On June 26, 1977, a vehicle drove into a river outside the Atikamekw community of Manawan in northern Québec. Two Whites survive the accident, but five Atikamekw lose their lives. The police conclude it was an accident, but for the victims' families, many questions remain unanswered. Atikamekw Suns (Soleils Atikamekw) is freely inspired by the…
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Sweetland
Sweetland depicts something known as resettlement. From 1954 to 1975, some 300 isolated communities in Newfoundland were abandoned under government programs that paid people to move to larger population centers. The scarcely populated town of Sweetland is one such community in slow decline. Each islander can receive a generous resettlement package with the sole stipulation…
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Seagrass
Written and directed by Vancouver actress and filmmaker Meredith Hama-Brown and set on the B.C. coast, the director’s reflections on her racial identity build into a powerful drama about marriage, childhood, parenting and family dynamics. The parents and children of an interracial marriage struggle with personal and social pressures, leading to a climax which changes…
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Who’s Yer Father
Who’s Yer Father, a film set and shot entirely on Prince Edward Island, is a hilariously good time with a surprising amount of heart. “Who’s Yer Father”is a Maritime shorthand for a way to quickly figure out family and friend connections in close knit communities. It’s also the name of PEI’s only private investigation agency,…
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Days of Happiness
This emotionally complex drama, from Montreal-based writer-director Chloé Robichaud, follows a young orchestra conductor who’s becoming a major player on the Quebec classical music scene and now finds herself at a crossroads. Emma is a recognizable queer character and proof that there’s a middle ground between the specificities of gay life being ignored and a…
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Concrete Valley
Wednesday, October 11 4 PM and 7 PM Rashid (Hussam Douhna), a doctor from Aleppo, Syria has been struggling to adjust to his life in Canada. He tries to hold on to his old identity by working as an unlicensed doctor for his neighbours while his wife Farah (Amani Ibrahim) becomes involved in their local…
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Viking
Wednesday, April 19, 6 PM at Landmark Grand 10 Welcome to the desert of the real: In Viking (2022), a sprightly and ironic morsel of Canadian content, the five members of the “Viking Society” decamp to a Quonset hut in the steppes of Alberta to simulate an expedition to Mars happening simultaneously overhead. The purpose…
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The Swearing Jar
Wednesday, May 10 6 PM at Landmark Grand 10 Canadian rom-com success. When was the last time we saw these three words together? Critics agree that Carey’s dilemmas are compelling: having two true soul-mates at the same time, and carrying a lie that threatens her marriage’s happiness. Adopted from a play that triumphed at the…
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