Telus produces tons of content through various grants which makes it possible for artists of all mediums to have their art seen or heard by Canadians.
One BC-based project which is being featured by Telus this month is a film that was written and directed by Vancouver-based Jamila Pomeroy.
Pomeroy’s latest project is called “Union Street” and it explores matters of race through the lens of a Black community in Vancouver.
Union Street is a feature length documentary that looks at different generations who all deal with different forms of racism, displacement and the cultural erasure of African-Canadians in BC.
In the 1960s, a Black community in historic Vancouver was destroyed and this film puts that situation under a microscope, showing the systemic mechanisms that wrought its doom.
Union Street shows the concerted efforts of Black Vancouverites to rebuild and reinvigorate their community, their joy and their identity as African Canadians.
It is an original and award-winning documentary that will be available online on February 20th.
There are three other Telus projects that feature Black creators that are being highlighted for Black History Month.
Unshook explores grief and coming of age, Handle with Care details the history of The Notic, an upstart street basketball collective from Vancouver in the early 2000s and lastly, Out There is a short film that follows a young woman from Fort McMurray who received a massive scholarship for science and creative thinking.
“Our work in telling local stories in British Columbia and Alberta would not be complete without those from Black communities in front of and behind the camera,” says Ken Tsui, TELUS Production Executive.
“It continues to be a privilege to support films such as Union Street, Handle with Care, Unshook and Out There.”
Related:
- An interactive exhibit inspired by African history and spiritual practices is coming to Victoria
- Here’s a list of Black History Month events happening at Victoria’s ISSAMBA Centre
