Perspective Film Series:

The Lighthouse (2019), dir. Robert Eggers

July 27

5:30 PM | Dome Theatre

Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse (2019) is a psychological horror film set in the late 19th century. It centers around two lighthouse keepers, Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), who are stranded on a remote island off the coast of New England. As the days pass, both men begin to lose their grip on reality. They experience bizarre, hallucinatory visions, and the oppressive isolation on the island seems to push them toward madness.

109 minutes, in English with English subtitles.

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including graphic violence and strong language, which may be triggering for some viewers.

FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

About Perspective Film Series

The 2025 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Associate Curator at Contemporary Calgary. Drawing on Calgary's proximity to the Bow and Elbow Rivers and the role that each of them plays in the city, the series considers the ways in which bodies of water are used and weaponized as markers of land, becoming sites through which power is negotiated, practiced, and enacted. Featuring filmic works from a wide range of geographies and genres – including ethnographic films and artists' films – this year's edition reflects on water as a site of refuge; as a border; as a means to an escape; and as a character in and of itself.

About the Curator

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

The Wind Will Carry Us (1999), dir. Abbas Kiarostami

June 22

5:30 PM | Dome Theatre

A TV crew from Tehran arrives in a remote Kurdish village to film an unusual funeral ceremony but are stymied when the old woman they expect to die clings to life. A fablelike story about professional and personal frustration, this droll drama is the most tantalizingly opaque and allusive of Kiarostami’s films, containing numerous references to poetry and several key figures (including the old woman) who are never seen.

118 minutes, in Farsi with English subtitles.

FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

About Perspective Film Series

The 2025 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Associate Curator at Contemporary Calgary. Drawing on Calgary's proximity to the Bow and Elbow Rivers and the role that each of them plays in the city, the series considers the ways in which bodies of water are used and weaponized as markers of land, becoming sites through which power is negotiated, practiced, and enacted. Featuring filmic works from a wide range of geographies and genres – including ethnographic films and artists' films – this year's edition reflects on water as a site of refuge; as a border; as a means to an escape; and as a character in and of itself.

About the Curator

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

Leviathan (2012), dir. Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor

May 18

5:30 PM | Dome Theatre

On a fishing boat leaving New Bedford, Massachusetts, directors Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor follow a group of unnamed men as they venture out to sea. The film’s pacing mirrors the rhythm of the ocean and the daily routines of the crew, blurring the lines between day and night. The camera follows fish as they are hauled from the ocean in large nets, moving over the deck with waste from the sea, and climbing to the boat’s highest points. Through its experimental style and innovative use of technology, the film challenges traditional documentary filmmaking and redefines what the genre can achieve.

87 minutes.

FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

About Perspective Film Series

The 2025 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Associate Curator at Contemporary Calgary. Drawing on Calgary's proximity to the Bow and Elbow Rivers and the role that each of them plays in the city, the series considers the ways in which bodies of water are used and weaponized as markers of land, becoming sites through which power is negotiated, practiced, and enacted. Featuring filmic works from a wide range of geographies and genres – including ethnographic films and artists' films – this year's edition reflects on water as a site of refuge; as a border; as a means to an escape; and as a character in and of itself.

About the Curator

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Film Screening:

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story (2024), dir. Alison Duke

May 15

Doors: 6:00 PM | Film begins: 6:30 PM
Heather Edwards Theatre

The iconic track “Bam Bam” has become a timeless reggae anthem and one of the most sampled songs in music history. But the powerful voice behind the hit — and the remarkable story of the woman who sang it — remains largely unknown.

In Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story, award-winning filmmaker Alison Duke brings Sister Nancy’s legacy to life through electric tour footage, intimate interviews with artists like Janelle Monáe, Young Guru, and Pete Rock, and rare archival glimpses into the roots of the dancehall movement.

Uplifting and unforgettable, this documentary celebrates a trailblazing artist whose voice broke barriers and whose story is a testament to resilience, authenticity, and the transformative power of music.

FREE with registration.

GIVEAWAY: All registered attendees will be automatically entered to win a pair of tickets to the LOOK25 Gala: Noir Nouveau Cabaret (value: $600), where Sister Nancy will headline a live performance! *You must be in attendance at the screening to be eligible to win.

This film is presented in collaboration with LOOK25 Gala: Noir Nouveau, presented by MAWER, featuring headline performer Sister Nancy. Special thanks to our Entertainment Sponsor, Cowboys Music Festival, for their generous support.

About Sister Nancy

Sister Nancy, aka Muma Nancy, real name Ophlin Russell-Myers, (born Ophlin Russell, 2 January 1962, Kingston, Jamaica) is a dancehall DJ and singer. She is known to the world as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a “dominating female voice for over two decades” on the dancehall scene. One of her most famous songs is “Bam Bam”, labelled as a “well-known reggae anthem” by BBC and a “classic” by The Observer.

First recorded in 1982, Sister Nancy’s Bam Bam took inspiration for its chorus from the Toots And The Maytals’ 1966 song of the same name, while its instrumental sampled Ansel Collins’ 1974 song Stalag 17. The song was produced by Winston Riley and appeared on Nancy’s One, Two album.

Billboard Magazine once noted that Nancy’s “Bam Bam is a strong contender for the title of most sampled reggae song of all time,” while the Rolling Stone cited the song’s extensive list of samples when the publication ranked it at No. 454 on their updated “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list in 2021.

According to WhoSampled, there are 128 songs that have sampled Sister Nancy’s tune, including Famous by Kanye West and Rihanna, BAM by Jay-Z and Damian Marley, Lost Ones by Lauryn Hill, Bomb by Chris Brown featuring Wiz Khalifa, and Do To Me by H.E.R.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

The Sea Ahead (2021), dir. Ely Dagher

April 20

5:30 PM | Dome Theatre

After a long time gone, Jana, a young woman, suddenly returns to Beirut. She finds herself reconnecting with the familiar yet strange life she had once left. As the city's residents fear a possible tsunami, Jana's world begins to unravel.

