Films

Film Room at the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair
May 16, 2009 at the CEDA
Room 202, 2515 Delisle, métro Lionel-Groulx

10:30am-11am

From Beirut to those...who love us (Beirut DC, arabic with fr/en subtitles, 2006, 5m00)
This video letter was made on July 21, 2006 at the studios of Beirut DC, a film and cinema collective which runs the yearly Ayam Beirut Al Cinema'iya Film Festival.

Transitions (a-films, arabic with french subtitles, 2008, 17m00)
More than a year after their homes were destroyed, the majority of the refugees from nahr al-bared in north lebanon find themselves in a difficult situation. This short film, produced in october 2008, documents the experiences and thoughts of several young residents of nahr al-bared camp, as they talk about current developments in the camp and about their personal situation.


11am-12pm

Une résistance oubliée (1954-1957), des libertaires dans la guerre d’Algérie (Daniel Goude et Guillaume Lenormant, fr, 2001, 32 minutes)
The story of the Fédération communiste libertaire (FCL) and the Mouvement libertaire nord-africain (MLNA), groups that formed in 1954 in support of the Algerian resistance. Police repression finished both organizations in 1957. The film includes the voices of six participants in this largely-unknown element of the Algerian war.


12pm-1pm

Tierra, Libertad, y Capitalismo (Josh Hirshberg, en/sp with en subtitles, 2009, 9m50)
A documentary on squatted neighborhoods on the Mexican side of the US/Mexico border.

Shelter: A Squatumentary (Hannah Dobbz, en, 2008, 45m00)
*Shelter: A Squatumentary* explores the squatting movement in San Francisco's East Bay between 2004 and 2007. Documenting the victories and failures of three different squatted homes, *Shelter* points to squatting as a growing trend in desperate economic times.


1pm-2pm

Voix d'une église occupée (a-films, german with french subtitles, 2009, 30m00)
On Friday, December 19, 2008, around 150 sans-papiers and solidarity activists squatted the "prediger" church in Zurich, Switzerland. They are fighting for a right to stay for all and a life in independence and dignity. This three-part film follows the squatters' situation and problems through the next month of their struggle.

Un statut pour Kader (Santiago Bertolino, fr, 2007, 19m35)
Abdelkader Belaouni est still in sanctuary in St. Gabriel's Church in Pointe St-Charles. Kader had to take refuge in the church on January 1st, 2006, to avoid deportation. This 19-minute film portrays Abdelkader Belaouni's perserverance and extraordinary character.


2pm-3pm

Homeless Nation compilation (Homeless Nation, bil, 2008-2009, 30m00)
A compilation of short films from Homeless Nation, a non-profit group where Canada's homeless community can share their stories and refuse to be ignored. A place to have these stories told as an on-going dialogue for social awareness and positive change.

Montreal Independent Media Centre films (IMC, bil/fr, 2008-2009, 30m00)
A series of short films from Montreal IMC including three short films on the March against Police Brutality on March 15th, 2009 and a short film on the Stella's Red Umbrella March.


3pm-4pm

The Angry Brigade (Gordon Carr, en, 2008, 60m00)
This documentary, produced by Gordon Carr for the BBC (and first shown in January 1973, shortly after the trial), covers the roots of the Angry Brigade in the revolutionary ferment of the 1960s, and follows their campaign and the police investigation to its culmination in the Stoke Newington 8 conspiracy trial at the Old Bailey the longest criminal trial in British legal history.


4pm-5pm

Compilation Funambules Médias (Funambules Médias, fr, 2008-2009, 60m00)
A selection of "Actualité citoyenne'' videos produced by the Funambules Médias co-operative, a co-op that produces, directs and distributes socially-concious videos.

Le lancer du soulier ou la mémoire d'une ''bushrie'' (Santiago Bertolino, 3m00)
This short film is an impressionistic re-telling of the ''throw your shoes at the occupation!'' action. The film integrates archival images from the Iraq war, reminding us of the roots of the anger that inspired the now-famous Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi.

CAZZAROLA! (Steve Patry, 10m00)
At the 3rd annual Anarchist Theatre Festival, the author and actor Norman Nawrocki presented excerpts of his unfinished novel ''Cazzarola!'' Including images from the performance, the film paints a picture of the artist as he discusses his future novel. ''Cazzarola,'' due out in 2009, focuses on resistance to fascism, from Mussolini's Italy up to today's neo-fascism, including, among others, Berlusconi's coming to power.

From an Indigenous Feminist Perspective (Marie-Noël Arseneau, 8m00)
A talk given by Jessica Yee, a feminist Mohawk from Akwesasne, from the first pan-Canadian Feminist gathering Toujours ReBELLEs! in October, 2008. Jessica gives a résumé of what indigenous women faced on Turtle Island since colonization, through the spirit of the Grandmother.

Journal de Montréal lock-out (Santiago Bertolino, 10m00)
253 workers at the Journal de Montréal were locked on January 24th, 2009. A couple days later, instinctely drawn to social conflict, Santiago Bertolino took his camera to the picket lines to document the struggle. This video-diary documents the fight, while at the same time focusing on the fundamental elements of the conflict. With media convergence and modern information technology, will the industry respect worker's rights?

Une marche aux allures de révolution (Steve Patry & Santiago Bertolino, 6m23)
Last November 25th, there was a march to mark the opening of the 5th African Social Forum. According to the newspaper ''La Flamme d'Afrique,'' 10,000 to 15,000 people from across the continent attended the demonstration. People of all ages came out in droves to chant anti-imperialist slogans, and spirits were high. A feeling of revolution was in the air.

Le projet de loi C-484, une menace à l'avortement (Marie-Noël Arseneau, 12m00)
This short film focuses on bill C-484, which was proposed at the House of Commons. This bill proposes to give legal status to fetuses, endangering the right to abortion.

Une fête des récoltes à Pointe St-Charles (Santiago Bertolino, 7m56)
On September 15th, 2007, L'action concertée en securité alimentaire (ACSA) in Pointe St-Charles organized a harvest festival. Through interviews, this short film gives a glimpse at collective gardening, something which ACSA has been coordonating for almost seven years in this working-class neighbourhood on Montreal.


5pm-5:45pm

I'm You, You're Me - Women Surviving Prison, Living With AIDS (Catherine Gund & Deborah Levine, en, 1993, 26m00)
Women in New York State's Bedford Hills maximum security prison for women come together in a support education group run by inmates. Issues include AIDS, childcare, legal issues, and support for leaving prison.

Negotiating Sex in an Age of Panic (James Wentzy, en, 1997, 12m00)
This short experimental video from 1997 focuses on testimonies from gay-identified men, as they discuss their experiences about negotiating sex in the age of HIV and AIDS.