Canadian Labour International Film Festival
Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax is proud to partner once again with the Canadian Labour International Film Festival for a satellite screening of films from their 16th annual festival.
The screening takes place November 19, 7:00 PM, at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op (2203 Gottingen St, Halifax).
This year, we will be screening The Fighter (Canada: French); Bargaining Forward (Canada: English & French); Permit Garden (Canada); Humormàtic (Spain); Counting Days (Canada: Japanese); The Canadian Dream (Canada: Spanish); Adidas Owns the Reality (US: English).
All films are translated as needed through subtitles in English.
Total run time: 95 minutes. The screening will be followed by a moderated discussion for those interested.
Admission is PWYC
Jenny Yujia Shi 施雨迦
We will be joined by local filmmaker Jenny Yujia Shi for a brief intermission Q&A about her film Permit Garden selected as part of the 2024 CLIFF program!
Jenny Yujia Shi 施雨迦 is a visual artist and animation filmmaker based in Kjipuktuk. Shi’s practice is informed by two pivotal moments: losing her childhood community in Beijing due to urban development, and navigating a decade-long immigration process in early adulthood. These experiences have shaped Shi’s interest in the impact of displacement and dislocation on individuals across generations and within communities.
Film Program:
The Fighter by André-Charles Ishpatao (Canada: French) – 6 min
André-Charles is a boxer. Sports changed his life. He hopes his journey will inspire others to regain their pride and hold their heads high when facing life’s adversities.
Bargaining Forward by Colleen Butler (Canada: English & French) – 22 min
This bilingual (English and French) documentary showcases the unity and resilience of 22,000 public sector workers in New Brunswick, Canada, as they strike against wage suppression. It explores strategic mobilization and collective bargaining efforts by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, culminating in a province-wide movement that successfully challenges austerity and sparks labour action across Canada. Produced by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
Permit Garden by Jenny Yujia Shi (Canada: no dialogue) – 5 min
A dreamlike parable about immigration, Permit Garden follows a nameless child as they toil to gain exit from the Garden. But as time goes on, they wonder if escape is even possible. Will their number ever be called?
Humormàtic by Pau Escribano (Spain) – 20 min
A comedy screenwriter for a TV show has to work with a new partner, Humormatic, a machine that writes jokes. The screenwriter will try to make her colleagues, her bosses, the TV host and the audience value her work, but Humormatic won’t make things easy.
Counting Days by Hiromu Yamawaki (Canada: Japanese) – 11 min
Ayano, a Japanese migrant worker faces reality of living in a foreign land. She makes herself a morning coffee with one of the filters that she just bought. It is a pack of 90. The number of days before her VISA expires.
The Canadian Dream by Ilse Moreno (Canada: Spanish) – 9 min
A migrant worker’s pursuit of ‘The Canadian Dream’ takes a nightmarish turn as he uncovers an unsightly truth in the Ontarian agricultural industry. His quest for a better life in Canada unfolds through his own words and from his daughter’s perspective in this poignant family portrait.
Adidas Owns the Reality by Keil Orion Troisi & Igor Vamos (US: English) – 22 min
Trickster activists the Yes Men collaborate with Clean Clothes Campaign and Berlin fashion designers to orchestrate an elaborate hoax announcement in an effort to improve conditions for garment workers and sustainability in the Adidas supply chain. Then they stage a shocking and hilarious fashion show at the opening of Berlin Fashion Week that makes the world pay attention to labor and environmental abuses that the mega-brand is trying to hide.
