Features
Somalia: Family Motel at Toronto’s Royal Cinema, June 22 to 24
By
Jun 18, 2008 - 9:20:40 AM

"A hard-working Somalian immigrant and her teenage girls fall victim to high rents and payments to other family members back home and slip through the Canadian social safety net into homelessness. This gripping NFB-Instinct Films co-production resurrects the powerful fiction/documentary tradition of alternative drama and introduces the amazing non-actor family of Nargis Jibril and daughters Asha and Sagal." (Montreal Gazette **** four stars)

“Any audience, familiar with the immigrant experience or not, will enjoy the heartbreaking and gripping story of struggle, perseverance and infighting against a backdrop of passive, indifferent and sometimes exploitative characters.”  (The Canadian Immigrant,  Brian J. D’Souza)

Family Motel premiered in New York as part of Museum of Modern Art’s prestigious Canadian Front series.  It recently won the Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance Through Film, from  Les Rendez-vous du Cinema Quebecois. "... this is a film of great cinematographic quality that has extremely rich content and a moving and captivating story," explained the jury.

Written and directed by Helene Klodawsky. Made in collaboration with Hodan Shafici Mohamed. With Nargis, Asha Jibril, Sagal Jibril. Produced by Ina Fichman (Instinct Films) and Ravida Din (NFB).    http://www.nfb.ca/webextension /family-motel/

Royal Cinema

Address: 608 College St. West Toronto M6G 1A1
Phone: (416) 534-5252

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