It's All Relative
Short Films
This year, we will be screening shorts from It’s All Relative at Paradise Cinemas, 1006 Bloor St W, Toronto. Screenings will be held on Friday, November 3rd at 2:30PM (61 Minutes).
Following the screening will be a Q&A.
100 Days
13 MINUTES | ENGLISH, CANTONESE | CANADA
A tradition in Asian cultures when a newborn baby turns 100 days old, family and friends celebrate over a banquet style dinner welcoming the baby into the world. An unexpected guest arrives and a bowl of red bean dessert soup causes tensions to boil over in this modern day family dramedy.
Mixed Feelings
11 MINUTES | ENGLISH | CANADA
Tracey is biracial. While celebrating his graduation, both sides of his family fight so hard for his attention that they split him into two ... literally. Unable to undo the split, the family tries to decide which Tracey deserves to remain, the one with black or white skin.
Meeting Amy
14 MINUTES 28 SECONDS | ENGLISH | CANADA
Meeting Amy is a story about two half-siblings who meet for the first time. Ray and Amy, both children from two separate failed marriages, share the same enigmatic father who’s an absent figure in both of their lives.
Dating Indian
9 MINUTES | ENGLISH | CANADA
Tara is under pressure from her parents to have Native kids so the race doesn’t die out; which is a lot of pressure to put on someone. She thinks she finds a Native boyfriend in Chris but at dinner before meeting her parents, he points out that he’s not Native. It’s not that he’s pretending to be Native, it’s that he’s got dark skin and high cheekbones so her wishful thinking filled in the blanks. Worried about her parents, Tara tries to convince Chris to pretend to be Indian, which goes against his beliefs.
The Mothers Seat
10 MINUTES | ENGLISH | CANADA
Believing that she has received a sign from her deceased mother, Veera tries to bring her family back together by cooking the mother’s dhal for her younger sister and withdrawn father. As she cooks, Veera is overwhelmed both by her discomfort in the kitchen as well as the memories of her elegant mother.
Family. Whether we like it or not, our lives are bound to them. We love them. We make concessions big and small for them—to nurture, appease… or even survive them. And so these relationships are enduring in our lives. Whether navigating an overwhelming family dinner like in 100 Days, unpacking your biracial identity like in Mixed Feelings, having coffee with a new sibling like in Meeting Amy, planning your future with a new lover like in Dating Indian, or mourning the loss of a loved one, like in The Mother’s Seat, these filmmakers show us that understanding family helps us better understand ourselves. It may not always be an enjoyable experience, but for the audience, it’s beautiful to watch. - Aisha Evelyna