Beyond Multiculturalism:
check out film screenings of “In the Shadow of Gold Mountain” at Rhizome Café
The following notice was sent to me from No One Is Illegal -Vancouver, as they celebrate Asian Heritage Month with the screenings of two incredible films. I reviewed and wrote about “In the Shadow of Gold Mountain.” Check out these previous stories and interviews.
migration, and race in a special film screening and discussion…
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Thursday May 3 @ 6pm
Rhizome Café, Vancouver
317 E. Broadway (corner Kingsway)
Films by donation $0-5
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Organized by No One is Illegal-Vancouver and supported by Association
Of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society and South Asian
Network for Secularism and Democracy.
DOUBLE-BILL OF AWARD-WINNING FILMS!
*** 6:00 PM:
“In the Shadow of Gold Mountain”. In the Shadow of Gold
Mountain travels from Montreal to Vancouver to uncover stories from the
last living survivors of The Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, in
force from 1885 until 1947. This unfair legislation plunged the Chinese
community in Canada into more than 62 years of debt and family
separation.
At the centre of the film are personal accounts of people like James
Wing, who, at the age of 10, was forced to pay $500 – the cost of two houses
at the time – to live with his father in Canada, and Gim Wong, a WWII
Veteran who witnessed his parents’ struggle to pay off their Head Tax debt.
This compelling documentary sheds light on an era that shaped the identity
Of generations of Chinese in Canada and reveals the profound ways that
history still casts its shadow.
* DISCUSSION in between films, including with community organizers for
Chinese-Head Tax redress and Kamagata Maru redress and memorial.
*** 7:30 PM: “Continuous Journey”. The Kamagata Maru entered the port
of Vancouver in 1914. On board were 376 immigrants, who for two months,
lived like prisoners, threatened by famine and disease as the ship was
refused permission to land. At the time, Canadian society was characterized by
strong racist tendencies among people determined to preserve a
predominantly white, Anglo-Saxon heritage and who called openly for a
“White Canada Forever.” The incident of the Kamagata Maru marks a dark
chapter in Canada’s immigration history and contributed to the growing
anti-colonial sentiment in India. The film, which required eight years
of research, is solidly documented, packed with archival material, and
presented in an original way that resonates powerfully with
contemporary events.
For more information contact us at noii-van@resist.ca or call 778 885
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