|
Jehad In Motion
Director: A documentary installation and artist talk with Richard Fung, Canada, 2008
Richard Fung generates ideas for his films from his own diasporic life history. As such, Fung’s new documentary, Jehad in Motion, is a portrait of Jehad Al-Iweiwe, a Palestinian Canadian who lives in Toronto but regularly returns to visit his family in Hebron. Rendering this documentary as an installation, Jehad in Motion is a double portrait of the man and the two cities he calls home. As such, it unfolds on two screens.
In Toronto, we walk around Thorncliffe Park where Jehad works providing services in a key neighbourhood for newly arrived immigrants. In Hebron, he takes us to the old market where Palestinians have built a horizontal fence to protect themselves. In Toronto, we watch him cook at a Passover Seder for peace. In Hebron, he celebrates his sister’s wedding at a feast for one thousand people. He rejects ethnic and religious nationalisms as a response to racism and oppression and, instead, is committed to the struggle for peace through justice. Moving from place to place, Jehad synthesizes the challenges and possibilities in these two very different but overlapping worlds.
Artist Biography
Richard Fung has made the politics of gender, ethnicity, and identity his central focus. His work deals with gay issues, racism, and cultural assertion. Fung brings rich colour to his eloquent narratives; in his use of both personal experience and cultural history, his observations are revelatory. His thoughtful voice instills a sense of wonder in the viewer, as Fung understands the value even of tragic events and experience.
Fung’s work has been in exhibitions and festivals worldwide and his works are included in public collections and universities in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, and the US. As a writer and critic, Richard Fung has published extensively and his work has been reviewed in numerous publications. Born in Trinidad, Richard Fung is a frequent guest lecturer and currently teaches at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto.
This event is free of charge.
Community Partner
|
