Guantanamo North
October 10, 2008 San Miguel de Allende
Film
Secret Canada
Mon, Oct 13, 7 pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Reloj 50A
50 pesos
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The image of detainees at Guantanamo, held for years without trial or charges, has seeped into our collective consciousness and for many us symbolizes the grave injustices happening in the name of the war on terror. But who has heard of Guantanamo North ... in Canada? |
Secret Canada, by Lillian Boctor, is a documentary on security certificates—immigration security measures that are part of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in Canada. Security certificates allow the Canadian government to detain noncitizens indefinitely, without charge or trial, on the basis of secret evidence and closed-door hearings, keeping detainees under the threat of deportation with the risk of death, torture or other mistreatment.
Featuring interviews with Adil Charkaoui, Mohamed Harkat, Sophie Lamarche Harkat and Mona El Fouli, the film gives a glimpse of the lives of people living with security certificates. The Supreme Court of Canada declared security certificates unconstitutional in February 2007, but security certificates still exist under new legislation enacted by the Canadian government in February 2008. A court challenge to the new legislation will happen in the next year, and a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada regarding Canada’s intelligence agency, CSIS, and its destruction of evidence was released on June 26, 2008.
Interview with Lillian Boctor
Atención San Miguel: How did you become interested in the topic of your film?
LB: I have been involved in community organizing and social justice struggles for many years and have also been concerned about the hidden victims of the war on terror. These are the people who are targeted based on their ethnicity and religion and often face secret trials, torture and indefinite and arbitrary detention without ever being charged.
ASM: Is this your first film? What other experience did you have in filmmaking?
LB: In 1995 I made an ethnographic film on La Peña del Sur, a Latino cultural and political center in the Mission District in San Francisco. I also worked on two other short documentaries; one on the challenges new immigrants face when arriving in Montreal and the other on the second female roller derby team that was forming in Montreal.
ASM: What were the most challenging aspects in the process of filming?
LB: One of the biggest challenges was gaining access to the security certificate detainees and their families. It was also challenging to get footage of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service as well as the prison facilities where some of the men were held. We constantly had security guards telling us to turn off the cameras and stop filming. Another difficulty was that CSIS and the office of Minister of Justice Stockwell Day both refused to give us an interview, even after numerous calls, requests and conversations.
ASM: What were the most challenging aspects in the process of editing?
LB: The project was originally done as a student project and we had a 15- to 20-minute time limitation. However, we had many hours of interviews with the detainees and their families. We wanted people to hear the story from the perspective of the people we interviewed and it was hard to decide what to include and what to cut. Their stories were compelling and we wanted to show as much of it as possible.
ASM: What are you hopes for this film?
LB: I would love this film to be used as a tool to bring awareness about what is happening in Canada with immigration security measures. Right now five men are living with these security certificates, immigration security measures that the Canadian government uses as a tool to detain indefinitely and deport non-citizens based on secret evidence and closed-door trials. So far the film has been shown in several venues in Montreal, as well as in schools and colleges.
ASM: What issues would you like to cover in future films?
LB: I would like to continue to make films that focus on social justice issues and how communities come together to organize and improve their living conditions. A possible next film may be on open-pit mining in Quebec.
ASM: What surprised you most about making this film?
LB: I was shocked by what the people I spoke with had been through and inspired by their continued will to gain justice and live normal lives in peace with their families. The continued disregard by the Canadian government of the detainees and their families has been beyond surprising, and their refusal to see the injustice in their actions has motivated many Canadians to act in support of the detainees.
ASM: Where do you hope to screen it next?
LB: I would love to screen this in other Canadian cities, as well as in the US, where people are completely uninformed about what is happening in Canada with immigration security measures.
Cinemateca, October 13–19, 2008
José Luis Pick’n’tip
Edward James: Builder of Dreams
Although he has been called “a legend among the legendary,” few people recognize Edward James or know of his artistic accomplishments. Among other awards, this documentary has won the Cine “Golden Eagle” (1996), “Chris” award (Arts and Culture), Columbus International Film Festival, Ohio (1995), “Bronze Apple,” National Educational Media Network (1996) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art Film Program (1997).
