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Serious cinema

LUNA’s weekly movie screenings return to create meaningful community dialogue

What: Cinema Politica screening series

When: Monday, Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. (every Monday)

Where: SLCC

Cost: By donation

Whistler film lovers rejoice - on top of the Reel Alternatives screenings that are coming our way this fall we also have a second round of films, courtesy of the folks at Late and Unique Nighttime Alternatives (LUNA).

They're organizing and hosting yet another season of the Cinema Politica series starting at the beginning of November, after the trial series held in the spring was an overwhelming success.

The Whistler series is actually part of a much larger North American network of grassroots documentary screenings dubbed Cinema Politica, which aims to promote discussion of "political cinema by independent artists," particularly films telling stories that are missed by mainstream media.

The first film of the season, Slingshot Hip Hop , ties together stories of young Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel as they discover hip hop and use it to overcome occupation and poverty.

Public Enemy's Chuck D said, "the culture of hip hop and rap is at its most powerful and yet its most tender in Slingshot Hip Hop ."

An official selection at the 2008 Sundance film festival, Slingshot Hip Hop won Best Director Award at Beirut International Film festival and Audience Awards at Films de Femmes, DOX BOX Film Festival, Beirut International Film festival, Washington DC International Film Festival and the Toronto Palestine Film Festival.

After the film, Janine Solanki, the co-chair and spokesperson for Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO), a Vancouver-based anti-war coalition will lead a group discussion. Solanki is a central organizer of MAWO's annual Hip Hop Festival Against War and will talk about the role hip hop has as a form of resistance and voice for the oppressed.

This year's series, which is the second round of Cinema Politica screenings, will run for nine weeks at the Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre, bringing a range of socio-political, environmental, cultural and economic issues to the forefront.

"This year's series is coordinated by LUNA Community Event Coordination trainee and SLCC staff, Darla John," LUNA coordinator, Kiran Pal-Pross, said in a recent press release. "Darla has selected the films and discussion facilitators for the program, covering hot topics such as commercialization, war and peace, environmental toxins, aboriginal status issues, climate change, elders, and more."

 

 

MASS events take shape

A new non-profit arts society has taken root in Squamish. The Media Arts Society of Squamish (MASS) has big plans for the community, including monthly film screenings at the Squamish Adventure Centre.

Organizers have selected some of the best in Canadian and world cinema, and first up on the lineup is Outsourced , a modern comedy that explores cross-cultural conflict and romance. Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) spends his days managing a customer call centre in Seattle until all of the company's jobs are outsourced to India. To make matters worse, Todd must travel to India to train his replacement.

"As he navigates through the chaos of Bombay and an office paralyzed by constant cultural misunderstandings, Todd yearns to return to the comforts of home. But it is through his team of quirky yet likable Indian call centre workers, including his friendly and motivated replacement, Puro (Asif Basra), and the charming, opinionated Asha (Ayesha Dharker), that Todd realizes that he too has a lot to learn - not only about India and America, but about himself. He soon discovers that being outsourced may be the best thing that ever happened to him."

November's film will be the popular documentary, Food Inc .

Tickets to the MASS screenings are $8 in advance or $10 at the door, and season tickets are available online for $54 at www.mediaartssquamish.com .