April 19th is National Canadian Film Day!
Join Reel Canada and PEN Canada on April 19th at Scotiabank Theatre (259 Richmond St W, Toronto) at 7:00 pm in cinema #8 for a free screening of Deepa Mehta’s adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. As an extra special treat, acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta will join us after the film for a short interview and a Q&A with the audience.
Film Summary
This collaboration between one of Canada’s most fearless directors and Salman Rushdie, one of the world’s most imaginative and controversial novelists, is a film bursting with colour, wit and magic. Two children are born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment that India claimed its independence from Great Britain—a coincidence that has profound consequences on their lives. Switched at birth in the hospital, the boys—one from a wealthy family, the other belonging to a poor single father—must live out each other’s intended fates, their lives strangely intertwined and linked to their country’s journey through the tumultuous 20th century.
Deepa Mehta gained acclaim for her trilogy, Fire, Earth and the Oscar-nominated Water. Her adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children was nominated for eight CSAs. She has also directed Bollywood/Hollywood, Beeba Boys, Anatomy of Violence, and many others. Her most recent film Funny Boy has also won multiple awards, including the CSA for best direction. Most recently, she directed an episode of the series Yellowjackets. She has numerous projects in development as a writer, director and producer.
What is National Canadian Film Day?
CanFilmDay is a massive, one-day, coast-to-coast-to-coast celebration of Canadian cinema!
Why do we need it?
Canadian culture is incredibly diverse.
We’re a small population spread over a vast geography.
We live next to a pop culture behemoth.
And besides all that,
Our winters are cold.
Canadian films tell us about ourselves and our neighbours.
They tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to live in.
National Canadian Film Day gives us an opportunity to share these stories.
Canadian cinema has the power to bring us together.
We hope to see you there!
Text credit: National Canadian Film Day website