Please join us in viewing a selection of short films centering on issues of workers' rights and solidarity. The films are made by labour and social justice activists around the world, but please note, that they are also regular people, not Hollywood blockbuster directors.  

We will have popcorn, snacks and beverages on hand. Please stay for the conversation afterwards as we will discuss the various themes presented.

The films that will be presented are:

- The Permit Garden -Canadian, Animated short film: A dreamlike parable about immigration, Permit Garden follows a nameless child as they toil to gain exit from the Garden. But as time goes on, they wonder if escape is even possible. Will their number ever be called?

- Chaos & Control - Canadian, 40 min.: A documentary film about Temporary Foreign Workers in New Brunswick, Canada.

This documentary is a collection of interviews interwoven together to present a deep portrait of the lives lived by migrant workers and the challenges they face in Canada and specifically in New Brunswick. There are interviews with migrant workers and those who support and advocate for migrant workers. There are suggestions for improvements to Canadian immigration policies and laws and calls to action.

- Chimbarazo - Spain, 7 min.: Himborazo's ice pickers have long been subjected for years to the inclemency of the volcano, located in the Ecuadorian Andes. In exchange, they crush some of its ice to provide for their people. Baltazar Ushca is the only one who continue this profession, daily walking for hours to get blocks of ice. He remembers his youth and his companions.

- Forest for the Fires - Canada 44 min.: An allegory contemplating the nuances of forest stewardship and the interconnectedness of monoculture tree farms with Canada's current wildfire crisis. This is a visually poetic rumination on the relationship between fire and forests -environmentally, personally, economically. It includes interviews with interesting people and experts, as well as visual montages featuring folks who work with trees, with lumber, and with fire. The filmmaker suggests some new understandings are needed.

A Rainbow to Turtle Island - Canada 6 min.: This portrait introduces artist Robbie Tait Jr. and demonstrates the transformative power of art. He walks us through his Turtle Island Handbook project which arose from a desire to transmit his culture and family heritage through his drawings. He also addresses the political side of his art through his Rainbow Tears project, inspired by a story about the political prisoner Leonard Peltier.