In Theatres Across Quebec on January 29
Theatrical World Premiere Screenings
Academy Award Nominated Filmmaker Ariel Nasr’s Film to Premiere in Theatres Across Quebec on Wednesday, January 29—the 3rd anniversary of the attack
The Mosque: A
Community’s Struggle shares the story of the courageous Muslim community of
Sainte-Foy, Quebec as they recover from the devastating 2017 terror attack on
the Quebec City Mosque, and their struggle to shift the narrative on what it
means to be Muslim in Quebec; a challenge that may be a matter of their very
own survival.
The film will be screened in Cineplex theatres across Quebec on Wednesday,
January 29th, 2020, the day of the commemoration of the attack. A
moderated discussion panel will follow the screenings.
Theatrical
screenings:
January 29 – Quebec City (FR) – Cinéplex Ste-Foy
January 29 – Gatineau (FR) – Cinéplex Starcité Gatineau
January 29 – Montreal (FR) – Cinéplex Quartier Latin
January 29 – Sherbrooke (FR) – Cinéma Galaxy Sherbrooke
January 29 – Victoriaville (FR) – Cinéma Galaxy Victoriaville
Community screenings:
January 25 – Quebec City
(FR)
January 26 – Quebec City (FR)
January 27 – Montreal (EN) – Cinema Politica Concordia
January 29 – Gatineau (FR) – Outaouais Islamic Centre
February 1 – Montreal (FR)
Full
listings and details HERE
ABOUT THE FILM
The story of the Quebec Mosque Shooting—the first ever mass shooting in a mosque in the West—is known around the world, but the story of the community that survived the attack is all but unknown. The Mosque: A Community’s Struggle is an intimate portrait of the resilient Muslim community of Sainte-Foy, Quebec, as they struggle to survive and shift the narrative of what it means to be a Muslim, one year after the devastating attack that took the lives of six of their members. As the world moves on, this small mosque and its community fights Islamophobia, harassment and hate speech. How will the community heal and how will they stop the rhetoric that threatens to precipitate further violence?
Following an initial outpouring of sympathy and solidarity, many hoped the attack would mark a change for the better, but incidents of hate speech, vandalism and harassment actually increased in 2017. While some community members planned their departure from Quebec, others dug in their heels. Shock and disappointment turned to determination, as community members realized that changing the public narrative was a matter of their very survival.
The
film begins as the first anniversary of the tragic attack approaches, and the
community’s activities reach a fever pitch. They plan a four-day commemoration
event that will include public discussions, interfaith prayer, press
conferences, a massive vigil, and an open doors event at the mosque. But behind
the scenes all is not as easy as it seems. For many, the vigil seems like a
political event that will change nothing: one more opportunity for cynical
politicians to pay lip-service to multiculturalism, while doing nothing to
address the underlying problems of racism and Islamophobia.
The
Mosque: A
Community’s Struggle follows the community through the crucible of the
commemoration and beyond, documenting their struggle to assert their rights and
to survive in Quebec. Along the way we learn of their differences, their pain,
their struggle to heal, and above all, their determination and resilience as
Quebecers of the Muslim faith.
The Mosque: A Community’s Struggle | 44 min. | English
Writer & Director: Ariel Nasr
Producer: Sergeo Kirby
Editor: Étienne Gagnon
Music Composer: Kamila Nasr
Sound Design: Michel Gauvin
Animation: Dereck Evernden
Subjects: Boufeldja Benabdallah, Zebida Bendjeddou, Charaf Amhaouch, Mathieu Lajante, Arymen Derbali
loadedpictures.ca – fb.com/WorldWideFilm – fb.com/La.Mosquee.film
ABOUT
THE DIRECTOR
Ariel Nasr is a multiple-award-winning writer, director and producer based in
Montreal, Quebec. His latest film, The
Forbidden Reel, draws on thousands of hours of Afghan films to
trace the history of the 20th Century through the lens of Afghan filmmakers,
and premiered at IDFA, 2019. Past projects include the Canadian Screen Award
winning, The Boxing Girls
of Kabul, the NFB’s Good
Morning Kandahar, and the interactive project, Kabul Portraits. Ariel
earned an Oscar nomination in 2013 for producing the half-hour drama, Buzkashi Boys, shot
entirely on location in Afghanistan. His work encompasses writing, directing
and producing across multiple formats and platforms.
