Conscious Activism Doc Series

Presented by Hart House

Join us for a series of documentary films for the curious and the concerned. The documentary medium is about the power of witness and has the unique capacity to ask questions and incite dialogue that is real, compelling, and transformative. From Toronto to Kenya, from Brooklyn to the world over, enjoy these free screenings, talks, and workshops that explore the relation between social justice, spirit and activism.

Following on the success of last year's series, this spring Hart House will screen five award-winning documentaries that pose questions, challenge injustice and demonstrate how solidarity and tenacity of the human spirit band together towards realizing a just society.

Winter 2012 Screening Schedule

A Special Conscious Activism Screening

One Big Hapa Family
By Jeff Chiba Stearns

When: March 21, 2012, 6:30 pm
Where: Hart House Music Room
Cost: Free

Screening to be followed by an an artist talk with writer/director/animator Jeff Chiba Stearns.

About the film: On the even of the UN Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Kelowna native Jeff Chiba Stearns will be discussing his expereineces as a mixed race Canadian and how that has informed and fueled his work in film, animation, and commercial career over the last twelve years.  His animated and documentary films are both thoughtful and honourous and have given the viewer a window into his life life as a struggling but determined artist as witnessed in his groundbreaking and multi award winning film Yellow Sticky Notes  to the lengthier One Big Hapa Family exploring the experiences of people of Japanese mixed race.

Presented in partnership with:

Animation For Everyone: Understanding the illusion of Life

Join Jeff Chiba Stearns as he leads a hands-on workshop using screenings, demonstrations and in-class projects to see how traditional and low tech animation are used to create commercial, documentary and short films. Participants will learn about the principles of animation and create animation without any special equipment through the use of pixilation and drawing with light.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm
More information and to register.

Previous Screenings:

Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Directed by Gini Reticker

When: Wed. Feb. 1, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Where: Hart House Library
Cost: Free

Details: Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions were a critical element in bringing about a agreement during the stalled peace talks.

A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honors the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations.

More info on the film at www.praythedevilbacktohell.com.

If a Tree Falls
Directed by Marshall Curry

When: Wed. Feb. 15, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Where: Hart House Library
Cost: Free

Discussion to follow with Dr. Sean Thomas, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto. Dr. Thomas specializes in applied forest ecology and silviculture; comparative ecology and ecophysiology of forest trees; forest canopy biology; ecological aspects of global environmental change; old-world tropical forests.
 

Details: If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front tells the remarkable story of the rise and fall of this ELF cell, by focusing on the transformationand radicalization of one of its members.

Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film interweaves a verite chronicle of Daniel on house arrest as he faces life in prison, with a dramatic recounting of the events that led to his involvement with the group. And along the way it asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism, and the way we define terrorism.

Drawing from striking archival footage -- much of it never before seen -- and intimate interviews with ELF members, and with the prosecutor and detective who were chasing them, IF A TREE FALLS explores the tumultuous period from 1995 until early 2001 when environmentalists were clashing with timber companies and law enforcement, and the word "terrorism" had not yet been altered by 9/11.

More info on the film at www.ifatreefallsfilm.com.

Miss Representation
Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom

When: Thur. Mar. 8, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Where: Hart House Library
Cost: Free / Register at www.uoft.me/missrep

Details: Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors.

Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics, like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as Miss Representation accumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken and armed with a new perspective.

More info on the film at www.missrepresentation.org.

Presented in partnership with:
University College the Office of Student Life, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.