116 minutes, in Arabic with English subtitles.

FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

About Perspective Film Series

The 2025 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Associate Curator at Contemporary Calgary. Drawing on Calgary's proximity to the Bow and Elbow Rivers and the role that each of them plays in the city, the series considers the ways in which bodies of water are used and weaponized as markers of land, becoming sites through which power is negotiated, practiced, and enacted. Featuring filmic works from a wide range of geographies and genres – including ethnographic films and artists' films – this year's edition reflects on water as a site of refuge; as a border; as a means to an escape; and as a character in and of itself.

About the Curator

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

Solaris (1972), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

March 23

5:30 PM | Dome Theatre

Solaris (1972) is one of Andrei Tarkovsky’s most iconic films. Based on the 1961 novel by Stanisław Lem, the film follows Kris Kelvin, a psychologist sent to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental struggles of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and compulsive obsessions.

166 minutes, in Russian and German with English subtitles

This screening is programmed in conjunction with Rajni Perera and Marigold Santos: Efflorescence / The Way We Wake, on view at Contemporary Calgary until April 6, 2025.

FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

About Perspective Film Series

The 2025 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Associate Curator at Contemporary Calgary. Drawing on Calgary's proximity to the Bow and Elbow Rivers and the role that each of them plays in the city, the series considers the ways in which bodies of water are used and weaponized as markers of land, becoming sites through which power is negotiated, practiced, and enacted. Featuring filmic works from a wide range of geographies and genres – including ethnographic films and artists' films – this year's edition reflects on water as a site of refuge; as a border; as a means to an escape; and as a character in and of itself.

About the Curator

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

The Black Pride Experience: Black Power Queer Magic

Presented by Black Pride YYC and The Cabaret Company

February 13
Heather Edwards Theatre | 5:45-9 PM

Tickets: $10 | This is an 18+ event.

It’s more than an event, it's a movement. February 13th we’re bringing you The Black Pride Experience – a powerful celebration of Black History Month. Prepare to be inspired, uplifted and connected as we honour the incredible legacy of Black excellence, resilience and culture.

Join us for an unforgettable journey through history, art, music and community. We will begin our evening with a special screening of Lovers Rock (2020) by director Steve McQueen. Afterwards join us for a panel discussion with local community leaders Deva Dave, Tyson Bankert and Cheryl Foggo. 

The experience doesn’t stop there! Stick around after for an incredible evening of performances, food, drink and dance. Hosted by musician and hip-hop artist Tea Fannie, this evening is jam-packed with dance by Afro Hause, poetry by Mel Vee, drag by Dmitri Dmitria, and burlesque performances by Prairi Cherri, Stemzzz and Melody Rysing.

Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss The Black Pride Experience.

• Doors: 5:00 PM

• Film: 5:45 PM

• Panel: 7:00 PM

• Performances: 8:00 PM

Sponsored by Annex Ale Project & Simply Caribbean

Panelists

Performers

About Our Partners

The Cabaret Company

The Cabaret Company is Western Canada’s largest cabaret company. Providing world-class entertainment and building vibrant community spaces by embracing diversity in the cabaret arts. Our shows include burlesque, drag, comedy, live music, circus, and more.
From grand ballrooms to your neighbourhood pub, The Cabaret Company offers polished, professional productions with unmatched style and character designed for each unique audience and event.

Snug as a glove and smooth as silk, we offer a world of captivating cabaret, made for you.

Website: www.thecabaretcompany.com

Black Pride YYC 

Black Pride YYC is a Calgary-based organization dedicated to celebrating, uplifting, and empowering the Black 2SLGBTQI+ community. Founded to create safe and inclusive spaces, Black Pride YYC works to amplify Black queer voices and promote a sense of belonging through advocacy, events, and community-building initiatives.

With a mission rooted in equity, intersectionality, and representation, Black Pride YYC curates programs and partnerships that promote visibility, support mental and emotional well-being, and celebrate the richness of Black queer culture.

Wesbite: https://www.blackprideyyc.org/

Perspective Film Series:

Pendatang (2023), dir. Ng Ken Kin

November 24

5:30 PM
Dome Theatre

2023 | Malaysia | 98 mins

Produced by Kuman Pictures in collaboration with Tapir Films, Pendatang (2023) tells the story of a Cantonese-speaking Chinese family forced to move to a rural kampong (village) following the implementation of the fictional Segregation Act in Malaysia, which enforces strict racial segregation among the country’s ethnic groups. As they confront the challenges of adapting to unfamiliar surroundings, each character grapples with their past and the harsh realities of their present. 

Pendatang was entirely crowdfunded. Director Ng Ken Kin expressed concerns that the Film Censorship Board might not have approved the movie for local release.

This film is in Cantonese, Malay, and Tamil with English subtitles.

The screening will be followed by a moderated conversation and Q&A with Dr. Yoke-Sum Wong, Associate Professor of Liberal Studies at the Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts).

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including violence and nudity, which may be triggering for some viewers.

About the Speaker

Dr. Yoke-Sum Wong is an Associate Professor in the School of Critical and Creative Studies at AUArts. Her background is in history and sociology, with a focus on cultural histories and historiography. Having written on postcolonial built environments in Singapore and Malaysia, and architecture and design (including the eurocentrism of the mid-century modern and Isamu Noguchi), she is now working on a new project on the contemporary Asian cultural reckoning with a post-World War II conflict called The Malayan Emergency and the Cold War in the Global South.

About the Curator:

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

The Witch (2015), dir. Robert Eggers

October 20

5:30 PM
Dome Theatre

2015 | USA / Canada | 92 mins

In 1630 New England, panic and despair take over a farmer, his wife, and their children when their youngest son Samuel suddenly vanishes. The family blames Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), the eldest daughter who was watching the boy at the time of his disappearance. With tensions mounting, the family suspects Thomasin of witchcraft, testing the clan's faith, loyalty, and love to one another.

