A free screening of five short films from this year's DocNow festival! This evening's films cover themes like first nations issues, sustainability, identity, in addition to punk culture in both Korea and Canada.

DocNow 2017 is one of Canada’s most exciting interdisciplinary documentary festivals created by the next generation of artists and activists. Now in its ninth year, DocNow features innovative work from the 21 graduates of Ryerson University’s Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media. This multi-arts, multi-media festival showcases a diverse group of international storytellers through film, photography, and installation.

Visit us at docnow.ca to see the full festival program and schedule.

Film Synopses:

IN JESUS' NAME

In Jesus’s Name is an emotionally charged collaborative documentary film that breaks the long-held silence imposed upon children who attended the notoriously violent St. Anne’s Residential School. The audience will become witness to the poignant stories of the survivors who reveal the horrific abuses that were wielded against their fragile, childhood bodies. First Nations children from reserve communities suffered from isolation, beatings, rape, and all manner of other atrocities carried out by Catholic missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. This film will compel audiences to ask, “How is it that this abuse happened to innocent children in Canada?”

D: Sue G. Enberg | 2017 | 42 min

MISTISSINI HEALING

Mistissini Healing tells the story of two Cree young women who are healing from the intergenerational trauma they experience living in the isolated James Bay Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec. Survivors Maryjane and Dayna rise from unfortunate circumstances and find hope, inspiring them to work to improve their community for future generations on a reserve still struggling to cope with the appalling legacy left behind by Canada’s Residential School system.

D: Stephanie Vizi | 2017 | 25 min

LOVESICK

Lovesick explores the changing landscape of a small Canadian lake through the stories of the people who live on its shores. Lovesick Lake is one of the smallest bodies of water along the Trent-Severn canal system – a waterway that connects Lake Simcoe to Lake Ontario. Once a prosperous region used by Canada’s First Nations people for hunting and fishing, Lovesick Lake is now a popular cottage destination. Shoreline development has increased exponentially while the health of the lake and surrounding land has declined. Lovesick compels viewers to ask, “At what cost does Canada’s cottage country come at?”

D: Lauren Bridle | 2017 | 27 min

60 SEASONS

The current state of food production in the Western world is leading to the devastation of our environment. Industrial farms are responsible for the depletion of natural resources and the reduction of biodiversity, which is affecting the sustainability of our planet. 60 Seasons aims to grow the dialogue around healthy and sustainable means of food production by depicting the efforts of two small groups within Northumberland County, Ontario. Their aim is to bring sustainable farming methods to their community, while expanding the discourse around environmentally sound food production and providing healthy food choices to those in need.

D: Jeannette Breward | 2017 | 31 min

ASH

Filmed during the summer of 2016, Ash is a film about the struggles of Seoul’s underground DIY music scenes. Exploring universal themes of gentrification, class, resistance, lifestyle, and culture, the film moves from the gentrified ruins of Seoul’s Hongdae neighbourhood into Club Sharp and LiveHouse GBN: two venues fighting to stay relevant while trying not to repeat the mistakes of the older generation. Part visual essay and part character study, Ash is a film of hope and purpose—a story about finding a way to live a life within a closed system.

D: Ken Robinson | 2017 | 30 min