This Place

Saying goodbye to the community of Kahnawà:ke in which she was raised, budding poet Kawenniióhstha arrives in Toronto to attend university and search for the father she never knew. Conversely, Malai, who lives with her brother in Toronto, has just finished university and is anxiously contemplating her next move. Malai’s future planning is put on hold when her alcoholic father unexpectedly returns, forcing the siblings to confront unresolved traumas.

One fateful day, Kawenniióhstha and Malai cross paths in a laundromat, and a connection is immediate. With both women facing complex family situations, will their connection find the space it needs to develop into something more? Carefully acknowledging the specificity of cultural experience, V. T. Nayan’s impressive debut deftly uses the framework of a love story to explore themes of identity, displacement, and colonialism within Iranian, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), and Tamil communities.

Content Warning: Graphic violence and physical abuse, nudity.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the artists.

ASL interpretation will be provided during the Q&A, and live captioning on screen will be used during the pre-screening announcements.

Total event runtime: 106 min

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We are pleased to provide no barrier FREE admission to the August 11 screening of this film and the same-day screening of Clashing Differences, made possible by support from Downtown Van. Just register for a ticket to secure your seat!