Your Country, My Country

A bold and eclectic cinematic style defines the work of filmmaker Michka Saäl and her friend, writer Nadine Ltaif as they journey from childhoods in the Middle East to their chosen home of Montréal. Saäl is Jewish, Ltaif is Arab. Together they overcome the divisive prejudices of their upbringing and embark on an engaging search for clarity, familiarity and historical significance among the immigrant communities of Montréal. Saäl uses super-8 home movies, old photographs, dramatizations and casual conversations to cross personal and political boundaries, giving voice to the varied ancestries of us all. In French with English subtitles.

Ils ont 10 ans. Elle est noire, et sérieuse à l'école. Lui est blanc, et plutôt nonchalant dans ses études. Malgré leurs différences, ils découvrent ensemble qu'ils ont en commun une bien grande richesse. Un film tout en nuances sur l'apprentissage de l'amitié et de la tolérance à l'égard d'autrui.

With a Canadian mother, who until recently was the only family she knew, and an Iraqi father who wants to get to know his daughter after a 16-year absence, young Reema is confronted with difficult questions about her identity. During Reema's two-month visit with her father in Jordan, director Paul Émile d'Entremont adopts the point of view of this sensitive and lively young girl who exhibits all the contradictions typical of someone her age. When Reema returns home to Nova Scotia after a visit with her father, she realizes that she will always have a double identity, and that it is both a burden and a treasure. In French and English with subtitles.