Both chilling and riveting, Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015) is a critique of settler colonialism, illustrating the ways in which the isolation and paranoia of early settlers amplified their fears of the unfamiliar and the Other, reflecting the broader violence and displacement wrought by colonial expansion.

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including depictions of violence, which may be triggering for some viewers.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Curator:

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

The Color of Pomegranates (1969), dir. Sergei Parajanov

September 29

5:30 PM
Dome Theatre

1969 | Soviet Union | 78 mins

Part ethnography, part visual essay, Sergei Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates celebrates Armenian culture through the story of the 18-century troubadour Sayat-Nova, tracing his intellectual, artistic, and spiritual growth through iconographic compositions. The film’s tapestry of folklore and metaphor is a departure from the realism that dominated the Soviet cinema of its era, leading authorities to block its distribution, with rare underground screenings presenting it in a restructured form. At its core, The Color of Pomegranates tells the story of the survival of Armenian culture and people in face of oppression, persecution, and genocide.

This film is Armenian with English subtitles.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Curator:

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Film Screening:

Where the Wild Things Are (2009), dir. Spike Jonze

September 15

5:00 PM
Dome Theatre

Join us for a screening of Where the Wild Things Are (2009), directed by Spike Jonze. Based on Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book of the same name, the film centers on a lonely young boy named Max who sails away to an island inhabited by creatures known as the "Wild Things," who declare Max their king.

The screening will open with a one-minute animation by Marcel Dzama, titled On a wild set (2007), specially created for Jonze while Where the Wild Things Are was in production.

This screening will be preceded by a mask-making workshop for accompanied children aged 5 to 12, from 3-4:30 PM. To register for the workshop, CLICK HERE.

This program is organized in conjunction with Ghosts of Canoe Lake: New Work by Marcel Dzama, on view at Contemporary Calgary until October 27, 2024.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

120 battements par minute (2017), dir. Robin Campillo

August 25

5:30 PM
Dome Theatre

2017 | France | 140 mins

Robin Compillo’s 120 battements par minute (2017) paints a poignant picture of the activism of ACT UP Paris during the 1990s AIDS epidemic. The film interweaves personal stories with collective action as the group campaigns for better treatment and visibility of HIV patients, highlighting the urgency of their fight against government indifference and pharmaceutical corruption. At its core, 120 battements par minute speaks to the power of activism and solidarity in the face of health and social crises, laying bare the emotional and physical toll of advocacy, while also celebrating the resilience and community spirit of those involved.

This film is French with English subtitles.

This Perspective screening is programmed in partnership with SafeLink Alberta. A moderated conversation and Q&A on HIV prevention and advocacy will be held after the screening.

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including strong sexual content and nudity, which may be triggering for some viewers.

About the Speakers:

Mark Randall (he/him/they/them) is the Community Outreach Coordinator at SafeLink Alberta, working towards reducing the risks and harms associated with substance use and sexual activity. Randall was diagnosed with HIV infection in 1988, when the only available treatment option was Zidovudine (more commonly known as AZT). In 1996, having recovered from his near AIDS-related death as a result of new treatment options, he began his work in HIV treatment access, informed consent for clinical trials, and working nationally with the Canadian Treatment Action Council, holding government and pharmaceutical companies to account for their HIV response and treatment of persons living with HIV.

Gerry McConnery (he/him) is the former chair of the Canadian AIDS Society, former vice-chair of AIDS Calgary, and a member of the board of the Alberta Community Council on HIV. He has been living with HIV for 35 years and has been a longtime advocate for persons living with HIV.

About the Curator:

Muriel N. Kahwagi ((she/her)) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

Shame (2011), dir. Steve McQueen

July 28

5:30 PM
Dome Theatre

2011 | UK | 101 mins

Steve McQueen’s Shame follows the seemingly ordinary life of Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender), a successful New Yorker who struggles with sex addiction. His meticulously controlled existence begins to unravel with the arrival of his younger sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), whose presence forces him to confront the cracks in his own life. Brazen yet deeply melancholy, Shame asks us to consider the place that sex occupies in a hyper-capitalist system, and the ways in which power and intimacy are negotiated (and practiced) in and through the body.

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including strong sexual content and nudity, as well as images of/references to self-harm, which may be triggering for some viewers.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her)

Muriel N. Kahwagi is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

The body remembers when the world broke open (2019), dir. Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers

June 30

5:30 PM
Dome Theatre

2019 | Canada | 105 mins

Taking its title from an essay by Billy-Ray Belcourt, The body remembers when the world broke open (2019) follows two Indigenous women from different backgrounds as their worlds collide on a Vancouver sidewalk.

Áila (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) stumbles upon a pregnant young woman, Rosie (Violet Nelson), and soon discovers that she has just escaped an assault by her abusive boyfriend. Áila brings Rosie into her home and, over the course of the evening, the two women navigate the after-effects of this traumatic event.

Mostly shot as a single, continuous long take, The body remembers when the world broke open reflects on the ways in which political violence is inscribed onto the body; and on the visceral nature of the personal and collective memory of those who came before us.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her)

Muriel N. Kahwagi is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Exhibition Tour + Film Screening: Crash (1996), dir. David Cronenberg

June 2

5 PM: Anton Ginzburg: Surface exhibition tour, Morris & Ann Dancyger Observatory Gallery

5:30 PM: Crash film screening, Dome Theater

As we approach the closing of Anton Ginzburg’s exhibition Surface on June 16, join us for a screening of David Cronenberg’s Crash (1996). The screening will take place at 5:30 PM, and will be preceded by a tour of Ginzburg’s solo show at 5 PM, led by Assistant Curator Muriel N. Kahwagi.

