SAAG CINEMA | VIRTUAL
WELCOME TO AFRICVILLE, LADIES OF THE SATURDAY NIGHT
with filmmaker Dana Inkster
FEB 6 | 2 - 4 PM | $10 | FREE with SAAG Pass
Register for the film screening below
In recognition of Black History Month, SAAG Cinema is pleased to present an online screening of WELCOME TO AFRICVILLE and LADIES OF THE SATURDAY NIGHT. Together we will screen the films over zoom, followed by open conversation and questions with local filmmaker Dana Inkster.
This SAAG Cinema is hosted in partnership with Pride Lethbridge
WELCOME TO AFRICVILLE is a “docufiction” that the African-Canadian community in Halifax that was razed for “urban renewal” in the late sixties. Against a backdrop of black and white archival footage of this neighbourhood under demolition unfolds a slice-in-time narrative set on the eve of destruction. Highlighted are three generations of women in an Africville family, including a proud and lustful, thirty-something dyke, plus the friendly and queer local bartender (Alexander Chapman, known for his starring role in J. Greyson’s Lilies). Lushly photographed against brightly coloured settings, the film raises the question, not only of a lost community history, but also of lost sexual histories and identities. 1999 | 15 mins
LADIES OF THE SATURDAY NIGHT is set in post-World War I Drumheller, Alberta as it emerged as a boomtown with the riches of coal in the hills. In early mining communities the world’s oldest profession, sex work, was an integral part of the community thanks to savvy business women like Mary Roper, and Fanny Ramsley who had hearts of gold and some dubious connections. This newly unearthed and extremely valuable piece of Albertan history. Never before broadcast audio archives capture a fading history. 2012 | 19 mins
Dana Inkster is a Canadian media artist and filmmaker of African descent. She recognizes storytelling as the primary tool that shapes our communities. Inkster's work often experiments with narrative while exploring the complexities of identify, which stem in part, from her experiences as a black, queer, feminist. Dana has been profiled by numerous publications; journalists and cultural theorists from around the world have lauded her documentary film work.
Her documentary, 24 Days in Brooks (2007) was co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada and CBC Newsworld, and won an Alberta Motion Picture Industry Award for best production reflecting cultural diversity. She has won the best Canadian female film director prize from the Toronto Images Film Festival. The Art of Autobiography was awarded Best Short or Medium-length Documentary by the Association of Quebec Cinema Critics. She continues to make independent documentaries that explore personal and cultural histories.
She has served as faculty and played key roles in fund development for a number of institutions. For years, Dana’s company has been publishing Lethbridge Living Magazine. Most recently, Dana has agreed to write the memoir of her 81-year-old father, former Commissioner of the RCMP and President of Interpol, Norman Inkster. Inkster grew up in Ottawa, Ontario and focused on political studies during her undergraduate education at Queen's University, and has a Graduate Diploma in Communications Studies from Concordia University. She currently lives and works in Lethbridge, Alberta where she lives with her partner and their son.
Katherine Culley from Pride Fest Lethbridge will also join the Q + A session. Katherine has been living and working in Lethbridge for 23 years and is the proud mother of two queer kids. She is currently serving her 6th year as a member of the Lethbridge Pride Fest Society. Katherine is honoured and excited to be apart of this panel.
If you self-identify as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour (BIPOC), and would like to participate in our Black History Month programming (SAAG Cinema on FEB 6 or Publication Studio Workshop on FEB 14), send us a message or email info@saag.ca to register for FREE.
We want our programming to be accessible, and for our community to come together to celebrate the brilliance of black voices, this month and always.