Concordia: Monday November 28, 2005
Seeds of Change - FREE THE FILM SCREENING
Seeds of Change is a feature length video documenting the impacts genetically engineered (GE) canola is having on farmers and rural communities in the Canadian Prairies. Unfortunately, since it's completion in the fall of 2002, the filmmakers who are also researchers at the University of Manitoba have been prevented to screen the film due to ongoing suppression by that academic institution. Many have speculated that perhaps this may be due to the delicate relationship between the University and Monsanto, a company in the film.
2004/Canada/72min
Directed by Stef McLachlan, Jim Sanders and Ian Mauro
Produced by Stef McLachlan and Andre Clement
A Dada World Data and Dead Crow Production
www.dwdtv.org
7:30pm and 9 PM, respectively
Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve
Admission free
Special Guests in Attendance!
The film Seeds of Change, completed as part of University of Manitoba Ph.D.
student Ian Mauro’s thesis, takes an unprecedented look at genetically modified
crops in Canada, going beyond the regular debate between food security activists
and biotech executives and speaks with those who deal with GMCs on a daily
basis: rural Canadian farmers. The screening will also feature a Q&A with
Mauro, director Jim Sanders, Concordia professor Harold Chorney and others.
Completed in 2002, distribution of the film was blocked by the University of
Manitoba administration. While officially citing fear their insurance would not
cover potential lawsuits over the film, but others have pointed to the fact that
the university has increased links with the very same biotech companies that the
film criticizes. This has been reinforced by Monsanto Corporation's recent
decision to move its headquarters to the University of Manitoba SmartPark
(meant to bring corporations closer to academics in order to promote innovation
and research).
In response to this attack on academic freedom, on Nov. 16th, 2005, a coalition
of Canadian student and community organizations launched the Free the Film
campaign to screen Seeds of Change on campuses and in communities across
Canada.
The Montreal screening on Nov. 28th, part of the ongoing Cinema Politica film
series, will feature a panel discussion and Q&A afterwards featuring Ian Mauro,
Seeds director Jim Sanders, Concordia professor Harold Chorney and others. Also
being screened will be Contaminated: The New Science of Food, a new short film
by the folks at GNN (introduced by Paul Shore).
In an age where corporate involvement is becoming more and more pervasive in all
aspects of our society – from the food we eat to the information we can access –
is it more important than ever to open up debate and discussion on its effects.
This event is made possible by:
Dead Crow Productions, Dadaworlddata, uberculture collective, Canadian
Federation of Students (National & Quebec offices), Concordia University
Television, Concordia Student Union, Concordia Sociology and Anthropology
Student Union, Political Science Student Association of Concordia University,
Friends of the Earth, ETC group, National Farmer’s Union, Canadian Association
of University Teachers