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Short Series: Identity and Belonging

  • Guelph Civic Museum 52 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON, N1H 4H8 Canada (map)

CAN | UK
86 min

TICKETS

Short, sweet, and thought provoking, this series of short docs explores questions of who we are, how we engage with our worlds, and where/when/how we feel like we belong.


Black Sheep
Ed Perkins | UK
27 min

Everything changed for Cornelius Walker when, at the age of 10, his family moved out of London after the brutal killing of a young local boy from Nigeria.  It was an incident that shook the nation and his parents like who, fearing for their own son’s life, decided it would be best to relocate - only to find themselves in a small town ran by a white racist gang. But rather than fight back, Cornelius decided to become more like the people who hate him. Black Sheep blurs the lines between documentary and fiction to ask difficult questions about Cornelius’ choices and the cost of fitting in. 


Suzanne Gauthier: One Thing Leads to Another
Ariella Pahlke | CANADA
16 min

One thing Leads to Another SG with self-portrait.png

Filmmaker Ariella Pahlke weaves the life and work of Suzanne Gauthier into a poetic narrative that mirrors the artist’s own process, capturing the flux in her work and how it’s interrelated with her environment. Intricately blending autobiography, landscape and culture, Gauthier navigates the marvellous and the ordinary, often infusing both with humour. Eclectic in the use of materials and references, Gauthier’s work is sensuous in texture and offers compositions that seem to have no end or beginning. This film is a glimpse into the curiosity, joy, and extraordinary perseverance that underscores the creative impulse of an artist. 


Salaam B’y
Amar Wala | CANADA
20 min

Aatif Baskanderi grew up in a place where not many people looked like him or believed in the same things that he did. As a Muslim child of Pakistani immigrants, Newfoundland became home. His experiences growing up on “the rock” was like something out of a storybook. On this cold, isolated island in the Atlantic Ocean, Aatif learned sincerity and appreciation for others that would set him up for remarkable success in life.

While things are going well for Aatif, the same cannot be said for his home province, which is facing tumultuous economic times. In hopes of inspiring a new generation of Newfoundlanders to live their dreams, Aatif returns to Newfoundland to share his story of pluralism and tolerance. 

At a time of increasing racial and religious friction across the west, Aatif’s story is a reminder of what can happen when a community welcomes newcomers with open arms.


Beauty
Christina Willings | CANADA
23 min

In a world of fixed positions and prescribed roles, expanding the definition of gender requires the courage to dive deep into understanding and acceptance. Christina Willings’ documentary Beauty explores the lives of five gender-creative kids, each uniquely engaged in shaping their ideas of what it means to be fully human. Claiming your own sense of gender when everything around you insists that you comply and conform can be challenging, and sometimes scary. Playful, goofy, loving and brave—each of these remarkable kids has found their own way to break free and show the world what it really means to be your true self. Or, as Bex says: “It’s fine to be who you are.”


Time: 2:30pm

Venue: Guelph Civic Museum 
Tickets: $12/PWYC
Event: Post-screening discussion with producer Louise Waters and subject/artist Suzanne Gauthier.

Earlier Event: November 3
Pick of the Litter
Later Event: November 3
What is Democracy?