Notice Board

For immediate release:

Find out if film can become a bridge on Saturday, January 16 at 7pm at CASA in Lethbridge.  The Story Bridge, a feature documentary filmed by members of Lethbridge’s largest resettled refugee population, will be shown. The film chronicles the migration of refugees from the Himalayas to exile in Nepal followed by resettling and getting established in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.    It was made with the help of University of Lethbridge Master of Arts Candidate, Jeff Bingley. Attending the film and interacting with the Bhutanese community afterwards, offers viewers the chance to have a multicultural experience and learn what it is like to go from being a refugee to becoming a Canadian.

The video began as an attempt to reach between generations that grew up very differently.  Working together, Bingley, and young-adult participants from the Canadian Bhutanese Society began collecting the oral histories of senior community members over a year ago.  They soon discovered that many members of the community were anxious to share not only their history, but also their culture with the citizens of Lethbridge.   Through participation and the use of subtitles the resulting bi-lingual documentary film gives voice to those who would otherwise be unheard and not understood. The filmmaking project attempts to mediate the gap between generations, cultures and places, while helping heal from past losses.

Canadian Bhutanese Society President, Purna Adhikari, will speak about the partnership between the non-profit society and the filmmaking researcher which resulted in the The Story Bridge.  He will also describe some of the supports for integration in Lethbridge.  The audience will hear from some of the filmmakers as well.

Bingley graduated with a BFA in New Media from the University of Lethbridge in 2013 and then became affiliated with two research centres there:  the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, as well as the Centre for Community and Culture.  He  hopes to defend his thesis, explored through this process, in April to graduate in May.  He and several of the Bhutanese community members who worked on the film will be available to visit with guests at the program.

Additional information available from Purna Adhikari, Canadian Bhutanese Society,Lethbridge, Alberta

pnkashyab@gmail.com>

A copy of The Story Bridge may be borrowed by media representatives for review purposes by contacting the researcher, Jeff Bingley (j.bingley@uleth.ca  T. 403.634.9198).

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