About the film:

1996 | Canada | 102 mins

Based on J. G. Ballard's 1973 novel of the same name, David Cronenberg’s Crash follows a film producer who, following a car accident, finds himself drawn into a community of symphorophiliacs who are aroused by car crashes, and tries to reignite his sexual relationship with his wife. Considered to be one of Cronenberg’s most iconic – and most controversial – films, Crash is a reflection on the relationship between humans, technology, sex, and violence.

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including strong sexual content and nudity, as well as depictions of violence, which may be triggering for some viewers.

About the exhibition:

Anton Ginzburg: Surface reflects on the use of technology as it relates to cultural labour, data aesthetics, and machine learning. By employing algorithms to expand on the formal elements of art, its consumption, and transmutation, Ginzburg underlines the ever-evolving meaning of representation, data visualization and automatization in our digital age. On view in the Morris & Ann Dancyger Observatory Gallery until June 16, 2024.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

Beirut the Encounter (1981), dir. Borhane Alaouié

May 12 | 5:30 PM

1981 | Lebanon / Tunisia / Belgium | 101 mins

Beirut, 1977, two years into the Lebanese Civil War.

Zeina (Nadine Acoury) and Haidar (Haitham El Amine) are former university friends who lost touch as Beirut was broken into two halves during the war. When telephone communication is restored between the East and West sides of the city, they attempt to see one another one last time before Zeina moves to the US. The promise of an encounter transforms into poignant confessions to an absent other, with each side of the city trying, in vain, to be heard by the other.

Beirut the Encounter (1981) was restored in 2018 from the original negative by the Royal Film Archive of Belgium – CINEMATEK. The 35mm negative was scanned and digitally restored in 2K. The magnetic soundtrack was also digitized by the Royal Film Archive of Belgium – CINEMATEK.

Selected as part of the Berlinale's official competition in 1982, the film in its restored version screened 40 years later at the 52nd Berlinale Forum.

This screening marks the Canadian premiere of the restored 2K version of the film.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her)

Muriel N. Kahwagi is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

From HAL 9000 to ChatGPT: The lives and failures of AI systems

A conversation with Kathryn Blair and Bryan Cera, moderated by Muriel N. Kahwagi

May 8
5:30 PM | Auditorium

What are some of the considerations that emerge from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in art? What are the broader cultural and societal implications of AI-generated art, including its influence on public perceptions of AI, and the role of emergent technologies in society?

Join us on Wednesday 8 May, 5 PM for an informal conversation on the place that AI occupies in our lives, and its implications across different sectors and forms of labor, from cultural and academic institutions to medical organizations and financial institutions.

Drawing on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey’s (1968) fictional AI character, HAL 9000, the panel will reflect on the reach and abilities – both real and imagined – of AI systems, asking us to (re)consider just how intelligent artificial intelligence is.

This conversation is programmed in conjunction with Anton Ginzburg: Surface, on view in the Morris & Ann Dancyger Observatory Gallery until June 16, 2024.

About the speakers

Kathryn Blair is a PhD candidate in the Computational Media Design program at the University of Calgary. Her work provides contexts in which people can explore the way our societies use algorithmic decision-making through participatory art experiences. She also creates wearable art exploring the relationship between the body and technology using biosensors that control light, sound, and motion. She has participated in the Calgary-based tech fashion show Make Fashion from 2013-2019, and has shown her work in Alberta, British Columbia, China, the US, and Ireland.

Bryan Cera is an artist, designer, and maker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin whose practice explores the intimate and often dysfunctional relationships between humans and their technologies. His studio explorations investigate information and data’s reciprocal relationships to matter and ideas, traversing interactive video installation, wearable electronics, kinetics and robotics, and experimental platforms for digital fabrication. He has contributed to international exhibitions in Australia, Canada, China, Great Britain, Switzerland, and the United States. Cera holds a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Arts, as well as Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Art and Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2016, he founded the Thing Tank – a digital fabrication laboratory dedicated to exploring the integration of emerging technologies into more “traditional” craft and fine arts practices. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Object Making and Emergent Technologies at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, Alberta.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

The Battle of Algiers (1966)

April 28 | 5:30 PM

1966 | Italy / Algeria | 120 mins

Gillo Pontecorvo’s Battle of Algiers (1966) documents the Algerian revolt against the French in 1954-1962 and the armed insurgency against the French colonial powers in Algiers. 

The film follows Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin), a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, who is sent to Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch the uprisings of the Algerian War. There, he faces Ali la Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), who, as the leader of the Front de Libération Nationale (National Liberation Front), directs strategies against the colonial French government occupation. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents.

The screening will be followed by a moderated conversation and Q&A with Matthew Croombs, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and Film at the University of Calgary.

Disclaimer: This film contains difficult subject matter and imagery, including depictions of violence and torture, which may be triggering for some viewers.

FREE for Members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Moderator:
Matthew Croombs (He/Him)

Matthew Croombs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and Film at the University of Calgary. His work focuses on the intersection between documentary film, political modernism, and anti-colonialism, and has been published in Discourse, Cinema Journal, Third Text, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and Screen. At the moment, he is completing a manuscript entitled: Cinema Against State Terror: Documentary Aesthetics and the Algerian War.

About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her)

Muriel N. Kahwagi is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series:

Persepolis (2007)
dir. Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

March 24 | 5:30 PM

2007 | France / Iran | 96 mins

Referencing the historical city of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (2007) is an animated film based upon her autobiographical graphic novel of the same name.

Set against the backdrop of the growing tensions in Iran in the 1970s and 1980s, this coming-of-age film traces Satrapi’s life in pre-and post-revolutionary Iran, as she grows into a punk-loving teenager in Iran. This tender and poignant story intertwines the personal with the political as we see members of her liberal-leaning family detained and executed, all the while bearing witness to the devastating repercussions of the Iran/Iraq war.

