Join POV Magazine as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC). On Thursday, January 4th, POV offers a screening and conversation to complement the release of our special issue to mark DOC’s 40th anniversary. At 6:30pm at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, POV will screen works by two generations of DOC members, Shooting Indians: A Journey with Jeffrey Thomas and I’m a Witness. The former is directed and produced by DOC veteran Ali Kazimi and the latter is directed by Yasmine Mathurin and produced by Amar Wala and Soko Negash.
Shooting Indians chronicles the life and work of photographer Jeffrey Thomas, a self-described “Urban Iroquois” artist. Kazimi looks at how Thomas draws upon past representations of Indigenous life, particularly as shot by American photographer Edward Curtis, and navigates the complicated relationship between Indigenous images captured through a colonial tool. The film also sees Kazimi confront the politics of representation in his own work as an Indian-Canadian filmmaker telling the story of an Iroquois photographer.
I’m a Witness, meanwhile, screened at Hot Docs 2023 and is part of the six-part CBC series Witness. The film tackles the weight and responsibility of bearing witness to injustice as Torontonian Waseem Khan shares his experience observing a 2017 case of police brutality. The film sees Khan open up about the ordeal with his children as he teaches them what it means to be a responsible member of society. Khan recorded the incident on his phone, marking one event among many in which every day people can use the power of images to ensure accountability.
The screening will be followed by a conversation moderated by POV editor Marc Glassman. This special event is free for DOC members, DGC members, and Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema members.
Get information and tickets here.
POV gratefully acknowledges the support of this issue through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Business Innovation Grant via the Canadian Periodical Fund.
