Screenings of Canadian films are taking place across the country today for Canadian Film Day’s #Canada150 commemoration, and while Cinema Politica isn’t participating in this event, we thought we’d highlight some of our excellent Canadian titles available on our new VOD subscription service. Our newly launched platform is easy to join, and we’re still offering a free two-week trial for anyone who signs up in April, so check out svod.cinemapolitica.org today.
Among our Canadian titles that examine aspects of Canadian history, politics, culture and more, we have the stunningly original EAST HASTINGS PHARMACY (Antoine Bourges), a film about Vancouver’s downtown East Side that defies categorization. THE LITTLE BLACK SCHOOLHOUSE (Sylvia Hamilton) probes the history of racial segregation in Atlantic Canada, and offers personal accounts that trouble the myth of “friendly and fair Canada.” YOU NEVER BIKE ALONE (Robert Alstead) is stirring ride through Vancouver’s bike activist community and adds to the growing list of films representing movements to make our cities more healthy and liveable. MAXIMUM TOLERATED DOSE (Karol Orzechowski) extends notions of belonging to our cousins in the animal kingdom, and hauntingly probes the implications on both the animals who are “scientifically” tested upon and the humans who have done the testing.
Canadian filmmakers are very outward-looking in their documentary work, and with this in mind, we also have excellent Canadian productions examining the world beyond our borders. THEY WERE PROMISED THE SEA (Kathy Wazana) poetically explores issues of identity and history in relation to Jews and Arabs in Morocco. OCCUPY LOVE (Velcrow Ripper) goes south-side to track the Occupy social movement’s genesis in American urban centres. IN THE SHADOW OF A GOLD MINE (Zahra Moloo) reveals the human toll from multinational mining operations in Tanzania.
For some rad view-on-demand titles check out some anti-colonial, anti-patriarchal and anti-national Canadian titles like A RED GIRLS REASONING (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers), BAD GIRL (Marielle Nitoslawska), LEGEND OF THE STORM (Roxann Whitebean), END: CIV RESIST OR DIE (Franklin Lopez) and HONOUR YOUR WORD (Martha Stiegman). Finally, for an alternative to the nuclear Canadian family check out TRANSGENDER PARENTS (Rémy Huberdeau).
We hope that our offerings help complicate and challenge the various forms of nationalism that inevitably find expression on days like today. If that floats your boat, check out these titles and more at svod.cinemapolitica.org OR visit vod.cinemapolitica.org to find more Canadian titles available for pay-per-view rental.
**The image above is from OtherWorlds Media’s fundraising anti-150 project supporting Indigenous organizations who are organizing without, beyond, and against the Canadian state. Check it out here!