FREE for Members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

The 2024 edition of Perspective is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, deconstructing broader moving-image practices through an anti-colonial framework. In particular, this year's Perspective will focus on filmic works from the Caucasus, as well as Southwest Asia and North Africa, a region that continues to grapple with the enduring legacies of colonial violence.

About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her)

Muriel N. Kahwagi is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

Supported by

Perspective Film Series Presents:

Get Out (2017)
Dir. Jordan Peele

Sunday, February 25
5:30-7:30 PM

2017 | USA | 144 mins

Perspective Film Series returns to Contemporary Calgary with a screening of Jordan Peele's Get Out (2017) in celebration of Black History Month.

The film follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), who agrees to meet the family of his white girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) for the first time. As the weekend progresses, their relationship unravels as he uncovers a series of increasingly unsettling discoveries.

Jordan Peele's Get Out subverts classical horror tropes, delivering a scathing social commentary. Equal parts horror and satire, the film is a trenchant critique of neoliberal racism in post-racial America, which casts a shadow over the colonial roots of violence towards people of colour.

This screening will be followed by a moderated conversation and Q&A with Sue-Shane Tsomondo.

This screening is free with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5pm for viewing prior to attending the program.

The 2024 edition of Perspective Film Series is curated by Muriel N. Kahwagi, Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary. The series will feature monthly screenings that amplify voices from the Global South, shedding light on historically marginalized communities.

About the Curator:
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her)

Muriel N. Kahwagi is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.

About the Speaker:
Sue-Shane Tsomondo (she/her)

Sue-Shane Tsomondo is a poet, writer, educator, and the creator of Sue's Stokvel, a multidisciplinary platform that is creating space for Black and African storytelling. In academia, Tsomondo studied International Relations focusing on Sub-Saharan African institutions in governance at the University of Calgary. After adding a minor in English to her course load, she realized her deepest passion was for writing and literature and it has grown into a well-rounded artistic practice that she is using to uplift her communities.

Perspective Film Series Presents:

Beautiful Beings (Berdreymi)
Dir. Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson

Sunday, November 19
5:30-7:30 PM

2022 |  Icelandic  | 123 mins

This month’s perspective focuses on the expressive curiosity and exploration of boyhood and coming-of-age in a society riddled with toxic heteronormativity. How much of who we become is the consequence of coping? What biases do we carry forward in a seemingly happy society? Despite being filmed in Iceland, considered to be the third happiest country in the world, the beautiful and idealized landscape still contains fractured relationships, shame, and violence for young boys on their way to becoming men.

FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members. Our galleries are open 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the events.

Synopsis

Addi, a boy raised by a clairvoyant mother, decides to adopt a bullied misfit into his gang of outsiders. Left to their own devices, the boys explore aggression and violence but also learn about loyalty and love. As the group’s behavior escalates towards life-threatening situations, Addi begins to experience a series of dreamlike visions. Narrated by the desire for more, a seemingly transcendent and omnipresent perspective lives within the lead actor’s dreams, using magic realism as a tool to express the nuances of self-discovery. Can his newfound intuition guide him and his friends back to a safer path, or will they dive irrevocably into further violence?

Genre: Drama
Original Language: Icelandic
Director: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
Producer: Anton Máni Svansson
Writer: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
Distributor: Altered Innocence

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.

FILM SCREENING:

I GIACOMETTI (2023)
A documentary by Susanna Fanzun

Thursday, November 9
Doors: 7:00 PM | Film: 7:30 PM

Prepare to embark on a captivating journey to the rugged Swiss mountain valley of Bergell, the birthplace of artistic genius. We are thrilled to present the remarkable documentary, I GIACOMETTI (2023), directed by Susanna Fanzun, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver.

The Engadine director Susanna Fanzun follows the traces of the Giacometti family and takes on a journey to the roots of their creativity. Masterful paintings paired with sketches, personal letters, contemporary witnesses and breathtaking images of the alpine landscapes let us take a deep dive into the inner workings of this impressive family.

FREE with registration. 

Synopsis

The rugged, mysterious Swiss mountain valley of Bergell brought forth an extraordinary artistic dynasty: the Giacomettis. Starting from the father Giovanni, who is considered as one of the first impressionists, to the children Alberto, Diego, Otilia and Bruno, they were all endowed with an impressive artistic talent. Above all the world-famous sculptor, painter and engraver Alberto, who revolutionized the world of art with his thin sculptures. Annetta, the strict mother was a calming influence within the circle of her loved ones and kept the family together from within. The intensive family bond, embedded in the barren alpine landscape, was a special prerequisite for the unfolding of their artistic work. Exchanges with other cultures and living in metropolises shaped their lives and work. The Engadine director Susanna Fanzun follows the traces of the Giacometti family. Masterful paintings – paired with sketches, personal letters, contemporary witnesses and breathtaking images of the alpine landscapes – let us take a look into the inner workings of this impressive family.

Creativity and Conservation: How art can inspire a movement

Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Join Contemporary Calgary and Y2Y (Yukon to Yellowstone Conservation Initiative) for a special evening that begins with the screening of the film There Is A Place On Earth by Ellen van den Honert, followed by a panel with guest speakers Harvey Locke, Ellen van den Honert, and a special guest, moderated by Joseph Lougheed. The conversation unfolds around our engagements with nature, and the ways in which art inspires conservation efforts.

Sponsored by Tom Plunkett at Raymond James.

Director’s Statement

The seeds for this film started when it really sank in that 60% of the wildlife on earth has disappeared in my lifetime alone! I felt a great sense of sadness and anger, but especially defeat. So, what can one person do?

It was a small painting of a giraffe that first spoke to me, and gave me the courage to get on my way to discover something I could do to help preserve wild lands and animals.

Being a singer and songwriter myself, I turned my attention to art. I got very curious how artists relate to wilderness conservation. But I wanted to look beyond the usual view of artists being inspired by nature in their work. I was curious to find out how artists can create results in conservation through their work.

