Film Categories: Race + Ethnicity

  • BBQ Muslims

    In this short comedy, two Canadian Muslim brothers are sleeping in their home when the barbecue in the backyard blows up. They are immediately suspected of being dangerous Middle Eastern terrorists and their neighbourhood turns against them. This film was inspired by events following the Oklahoma City bombing.

  • Sikhs, The

    An in-depth study and description of the Sikhs and their faith, focusing on their unique and sometimes misinterpreted way of living. It covers Sikh history and its impact on forming the Sikh Culture. The universal institutions such as the “Sangat” – the holy congregation open to all – and the “Pangat” – free refectory or interdining for all, are stressed, and the “Typical Sikh Response” evident throughout their history towards crisis and events is presented. Recommended as a resource material for all public institutions as well as community organizations.

  • Slow Dance World

    In Hindu mythology, dance represents the rhythm of life and Shiva – god of creative and destructive forces- is master of the dance. As Shiva imagines the creation of the world in his mind’s eye, the forms, the textures and movements found in air, earth and water are revealed. Satisfied with his plan, Shiva brings the world into being and in the end is united with his creation. This film was created by animating three-dimensional objects on a colour photocopier.

  • Small Pleasures

    “Small Pleasures” is the first Chinese-Canadian feature film made by a Chinese-Canadian. It is about two young women from Beijing studying in Toronto, who experience life in the West during the Tiananmen Square student demonstrations in 1989.

  • So Far So

    A pencil portrait of the artist as a young woman. My Boyfriend Gave Me Peaches: Fleming utilizes her quirky, elegantly minimalistic style to superb effect in this film, a humorously nasty teenage girls’ ditty about a mean boyfriend who gets bumped down the stairs and carted off in an ambulance. I Love My Work: In the faux-naif stick-figure animation Fleming describes the plight of the modern woman who insists on trying to get to work, despite horoscope warnings that she should stay at home.

  • Sololady

    “Sololady” is about a fifteen-year-old Javanese girl from Solo who comes to Jakarta to sell her herbal medicines. Her herbal recipes, from ancient Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian remedies, are passed on through family lore. The healing power of pharmacopia is enhanced by her cultural image as healer for her patients, showing an Eastern or alternative approach to healing.

  • Spend It All

    A rich portrayal of the lives and music of the French-speaking Cajuns of Louisiana, featuring the Balfa Brothers, Marc Savoy and Nathan Abshire.

  • Sprout Wings and Fly

    This touching tribute to Appalachian culture profiles legendary, old-time fiddler Tommy Jarrell. His unpretentious folk wisdom is interlaced with family scenes and reminiscences, plus plenty of old-time music.

  • Surviving Memory

    “Surviving Memory” is a film about the role of loss in the formation of identity. It is a narrative intercut with documentary fragments of political actions, which connect the various characters to event through collective memory. Through autobiographical spoken texts, the narrator relays fragments of a relationship between two Jewish women. The fragmented texts speak of the relation between these women as well as recounting various past and contemporary historical events of fascist and neo-Nazi activity (and resistance), Lesbian/Gay rights, Pro-Choice and AIDS demonstrations. While these instances tell a personal/political story about loss, they are also meant to elucidate the…

  • Beshert

    “Beshert” is a love story based on the Kabalah. The movie tells of a young man’s search for his real soulmate. “Beshert” is a universal tale that applies to every person in this world.