A chance to see something different than your average Canadian movie experience
The city of Brantford is a diverse one. Both Laurier and the city offer events in hopes to include as many residences as possible.
In 2023, there was a partnership created between the City of Brantford and Laurier’s Hub for Community Solutions (LHCS) to bring the community a series of international films that were available for all to enjoy. Watching international films is a different experience for many Canadian.
“Filmmaking is an art form, right? So, there’s so many different ways to tell stories and what I hear what I have been hearing from attend is like, they are like blown away.
Oh my gosh, that was so different. And that was so refreshing because Hollywood films can get boring, you know, like the same way of storytelling. And there’s a lot of violence that, for example, seniors don’t really appreciate, and I think a lot of Hollywood films have gotten faster and faster and faster in terms of like storytelling. It’s very fragmented and sometimes they find it really difficult to follow right now. But international films are different. They still have their experimenting with different cinematography, different ways of storytelling,” Dr. Christina Han, director of LHCS said.
There is an entire committee that helps with choosing the films for each season. The films for this season will be: The Artist (2011, France), Cinema Paradiso (1988, Italy), Flee (2021, Denmark), Coming Home (2014, China), The Father (2020, United Kingdom), lo Capitano (2023; Italy, Belgium, France). The dates for the films range from Sept. 18 to Dec. 4; events held in RCW 002.
“Every film in the lineup brings something valuable to the series but Flee from Denmark is especially compelling. Its use of animation and storytelling to explore themes of identity, migration and resilience closely align with the purpose of the series,” Brooke Papple, the Manager of Social Development & Policy for the City of Brantford said.
“One of my favourite films of all time. Cinema Pardiso from Italy. It’s an older film from 1988 … music is absolutely mind-blowing. It’s an old-time classic Cinema Paradiso, October 2nd,” Dr. Han said.
Brantford, as a community, is ever growing and those who are a part of the city need to continue to take part in events that showcase the city’s diversity so that it will hopefully remain as an inclusive space for all to come.
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