With that in mind, I set out to profile diverse artist/conservationists around the world - and this turned into a feature-length documentary. In the process, the viewer experiences a unique, intuitive connection to the wild – and the necessity to protect it.

For me, it’s clear we need new solutions to existing problems. In ‘There Is A Place On Earth’ I strive to do more than simply present the case to save wild lands and wild animals, as do most nature documentaries. Instead I wanted to provide viewers with a vehicle to help them evaluate and understand their own relationship to wild nature and wildlife.

Science can help us protect wilderness, yes, but it may fall to artists to help us find the reason why!

Panelists

Ellen van den Honert

Ellen van den Honert holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam. She has worked internationally as a music teacher, project manager, and entrepreneur, while also managing a career as a songwriter and performing artist, successfully releasing the critical acclaimed albums, Breath of the Soul (2006), and Hummingville (2010). In 2015, Ellen established the Wild About Music Foundation dedicated to promoting the synergy of art and conservation. This led to the production of her first feature-length documentary, There Is A Place On Earth, exploring the role of artists in wilderness conservation on a beautiful and poetic journey around the world.

Harvey Locke

Harvey is co-founder and Strategic Advisor to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. He served as President or Vice President of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society for 17 years and is currently its Senior Advisor, Conservation. He is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and co-founded the Nature Needs Half movement. A native of the Calgary-Banff area of Canada, Harvey is globally known for his work on wilderness, national parks and large landscape conservation from Yellowstone to Yukon and beyond. Named by Time Magazine as one of Canada’s leaders for the 21st century, he was recently awarded the Fred M. Packard International Parks Merit Award by the IUCN, a prestigious global award that recognizes his extensive conservation work. Harvey has led work on major private lands conservation projects for connectivity, national park creation and management, climate change and nature conservation, and he was a member of the executive committee for the World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) held in Merida, Mexico, in 2009.

Perspective Film Series Presents:

Sweet Dreams
Directed by Ena Sendijarevic

Sunday, October 22nd | Doors: 5pm

2023 |  Dutch   | 102 mins

This month’s perspective explores major cultural themes related to Europe's troubled colonial history. Viewers will gain insight into the complex dynamics of colonialism, racism, and exploitation during the colonial era in the Dutch East Indies. Through a postmodern mix of satire, surrealism, and cinematic lyricism, the film delves into the consequences of colonialism as a prosperous sugar plantation family faces disruption and confronts the Indigenous people who resist subjugation. The film's use of the 1.33:1 Academy ratio and its division into chapters provide a contemporary prism for critiquing historical racism and exploitation, highlighting the enduring impact of colonialism on society and individuals.

FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members. Our galleries are open 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the events.

Synopsis

Sweet Dreams, directed by Ena Sendijarević in 2023, is a captivating and satirical film set against the backdrop of a sugar plantation in colonial-era Indonesia. The story unfolds on a remote island in the Dutch East Indies during the twilight of the colonial era, focusing on the lives of Dutch plantation owner Jan and his wife, Agathe. Their lives of privilege are disrupted when Jan unexpectedly passes away upon returning from a visit to his native concubine, Siti.

In a bid to preserve her position and privileges, Agathe compels her estranged son Cornelius and his pregnant wife, Josefien, to travel from Europe and assume control of the family business. Amid a backdrop of a workers' uprising, Cornelius introduces his vision for progressive change. However, complications arise when Jan's will places Siti at the forefront of the family estate, testing the strength of ideals against the bonds of blood.

Described as a "gorgeous, sardonic portrait of colonial decline," "Sweet Dreams" masterfully combines absurdity, satire, and surrealism to shed light on the complexity of Dutch-colonial dynamics. Director Ena Sendijarević's film emphasizes the banality of evil and serves as a thought-provoking mirror reflecting the present world while avoiding simplistic victim-hero narratives. The film is a testament to Sendijarević's talent in crafting compelling narratives that challenge conventional perspectives on history and power dynamics.

Genre: Drama
Original Language: Dutch
Director: Ena Sendijarevic
Writer: Ena Sendijarevic
Runtime: 1h 42m

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.

Canadian Premiere Screening

Discovering Oscar Cahén: The Warrior

A documentary film by Howard Brull

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Location: Theatre
Doors: 6:00 p.m.
Screening: 7:00 p.m.
Q & A: 8:00 p.m.

Free with registration.

Beverages will be available for purchase during pre and pos-event receptions.

TrépanierBaer in collaboration with the Cahén Archives and Feheley Fine Arts is pleased to present the Canadian premiere of Discovering Oscar Cahén: The Warrior, a documentary film by Howard Brull. Over two years in the making, this documentary presents insightful and relevant observations on the life and career of the prolific artist Oscar Cahén and his pivotal painting, The Warrior (1956).

The documentary features commentaries by Sarah Milroy (Chief Curator, McMichael Canadian Collection); Dr. Jaleen Grove (Assistant Professor Rhode Island School of Design and author Oscar Cahén, Life & Work), Dr. Sara Angel: Art Canada Institute (ACI); Michael Cahén (The Cahén Archives); Yves Trépanier (TrépanierBaer Gallery) and artist David Urban, among others.

After Oscar Cahén’s untimely death at the age of 40 in 1956, most of his work was out of view, and seldom seen by the public. His works remained in storage for more than six decades; exhibitions and discussion about his work were intermittent.

In recent years, however, a renewed interest in Oscar Cahén has inspired exhibitions and accompanying scholarly publications, namely Oscar Cahén published in 2017 to accompany the eponymous solo exhibition curated by the late Jeffrey Spalding and organized by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Through this new documentary, Oscar Cahén’s life and career are succinctly presented to a new generation of audiences, along with his pivotal painting, The Warrior, the largest and one of Cahén’smost remarkable paintings.

