grandmothers demonstrates the richness that can be derived from intergenerational relationships and subtly attempts to address the lack of intergenerational spaces in popular North American culture.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.