Canadian sexuality and activism: "We Demand" film series offers a historical perspective

Concurrent with the "We Demand" conference about the history of sexuality and activism in Canada, the "We Demand" film series will be held at the Pacific Cinémathèque (1131 Howe Street). It's curated by SFU professor Peter Dickinson and will complement the themes of the conference with a cinematic component. For those who aren't necessarily interested in listening to talks or are more visually inclined, this is one way to still participate.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, "We Demand": History/Sex/Activism in Canada commemorates the 40th anniversary of the first recorded act of national political action by Canadian queer citizens. While there are numerous events, such as speakers and panel discussions, this film series will help viewers look back at how queer culture (as captured on screen) has evolved in this country since that time.

Things kick off with "We Demand…Moving Images" (7:30 p.m.), an illustrated lecture by film scholar Tom Waugh who will reassess films and videos by Canadian queer activists created in the post-Omnibus and pre-AIDS era.

Selections include a number of local documentaries, such as the Genie Award–winning Hookers on Davie, the Queer History Project's "Rex vs. Singh" and "The Love That Won't Shut Up", and Aerlyn Weissman's Little Sister's vs. Big Brother. But there's also Quebec director Claude Jutra's 1982 quirky comedy about the challenges a Vancouver lesbian couple face when they want to become parents (preceding The Kids Are All Right by almost two decades). There's also the 1971 drama Fortune and Men's Eyes, about homosexual activity and power relations in prison. And for those who prefer musicals, there's John Greyson's 1993 film Zero Patience about how AIDS came to North America.

If you're interested in attending, you better get going because it starts tonight (August 25) and runs until Sunday (August 28).

(Visit the Cinémathèque website for the full schedule.)

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