Biography

Oscar Cahén was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1916. He studied art during his teens, in Dresden Paris, and Berlin and by 1937, worked and taught at the Rotter School of Advertising and Art in Prague, Czech Republic.

Several days before the Nazi occupation of Prague in 1939 Oscar and his mother Eugenie made a narrow escape to England. He arrived in Québec from England in 1940, as an unwilling refugee and interned in a prisoner of war camp near Sherbrooke, Québec. Released in 1942, Oscar worked for the Montréal Standard. In 1944 he moved to Toronto, where he began his career as an illustrator. In just a few short years, Oscar made a name for himself as an art director, cutting-edge illustrator, and painter.

Oscar’s graphic flair made him one of Canada’s most celebrated and sought-after illustrators. His CV lists no less than 37 Maclean’s magazine cover illustrations, and his illustrations appeared in 140 of their 192 issues.

In 1953, he co-founded the renowned artists’ collective Painters Eleven alongside some of the most significant names in Canadian art: Jack Bush, Ray Mead, Harold Town, Alexandra Luke, and Kazuo Nakamura to name a few.

The list of exhibitions between 1953 and 1954 is astounding. Oscar’s work was featured in over 22 exhibitions including the Canadian representation of the 2nd Biennale de São Paulo Brazil (1953- 54). His influence was widespread. At the height of it all, Oscar’s career was cut short; he tragically passed away in an automobile accident in 1956. Almost all of his work completely disappeared from public view.

“Never is it easy to explain the complexities that nurture the sudden emergence of an art movement which breaks abruptly

with the restrictive pressures of its past. However, there is no question whatsoever that Oscar Cahén had a notably

significant impact upon the development of the young men who were to group together as Painters Eleven. He was, after

all, a worldly experienced man whose technical facility as an artist was surpassed, if possible, by his vitality as a companion. For a young Canadian dealing with the conflict of breaking with the literal representational traditions of his immediate past, Oscar Cahén’s agility in moving back and forth between literal drawings and bold abstract paintings must have been a consolation as well as an example.

Who could doubt the strength of his abstract compositions in which form, and space were dealt with in new terms even as colour was handled with a flamboyance that must have almost seemed, at times, a joyful scandal. This new Canadian indeed made a great contribution to his new home...

No-one can deny that, the art historical fact of the importance of his influence being put aside, Oscar Cahén was essentially a splendid imaginative figure.”

Dr. Evan H. Turner, Director
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1968

Perspective Film Series Presents:
Short Film Series

Sunday, September 10th | 5:30-7:30 PM

This month’s perspective brings together a collection of short films that focus on the human body in movement and growth. These short films link topics in childhood and adolescence, love and loss, and structure to liberation through the expressive body in forms of dance and sport, literal and metaphorical horticulture, and in recollection or future memory. Marked by breathtaking visual properties and enriched by robust musical compositions, these films are sensorily stimulating, clever, and otherworldly.  

INCLUDING THE FILMS:

• WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE
  Directed by: Darion Trotman
  2023 | English (Canada) | 14  mins

• MEAN HAKEEM
  Directed by: Evan Bourque
  2022 | English (Canada) | 6 mins

• FLOWERBOY
  Directed by: Thomas Hütte & Nicolas Schönberger
  2022 | German (Germany) | 9 mins

• REUNION
  Directed by: Natalie Vargas
  2023 | English (Calgary) | 13 mins

FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members. Our galleries are open 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the events.

Where Do We Go From Here (IAMTHELIVING x Teon Gibbs, directed by Darion Trotman) 

2023 | English (Canada) | 14  mins

Where do we go from here is a visual film speaking on the realities and issues of the world, and segregating these issues and singularly dealing with them only distances us as a human race and creates mass amounts of individual pain and suffering with no chance of change, or hope of betterment. If we approached issues such as war, police brutality, substance abuse, and mental health as human issues of the collective world rather than an individual group of people, or more specifically a sole person problem, and we joined forces to find solutions for these issues we might just get somewhere…

It usually takes one anomaly, one person to try something new and bring about change for the others believe it is possible.

Mean Hakeem (Asim Overstands, Vince Raquel, and Kiran Sthankiya) 

2022 | English (Canada) | 6 mins

Contains scenes with violence and drug use. 

Mean Hakeem tells the story of UFC fighter Hakeem Dawodu. The film describes his journey to overcome abuse, poverty, and drug addiction to become one of Canada’s highest ranked fighters in the UFC.

Flowerboy (Thomas Hütte & Nicolas Schönberger)

2022 | German (Germany) | 9 mins

Flowers are like people. Take care of them and they will blossom." To Flowerboy his customers' feelings are an open book. For every emotion he got the proper flower in store. Yet, as he effortlessly fills other peoples' vases his own remains empty. Only when a customer gifts a flower to him, Flowerboy must concede what he denied so far: his inability to feel. He must become his own vase's flower. A realization that takes him on a journey... And a tender feeling is what remains in the end.

Reunion (Natalie Vargas)

2023 | English (Calgary) | 13 mins

Reunion highlights the agency of Black joy and collective nostalgia to invite an exploration of how cross-generational exchange may be initiated through the visceral act of remembrance.

The development of the film was made possible through the support of The GRAND YYC, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Calgary Arts Development Authority and Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Credits:

Ideation and Embodiment by Cindy Ansah & Tiara Matusin in collaboration with Christahh Ahh, Jared Tobias Herring & Mpoe Mogale of NAPPY Dance Collectives featuring Michèle Moss

Directed by Natalie Vargas

Videography and Editing by Jesse Klein-Waller

Music: I Don’t Want Nobody by Eddie Harris

The development of the film was made possible through the support of The GRAND YYC, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Calgary Arts Development Authority and Alberta Foundation for the Arts. 

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.

