Black History Month Film Series - On the Rise
Download to Calendar:
Time: 6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free - No registration required
Join us for a compilation of short films highlighting black Canadian pioneers in areas where they are chronically underrepresented.
These films are presented with the participation of the National Film Board of Canada.
This compilation includes:
Film Title |
Description |
Rita Shelton Deverell: Queen Bee |
Director Sara Elgamal’s "Queen Bee" brings the remarkable work of broadcaster, actor, and thinker Dr. Rita Shelton Deverell into focus. Cinematically shot and with striking use of archives, the film features a monologue from Deverell’s one woman play, Smoked Glass Ceiling, and offers an expansive vision for change. |
Ice Breakers |
Josh Crooks is a promising teen hockey star in a sport where Black players like him are chronically underrepresented. Sandamini Rankaduwa's "Ice Breakers" reveals the buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada, as Crooks discovers that his unshakable passion is tied to a rich and remarkable heritage. |
Oscar |
Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre paints a touching portrait of virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson. This animated documentary features Oscar Peterson at the twilight of an exceptional career, as he wistfully meditates on the price of fame and the impacts of the artist’s life on family life. |
MacPherson |
This animated film by Martine Chartrand ("Black Soul") recounts the friendship between a young Félix Leclerc and Frank Randolph Macpherson, a Jamaican chemical engineer and university graduate who worked for a pulp and paper company. An inveterate jazz fan, Macpherson inspired Leclerc, who wrote a song about the log drives and entitled it “MacPherson” in honour of his friend. |
The Colour of Beauty |
Elizabeth St. Philip's "The Colour of Beauty" is a shocking short documentary that examines racism in the fashion industry. Is a black model less attractive to designers, casting directors and consumers? What is the colour of beauty? |
Molly Movie |
Raised in the wings of the theatre, it is perhaps no surprise that Molly Johnson was destined to become one of Canada’s greatest voices. Directed by Molly’s brother—acclaimed actor and director Clark Johnson—Molly Movie is as much a tribute to Molly’s singer-songwriter career as it is a testament to the communities she supports and the philanthropic work that drives her. |
The Big Reset - Governance |
Criminologist and community activist Munira Abukar believes justice and equity begin in your own home and heart. Embracing the uncomfortable awakening that 2020 has brought about, she debunks the cozy narrative of social equality and puts her finger on the key issues needing change. |