Who Cares

La cinéaste lauréate Rosie Dransfeld qui maîtrise l'art du cinéma vérité, examine ici l'univers implacable et dangereux des travailleuses du sexe d'Edmonton. Au cœur de ce nouveau film particulièrement percutant, des femmes prises dans le cercle infiniment triste de la dépendance, de la violence et de la prostitution. Courtney, connue sous le nom de la « prostituée de la 107e avenue », lutte pour « rester sobre »; Shelly prend soin de tout le monde, sauf d'elle-même lorsqu'elle n'est pas sous l'emprise de la crystal meth; et Nancy, une charmante jeune fille, explique ses contusions en les mettant sur le compte d'accidents. Elles entrent au Reno Pub, histoire d'échapper au froid, de faire une partie de billard et d'échanger avec le barman des anecdotes sur leur vie et sur leur rêve de revenir dans le droit chemin. Pendant ce temps, en cette ère post-Pickton où l'impensable s'incarne dans une macabre réalité, les filles qui sont dans la rue fournissent volontairement des échantillons d'ADN aux membres d'une équipe spéciale de la GRC enquêtant sur des meurtres de femmes non résolus. On pourra ainsi aviser leurs proches si le pire se produit....

In a small village in Jharkhand, India, Ranjit wakes up to find that his 13-year-old daughter has not returned home from a family wedding. Calls are made, a search ensues, and a few hours later, she's found stumbling home. After being dragged into the woods she was sexually assaulted by three men, all of whom are known to the family. Ranjit and his wife go to the police, and the men are arrested. But the family's relief is short-lived when the villagers and their leaders launch a sustained campaign to force Ranjit to drop the charges. They demand the girl marry one of her rapists-a tried and true community solution. This, they feel, is the only way to restore her honour and that of the community. Ranjit defies their edict and embarks on a perilous journey, navigating both the labyrinth of India's courts and the rising dangers in his village. A cinematic, David and Goliath story, To Kill a Tiger follows Ranjit's uphill battle to find justice for his child. In India, where a rape is reported every 20 minutes and conviction rates are less than 30 percent, Ranjit's decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented. His stand piques the interest of the Srijan Foundation, an NGO working to sensitize men and boys on women's rights. They look to Ranjit as a poster boy for their work and an inspiration to other men. Their support, along with the presence of the camera crew, fuels the ire of the villagers, and as the trial gets underway, threats of violence begin to loom. Ostracized by the community, dealing with mounting debt and fearing for himself and his family, Ranjit's composure begins to crack, and the whole process is in danger of being derailed. With tremendous access to all facets of this story, To Kill a Tiger charts the emotional journey of an ordinary man facing extraordinary circumstances. A father whose love for his daughter forces a social reckoning that will reverberate for years to come.

For the first time in 17 years, Namrata Gill wraps herself in her wedding sari. It doesn't bring back happy memories. Her husband was supposed to be Prince Charming - whisking her away from Punjab to a new life in Canada. But instead of living a fairy-tale dream, Gill found herself in a nightmare. She worked long hours in her husband's Edmonton convenience store, while facing increasing physical and emotional abuse from her husband and in-laws. And the situation only worsened after the birth of her daughter. In this intensely personal short film, Gill - whose story was one of many real-life inspirations for Deepa Mehta's feature film Heaven on Earth - describes her six years in an abusive relationship, and how difficult leaving can be when you are part of a close-knit immigrant community. Namrata is more than the story of one woman, told in her own words. Its simple and personal approach opens the door for discussions on domestic violence among new Canadians - and may even encourage others to share their stories.