Perspective Film Series

The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), Directed by Tran Anh Hung

Sunday, August 13th | 5:30-7:30 PM
1993 |  Vietnamese (Vietnam)  | 144 mins

This month’s perspective focuses on connection in our most silent, yet intimate moments. In a curious composition, the cinematography of this film, the setting of Vietnam, and the chemistry of the actors tells a poetic and delicate story of life: it always goes on. Despite being a film with mere minutes of dialogue, we gain a sense of the everyday life of people, emphasizing the shifts that take place in life as we strive for contentment.

FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members. Our galleries are open 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the events.

Synopsis: The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)

The movie takes place in two timelines, separated by ten years. In the first section, the film revolves around, and follows a young girl ‘Mui', who arrives to work at an affluent Vietnamese household in Saigon, in 1951. She is a curious and sensitive young girl, attuned to the sounds of the world, that of small insects, of trees and other minutest qualities of nature within the confines of the property: a two-storey house with a sprawling compound of green that serves to highlight the dichotomy of the space, of gender as well as class,

In the second section, ten years later, Mui is a young woman of twenty, who now works at a wealthy pianist's home, a friend of the older son at her earlier home and someone she has admired from young. 

Over the course of the two timelines, the film documents the life of Mui intersecting with the decline of a once-prosperous household plagued by the indiscretions of men and the suffering of women, and then gradually moving on to work in another place, occupying space with a man and his fiance.

Genre: Drama
Original Language: Vietnamese
Director: Tran Anh Hung
Producer: Christophe Rossignon
Writer: Tran Anh Hung
Distributor: First Look, Cine Company S.A.

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.

Perspective Film Series Presents:

I Am Not a Witch (2017), Directed by Rungano Nyoni 

Sunday, July 23rd | 5:30-7:30 PM
2017 |  (Zambia, United Kingdom)  | 93 mins

This month’s perspective introduces audiences to ideas of spirituality that are often viewed with hesitation or fear within Western ideologies. Presented as majoritively satirical, this film questions the power of and control over children, the notions of female agency, and the abuse of influence.  

At the same time, as Canada is a nation that is in the process of learning to understand Indigenous spirituality,  we encourage viewers to consider approaching global notions of indigeneity. How do indigenous nations around the world develop relationships to their environments? How do they respond to outside influence? How have Western biases influenced how we perceive indigenous beliefs beyond our own regions and treaties? 

FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members. Our galleries are open 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the events.

Synopsis: I Am Not a Witch (2017)

“The debut film by Rungang Nyoni is a surreal and tragic social satire on womanhood and voyeurism, set in contemporary Zambia.”

- Naomi Keenan O'Shea, MUBI, 07 SEP 2018

In a remote Zambian village, 9-year old orphan Shula is accused of witchcraft, faced with an unfortunate ultimatum: to live a tethered life as a sorceress, or to cut her ties with local tradition and be transformed into a goat that may be killed and eaten for supper. Battling with this choice under exile in a witch camp run by a corrupt government official, as the only child witch, Shula is exploited by adults for financial gain. Showcasing magic and misogyny, this film uses satire to expose the conditions of women in girls in a country with a history of witch camps. 

Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Producer: Juliette Grandmont, Emily Morgan
Writer: Rungano Nyoni
Distributor: Film Movement

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.

Perspective Film Series Presents:

Happiness (Baqyt) (2022), Directed by Askar Uzabayev

Friday, May 5th @ 7:00pm
2022 | Kazakh, Russian (Kazakhstan) | 131 mins

The fabricated and seemingly perpetual curation of happiness on social media creates a disillusioned society upon which we become dependent, consuming realities superficially. What exists on the other side, why do we turn to social media as a way to cope or escape? May’s perspective looks at the corrosivity of domestic violence and the frequency of which women in Kazakhstan suffer in their homes, as well as the means they take to seek relief.

Our galleries are open  12-7PM for viewing prior to attending the event.

Synopsis: Happiness (Baqyt) (2022)

A woman is standing in front of the mirror. She is beautiful and has a striking face and strong cheekbones. She is bracing herself, a last vestige of self-respect driving her on. Her body is black and blue from the marks of many years of abuse. She swathes it in the orange dress that represents her working life. In this world she is a successful influencer promoting a product line called “Happiness” that – as she demonstrates in her hypnotic sales pitches – is supposed to make women attractive and happy. But terror reigns at home; it even reigns in her newlywed daughter’s house too. A self-determined life is something about which a woman in Kazakhstan dares not even dream. 

Askar Uzabayev’s deceptively calm, demanding and persistent work examines the worldwide phenomenon of domestic violence, breaking it down here in the context of misogynistic Kazakh rituals. This film will leave its mark on anyone prepared to face the brutality of the average (married) man and the spiral of repression it causes. Having the courage not to look away and instead to speak out and fight back is precisely what this film is about. Bayan Maxatkyzy, a TV blog celebrity with millions of followers, has shown the way forward. Baqyt, which she produced herself, is a legacy to this.

(Berlinale Festival Description)

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.

Perspective Film Series Presents:

Embrace of the Serpent (2015), Directed by Ciro Guerra

Friday, April 14th @ 7:00pm
2015 | Cubeo, Huitoto, Ticuna, Wanano, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Catalan, Latin, English (Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina)  | 125 mins

April’s perspective explores the tension of difference in relationship with the inevitability of need. Consider each element of the environment to be a character in the story, just as Indigenous belief suggests, and then imagine being foreign and precedently dangerous within this sphere, yet dependent on it. How does a foreign substance known to be lethal to the environment convince fellowship?

Our galleries are open  12-7PM for viewing prior to attending the event.

Synopsis: Embrace of the Serpent (2015)

Inspired by the true diaries of In the early 1900s, a young shaman in the Colombian Amazon helps a sick German explorer and his local guide search for a rare healing plant.

Genre: Adventure, History, Drama

Original Language:Spanish

Director: Ciro Guerra

Producer: Cristina Gallego

Writer: Ciro Guerra, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal

Distributor: Oscilloscope Pictures

About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)

Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.