[BCMA] Cedar and Bamboo Documentary - New Westminster Multicultural Festival

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

Media Release

For Immediate Release

May 10, 2011

Compelling documentary, Cedar and Bamboo featured

at the New Westminster Multicultural Festival

New Westminster, BC - To celebrate and acknowledge the richness brought to
our city by the many different cultures who have made this place their home,
the upcoming Multicultural Festival on May 21 along the Westminster Quay
will be presenting a series of multicultural films in the Fraser River
Discovery Centre's high definition theatre. Among the short films being
presented, the compelling documentary Cedar and Bamboo will be featured.

Cedar and Bamboo explores the rich and complex relationships between
Aboriginal and Chinese people in British Columbia through the lives of four
people who are descendants of both cultures and who have all found different
ways to connect to their Chinese and Aboriginal ancestries. Cedar and
Bamboo's co-director, Kamala Todd, a Metis-Cree filmmaker and community
planner who lives in New Westminster, will be at the feature screening to
introduce the film, and talk about some of the shared histories of Chinese
and Aboriginal people in our region. She will also be on hand to answer
questions and facilitate dialogue after the screening. 

New Westminster is proving to be a leader in promoting cultural diversity.
The spirit of reconciliation with the Chinese community and community-led
efforts to create more resources that tell the Aboriginal stories of our
city are indicative of New Westminster's multicultural spirit. Although this
wasn't always so, Todd recognizes it is rapidly changing. "Over the years,
the Royal City identity has tended to ignore the rich indigenous history and
culture of New Westminster, as well as the long-standing presence of Chinese
and other communities who helped make the city the wonderful place it is
today. As an Aboriginal person living in New West, I am doing what I can to
help widen the story and image of New West to reflect its rich Aboriginal
and multicultural nature." 

Todd has been part of many projects aimed at promoting cultural harmony.
Currently she is working with the City of Vancouver on the Dialogues
Project, which aims to increase cultural exchange and understanding between
First Nations, urban Aboriginal, and immigrant communities. She has been
lending her skills and experience to the recent efforts of staff from the
School District, Fraser River Discovery Centre, and New Westminster Archives
to create educational resources that share Aboriginal stories of New West. 

The Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Society has proudly
partnered up with the City of New Westminster to "Grow the Multicultural
Festival Together," along with title sponsor Scotiabank, and valued
community partners

 

The Fraser River Discovery Centre is an interpretive centre connecting the
communities in discovery and celebration of the living, working Fraser
River. Located along the New Westminster boardwalk at 788 Quayside Drive,
the Discovery Centre is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
Admission is by donation for the exhibit galleries.

 

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For more information, please contact:

 

FRASER RIVER DISCOVERY CENTRE

Catherine Ouellet-Martin, Executive Director

couellet at fraserriverdiscovery.org 604.521.8401 x 102

or Kamala Todd

kamalatodd at gmail.com 604.522.9029

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