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24 Days in Brooks
Description
In a decade, tiny Brooks, Alberta has been transformed from a socially
conservative, primarily Caucasian town to one of the most diverse places in
Canada. Hijabs have become commonplace, downtown bars feature calypso and
residents speak 90 different languages.
Immigrants and refugees have flocked here to work at Lakeside Packers -
one of the world's largest slaughterhouses.
Centring on the 24 days of the first-ever strike at Lakeside, this film
is a nuanced portrait of people working together and adapting to change. They
are people like Peter Jany Khwai, who escaped war in Sudan, wears an African
shirt and a cowboy hat, and affirms his Canadian identity as well as his
determination to fight for his rights. Or Edil Hassan, a devout Muslim born in
Somalia, who counts her hours of organizing and picketing among her proudest
moments.
As 24 Days in Brooks shows, people from
widely different backgrounds can work together for respect, dignity, and
change - even though getting there is not easy.
24 Days in Brooks was produced as part of the
Reel Diversity Competition for emerging filmmakers of colour. Reel Diversity
is a National Film Board of Canada initiative in partnership with CBC
Newsworld.
2007, 42 min 03 s
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