Film Series: Carry Forward and Nearby | Free Admission

A series of documentary films curated by Lisa Myers to complement our current fall exhibition, Carry Forward.

 

This series presents documentary films curated by Lisa Myers that carry forward and reveal concealed Indigenous and Black histories. Each film has a sense of personal stakes for the artist/filmmaker, and resonates to current social justice contexts where living knowledge continues.

Film screenings are held on Sundays 15, 22 & 29 October from 2-4 pm at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery and include opportunity for group discussion following the film presentation.

15 October: What Price an Island? (1985), 28 minutes, Mike MacDonald

"What Price An Island? is about reclaiming territory: in this case, both figuratively and literally. The native land claim battle in British Columbia has Meares Island as its focal point. The tape begins with a circumnavigation of the island. This allows for the island itself to be made real for the audience and to seduce them with its rugged beauty. The implied distance between the viewer and the island reinforces its physical autonomy. It is clearly the 'object in question'. This image is later contrasted with that of native elders standing together, proud, like the trees McMillan-Bloedel threatens, at a rally where they speak eloquently and authentically about their claim to Meares." – Karen Knights, VideoGuide (1988)

22 October: We are from Nicodemus (2017), 42 minutes, Deanna Bowen

In this new documentary, Deanna Bowen continues research into the origins of her ancestry and family lines. These investigations take her to the historic site of Nicodemus, Kansas, to unite with a newly found cousin. Together they piece together their collective history adding to an understanding of Black history in North America. This screening will include a conversation with the artist. – Lisa Myers

29 October: Speakers for the Dead (2000), 49 minutes, Jennifer Holness and David Sutherland

This documentary reveals some of the hidden history of Blacks in Canada. In the 1930s in rural Ontario, a farmer buried the tombstones of a Black cemetery to make way for a potato patch. In the 1980s, descendants of the original settlers, Black and White, came together to restore the cemetery, but there were hidden truths no one wanted to discuss. Deep racial wounds were opened. Scenes of the cemetery excavation, interviews with residents and re-enactments—including one of a baseball game where a broken headstone is used for home plate—add to the film's emotional intensity. This screening will be followed by an open discussion with KWAG Senior Curator, Crystal Mowry.

When
October 15th, 2017 2:00 PM to October 29th, 2017 4:00 PM