OPTIMISTA: CINÉCONFERENCES FOR A HOPEFUL TOMORROW
PRESENTS
COMPASSION
Saturday, November 19 @ 7 PM
QUAI 5160 – Verdun Cultural Centre
THE SECOND EVENT IN A UNIQUE SERIES OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY CULTURAL EXPERIENCES FEATURING WORLD-RENOWNED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, AWARD-WINNING FILMS, AND EXHIBITIONS & PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL ARTISTS
Montreal non-profit collective Yellow Pad Sessions (YPS) is delighted to present Compassion, the second instalment of its latest cultural event: OPTIMISTA, an ambitious multidisciplinary art project intended to inspire and encourage during uncertain times through a celebration of the human spirit.
On Saturday, November 19(7 PM) at QUAI 5160 – Maison de la Culture Verdun, the evening will feature a screening of two powerful films (the Oscar-winning short The Queen of Basketball and the multiple award-winning animated documentary Flee), a moving keynote address by Afghan-American journalist, novelist, human rights activist, and LGBTQIA+ advocate Nemat Sadat, a humorous and daring performance by dance artist Mélissa Julliet, and a thought-provoking multimedia exhibition by Reihan Ebrahimi. The event will be followed by a cocktail party featuring live DJ sets by the Webbed Feet radio crew with special guest DJ Rafalinio and signature OPTIMISTA cocktails & mocktails.
| “OPTIMISTA’s second evening in its thematic series focuses on compassion. It’s an excellent opportunity to understand why compassion is essential to ending systemic racism, and harmful gender and sexual biases, and how it can inspire a gentler more humanistic approach to forging real human connections. The artists and films featured during the evening of Compassion will carry us along authentic, moving journeys that give pause for thought.” – Grace Sebah Byrne (Co-founder / Executive Director, Yellow Pad Sessions) |
| Nemat Sadat, the evening’s keynote speaker, will be coming in from California to discuss compassion and his LGBTQIA+ advocacy work. Sadat is an Afghan-American journalist, novelist, human rights activist, and former professor of political science at the American University of Afghanistan. Sadat is known for his debut novel The Carpet Weaver, LGBTQIA+ advocacy work, and debunking how members of this community are perceived in the Muslim world, particularly in the context of societal and cultural Islamic attitudes towards homosexuality. Sadat’s experience parallels that of Amin Nawabi, the protagonist of the film Flee, Compassion’s feature film. Flee is the true story of Nawabi who grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband. Told mostly through animation to protect his identity, this story is the first account of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan. The screening includes a special welcome message from Flee‘s director, Jonas Poher Rasmussen. |
Flee will be preceded by the short Oscar-winning film, The Queen of Basketball, an electrifying portrait of the recently deceased Lucy Harris—the first woman to score a basket in Olympic history, who went on to be the first, and thus far, only woman officially drafted into the NBA.
The evening on Compassion will also feature two artistic components: a fine arts exhibition and a dance performance. The interactive multimedia art exhibition titled Loop in Loop by Iranian artist, Reihan Ebrahimi, spotlights ceramic works that explore the complex relationship between conscious and unconscious layers of the mind. The work invites audiences to an interactive immersive experience.
For Compassion’s performance element, dancer Mélissa Julliet will present her humorous and brave piece, Mi Ma. As she undresses with humility, humour, and a nod to mime, the work is a testament to the bravery and compassion one must have for their own body and that of others.
www.optimistamtl.com/event-details/optimista-compassion
OPTIMISTA
Cinéconferences for a Hopeful Tomorrow
Oct. 15, 2022 – Courage
Nov. 19, 2022 – Compassion
Feb. 11, 2023 – Love
Mar. 04, 2023 – Community
Doors at 7 PM / Events at 8 PM
QUAI 5160 – Maison de la Culture Verdun
5160 LaSalle Boulevard, Montreal, QC H4H 1N8
Tickets
$15 → Regular (1 evening)
$13 → Students & 65+ (1 evening)
$55 → Season Pass – Regular (4 evenings)
$48 → Season Pass – Students & 65+ (4 evenings)
Special considerations for those in need with a ‘pay it forward’ program
