Why It Still Matters

I had been planning on writing a brief post to direct readers to my consolidated film blog. I will still be making “December 6” available online every year:

And I will keep the Facebook page up, but as I move forward with the extended cut of “When It Rains,” the next film in my sisters trilogy, I thought it was time to retire this blog.

Then Kasandra Perkins was murdered.

I needed to take a breath and figure out how to respond. Aside from the high profile of her killer, this wasn’t much different from the murders that happen to women in the United States EVERY DAY by their male partners or ex-partners. But the high profile of her killer suddenly has everybody talking about it and realizing that it is an epidemic of violence that is happening against women worldwide. The form of violence might vary from country to country, culture to culture, but every woman in the world is potentially at risk.

This is why I made this film and why I continue to post it year after year. This is why it still matters.

Screening for the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre

Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Temple B'Nai Tikvah
Address: 900 47th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB

An inspirational evening to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre while addressing the ongoing issue of violence against women.

Program includes:

Emcee Jennie Palmer, cohost of "Yeah, What She Said" (CJSW)
Music by Jadesong Ray Marlin
Performance by Walter MacDonald White Bear
Keynote Address by Marsha Ellen Meidow
World Premiere of "December 6," a film by Cara Mumford set to a spoken word piece by Evalyn Parry

Refreshments will be served after the screening. Information about the Youth Recovery Coalition will also be available.

Admission is FREE! Donations of non-perishable food items are appreciated.

Additional screening events:

December 2: "December 6" will also be screened before "Polytechnique" on Wednesday, December 2, 6pm at That Empty Space, MacEwan Student Centre, University of Calgary

December 7: There will be additional screenings of "December 6" along with readings of the biographies of the 14 women at Mount Royal University on Monday, December 7th.

Biographies:

Marsha Ellen Meidow: Calgary’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2007, Marsha Ellen Meidow has directed and produced of The Vagina Monologues and organized of The Femme Fatale Carnivale, a fundraiser for women at risk. Marsha worked tirelessly as a Front Line Counsellor for the YWCA’s Safe Haven Program until it recently closed its doors due to funding cuts. She is currently working on starting her own organization for At Risk Female Youth

Jadesong Ray Marlin: Singer songwriter, recording artist, mystic, queer, who grew up in Oregon, among the radical riff-raff of the left. She has made Calgary her home for the past eight years, recently becoming a permanent resident of Canada. Her performance and workshop styles have allowed her to combine both entertainment and healing. Jadesong is a graduate from Antioch University Seattle, and has rose from extreme poverty to be where she is today. She is currently working on her first recording.

Walter MacDonald White Bear: a Cree singer-songwriter originally from James Bay, Walter has been performing acoustic and flute music for several years. Walter’s music is a reflection of his personal journey as a First Nations person in Canada. He has shared his cultural knowledge with various audiences that range from correctional services to principals, teachers and students.