“Look, we move among a bunch of ‘pseudo-realists’, who…produce nothing but junk. So, they try to act like madmen to justify themselves. On the other hand, you who are real labor to act sane.” —Salvador Dali to Edward James
The Tip Important: In order to provide the best viewing experience, the show times for some movies may be adjusted to accommodate their length. Be sure to check the schedule carefully. I also want to remind you of our new ticket price: 50 pesos and discount cards buy 12 shows for 450 pesos. Starting Monday, after 11am, buy your tickets in advance for any movie or show of the week. If you have a discount card, collect your pass to secure a seat; don’t take the risk of being locked out. Would you like to receive this info by email? Write to José Luis at
alephamour@hotmail.com. Thank you.
The Movies
Documentary Premiere
Secret Canada
Monday, October 13 at 7pm
Directed and Produced by Lillian Boctor
Secret Canada is a documentary on security certificates, immigration security measures which are part of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in Canada. Security certificates allow the government to detain non-citizens without charge or trial indefinitely, on the basis of secret evidence and closed-door hearings, keeping detainees under the threat of deportation, with the risk of death, torture or other ill-treatment. The film gives a glimpse at the lives of some of the people living with security certificates, featuring interviews with Adil Charkaoui, Mohamed Harkat, Sophie Lamarche Harkat, and Mona El Fouli. The Supreme Court of Canada declared security certificates unconstitutional in February 2007, but the certificates still exist under new legislation enacted into law by the Canadian government in February 2008. A court challenge to the new security certificate legislation will happen in the next year, and a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada regarding Canada’s intelligence agency, CSIS
, and its destruction of evidence was released on June 26, 2008.
Edward James: Builder of Dreams
Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm
Art documentary, English, 60 minutes
Director: Avery Danziger
This film takes you on an extraordinary journey into the world of the Surrealists as the life and accomplishments of collector, poet and architect Edward James unfolds. For the last 20 years of his life, aided by 40 full-time laborers and craftmen, James built one of the biggest and yet least known architectural monuments of the twentieth century, dedicated to Surrealism and hidden in the jungles of Mexico. He created over 36 extraordinary concrete structures, some over 100 feet high, at a personal cost exceeding US$5 million. Born into extreme wealth and luxury (he was rumored to be the bastard son of King Edward VII), he turned his back on the rigid aristocratic circles of Edwardian England and befriended, supported and collaborated with fledgling artists who would become household names in later years—Salvador Dali, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte, Kurt Weil, Bertolt Brecht, George Balanchine, Aldous Huxley, Man Ray and Sigmund Freud.
Common Ground (Lugares Comunes, 2002)
Wednesday, October 15 at 7:30pm
Friday, October 17 at 5pm
Spanish with English subtitles, 112 minutes
Director: Adolfo Aristarain
Cast: Federico Luppi, Mercedes Sampietro, Arturo Puig, Valentina Bassi, Carlos Santamaria
Older Argentinean professor Fernando Robles (Federico Luppi) is stunned when the college at which he works implies that he should retire. Fernando and wife Lili (Mercedes Sampietro) try to be rational, but the stress begins to wear on their marriage. Adding to the couple’s problems is the increasingly strained relationship between Fernando and his son Pedro (Pablo Rago), who left Argentina when the country—and his family—needed him most.
My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours, 1989)
Wednesday, October 15 at 5:30pm
Thursday, October 16at 7pm
French with English subtitles, 110 minutes
Director: Andrzej Zulawski
Cast: Sophie Marceau, Jacques Dutronc, Valerie Lagrange, Myriam Mezieres, Sady Rebbot
Lucas (Jacques Dutronc), a programmer who just invented a new computer language, suffers from a rare terminal disease that’s also stripping away his memory. When he meets Blanche (Sophie Marceau), a medium in a traveling show, the two run off together to a sea resort, knowing that they only have a few days to spend together. Andrzej Zulawski directed and wrote the screenplay for the film, which is loosely based on the novel Night without Day.
The Vertical Ray of the Sun (À la verticale de l'été, 2001)
Thursday, October 16 at 5pm
Friday, October 17 at 7:30pm
Southeast Asia drama, Vietnamese with English subtitles, 112 min
Director: Tran Anh Hung
Cast: Tran Nu Yen-Khe, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Le Khanh, Ngo Quanq Hai, Tran Manh Cuong
Hanoi comes across almost picture-perfect in director Tran Anh Hung’s beautiful, elegiac tale about the lives and loves of three Vietnamese sisters. A mood characteristic of Hung’s films is set early on with the vivid sounds of birds, insects and water and the way the lighting enhances the subtle use of color. They all combine to gem-like effect here.
Kids Movies: Cartoons
Saturday, October 18 at noon
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