My Cultural Divide

Bridging the Gap Between Consumerism and Culture

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Douglas College (New Westminster, BC)
Tuesday November 27, 2007
Screening begins 16h30

Canada / 2006 / 60 min

Filmmaker Faisal Lutchmedial goes beyond the activist stereotype as he takes a personal journey into his mother’s native country for the first time. A three month visit to Bangladesh becomes a discovery of family and home that runs parallel with his attempt to tackle the complex issue of global trade.

Starting from the opening scene My Cultural Divide questions the logic of the hardcore political activist, and wonders aloud whether ethical consuming actually does anything good for the workers behind the machines. Because of family connections Lutchmedial makes his way into some of the worst factories in Bangladesh, and talks frankly with the workers inside about their job and living conditions. Sometimes contradicting western activists, the labour leaders he speaks to soon make Lutchmedial question his own long-standing beliefs on child labour and personal responsibility.

Accompanied by his ailing mother, Lutchmedial takes us on a very personal journey to bridge the gap between his heritage in Bangladesh and his life in Canada. He connects his politics with his humanity, and weaves together a story that is both thought provoking and touching

Writer/Director/Producer/Editor: Faisal Lutchmedial
Cinematographer: Tara Arnst
Additional Camerawork: Jim Hoffman, Moses Maura, Tyrell Henry, Jeff Thorn, Zahid, Faisal Lutchmedial
Photographs by Faisal Lutchmedial and Tara Arnst, with exception of "Pentex Factory Police beatings" provided by the National Labor Committee.
Archival footage supplied by the Internet Moving Images Archive in association with Prelinger Archives.
Integration Report I (1960), dir: Madeline Anderson

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