Remember Africville

Near Newcastle, Ontario, lies Wing Fong Farm: 80 acres planted with succulent Asian vegetables destined for Chinese markets and restaurants. It is here that Lau King-Fai (or Ma) has come to spend the rest of her days with her son. The farm is a long way from bustling Hunan Province, but after a tumultuous life in China, she has made it her home: caring for young shoots, working together with migrant Mexican workers and preparing meals in the farmhouse. Born in 1929, Ma survived the loss of her father and two siblings during the Japanese occupation, and the death of her husband during the Cultural Revolution--which left her alone to support her family. It's little wonder that she believes in accepting fate. As she puts it, "Empty thoughts and wishful thinking are useless." Shot over the course of a complete farm cycle--from tilling, to planting, to harvest, to rest--Earth to Mouth is an exquisitely filmed, meditative look at life on Wing Fong Farm. For Yeung Kwan, Ma's son, the farm represents personal and financial independence. For Ma, it is an oasis of peace. For the half-dozen Mexican workers, it provides jobs that help support their children back home. Each in their own way, they endure the rigours of farming and savour their moments of peace.

This film profiles a number of Mi'kmaq and Maliseet artists from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, showing their similarities and differences, samples of their work and the sources of their inspiration. It offers a remarkable look at Indigenous art and spirituality in Atlantic Canada.

In the Name of the Mother and the Son paints a portrait of life in the Montreal neighbourhood of Saint-Michel for two youths of Haitian origin, whom we follow in their quest for hope and freedom. Not unlike their parents, who had to start from scratch on arriving in Canada, James and Le Voyou both yearn to take wing, each in his own way. The film is a cri de coeur to the women of Haiti who, like the mothers of these two young men, sacrificed so much to give their children a better future. In the name of the mother and the son is also a sensitive account that eloquently decries the prejudice that, even today, plagues young Quebecers of Haitian origin. In French with English subtitles.