Two students from the Writer’s Studio SFU have directed and produced documentaries. Mary Fowles has created a fascinating film Taxi Casablanca about the first woman taxi driver in Morocco and her struggle to make a living. Mary gives us a clear picture of the plight of some women in other cultures. The most poignant moment is when a young male passenger tells the driver about his modest wife. She never meets his eyes when she talks to him. The scenic shots give a real feel for the place.
Stolen Memories
Last night I saw Stolen Memories, a film by Kagan Goh. It’s a bit of a detective story. Kagan spends twelve years trying to find the owners of a Japanese family’s album he found at a garage sale. The tale is not only about stolen memoires but about stolen people. The audience must grapple with the shameful part of Canadian history when productive Canadians citizens of Japanese descent were forcibly removed from their homes during World War Two. Some of them had only forty-eight hours to pack. Families and whole communities were separated.
Hurrah for our students at The Writer’s Studio who have made a unique contribution to social justice issues here and abroad.