A two-day screening of Canadian films, hosted by the Canadian Studies Department
This upcoming weekend, the Canadian Studies Department will be hosting The Body: Resistance and Reclamation, a two-day screening of Canadian films. The event is being organized by Dr. Sharifa Patel, the W.P. Bell Postdoctoral Fellow in the Canadian Studies Department, whose research focuses on news media and the interconnections of settler colonialism, Canadian immigration policies, and Muslim masculinities in Canada. She is also one of the co-managing editors of the journal Feral Feminisms. Dr. Patel’s recent published work includes an article in Citizenship Studies entitled “Citizenship and non-Monogamy in Canada: The Case of the Shafia Family Murders.” She is teaching several introductory-level courses this year and is a fantastic addition to the Canadian Studies Department, providing a unique perspective and fostering new opportunities for students.
There are three films being showcased at The Body: Resistance and Reclamation film festival, including Quickening, Peace by Chocolate, and Run Woman Run. Quickening, playing on Friday, October 21 at 7 pm, was an official selection at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and is the debut feature for Pakistani Canadian writer-director Haya Waseem. Waseem will be providing commentary on the film to viewers, attending the festival virtually. Her film focuses on the coming-of-age story of a young Pakistani-born woman in Canada, navigating the expectations and societal pressures faced by immigrant women in North America.
The next film showing will be Peace By Chocolate on Saturday, October 22 at 2 pm, with commentary from co-writer Abdul Malik. Peace By Chocolate tells the true story of the Hadhad family, forced to flee the Syrian Civil War after the destruction of their chocolate factory in Damascus, before relocating to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, where they established their artisanal chocolate company, Peace By Chocolate. Coincidentally, the company’s CEO and founder Tareq Hadhad will be speaking to the Mount Allison community as part of the President’s Speaker Series on October 19 at 7 pm in the Crabtree Auditorium.
Finally, the last film is Run Woman Run, playing on Saturday, October 22 at 4 pm with commentary from producer PJ Thornton and actor Asivak Koostachin.. This film is about Beck, an Indigenous single mom who learns how to reclaim her dreams and family, and honour her life, thanks to the spirit of Indigenous marathon runner Tom Longboat.
All three films will be played in the Wu, located in the Sir James Dunn Building, Room 113. Snacks will be provided!
