For their final two films of the Fall Series, the Rotary Club of Ottawa-Stittsville will be showing Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On (on November 28th) and Hit the Road (on December 12th). Shown at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. at Landmark Cinemas Kanata, passes for the two remaining films are available for only $30. Both films address some of the issues we face in our modern and complex world.
To purchase 4:00 p.m. film passes, contact Charles Mossman at charcz@yahoo.com and for 7:00 p.m. passes, contact Elke Harder at Elke@EFHarder.com.
Profits from the International Film Series support a variety of Rotary Club projects and donations within the community and around the world. Some of the organizations that have received recent financial support from the club are Chrysalis House women’s shelter, Stittsville Food Bank, Richmond Food Bank, support for refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, and now Ukraine, Canadian Women for Women of Afghanistan, and ShelterBox (a Rotary International affiliate that provides temporary housing for refugees, including those from Ukraine).
Descriptions of Remaining Fall Series Films:
Showing on November 28th, Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On (runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes) is a powerful documentary following Buffy Saint-Marie’s long career as a musician and as an Indigenous activist. The film includes interviews with Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell.
Saint-Marie was born on February 21, 1941, on the Piapot First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan. She was taken away from her Cree family and raised by a Massachusetts couple of Mi’kmaq descent. As an adult, Saint-Marie went on the journey of discovering her roots through storytelling and songwriting. Her musical, writing, and activist careers have spanned six decades. She has campaigned for Indigenous rights, women’s rights, and human rights. This documentary offers us a captivating look at her life, as well as at her unfailing activism on climate change, Indigenous rights, missing and murdered Indigenous women, and sustainable living.
The December 12th film, Hit the Road (runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes; Persian with English subtitles) brings viewers on a rare road journey through remote north-western Iran. The film is directed by Panah Panahi, son of jailed Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi. A family of four and their ailing family dog, Jessy, make a harrowing journey to the Turkey/Azerbaijan border in an attempt to evade Iranian state censorship. The parents have borrowed heavily on the value of their home to finance an escape route for their oldest son. That son is at the wheel, driving the family in a borrowed car.
It is a tense, hot, and uncomfortable trip filmed almost completely in a car. At only 8 years old, the younger brother is the star of the film, sometimes playing a wacky child, sometimes showing great sensitivity to the drama unfolding around him. Throughout the film, this family is living on the edge of sadness, of losing their lives or liberty, of losing their home, and the parents – of losing their sons. And yet, as the Guardian reviewer writes, “an irrepressible defiance and comic energy bubbles under every scene.”
Each of these films has something unique on offer, and each provides multiple talking points for subscribers as they leave the cinema! Please note that while the November film is suitable for teenage audiences, the December film deals with mature subjects and is not suitable for children.
Cash Calendars:
Pre-COVID, some patrons have purchased Rotary Cash Calendars from the club. Featuring photos taken in the Ottawa region, the calendars support Rotary initiatives. A cash prize will be drawn every day in 2023, with maximum prizes of $1,000. The club will be selling a limited number of these calendars at the theatre this month, at $20 each (cash only).
Winter Film Series:
The Rotary Club’s winter film series will be held from February to May 2023, offering four films for $60. Further details will be available next month.
The Rotary Club of Ottawa-Stittsville thanks their major sponsor, Scotiabank, and thanks the community for their ongoing support and patronage.