Film tells tragic story of early immigrants from India

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Contv1.jpg” caption=”Continuous Journey, an award-winning film by noted film-maker Ali Kazimi”]On Thursday, May 26, McMaster Human Rights and Equity Services, in partnership with OPIRG and MSU Diversity Services, will screen Continuous Journey, an award-winning film by noted film-maker Ali Kazimi.
This complex film uses archival images and documents to tell the story of the ill-fated ship, the Komagata Maru, and its 376 passengers who arrived in Canada in 1914 expecting to be welcomed as British subjects from the eastern edges of the British Empire. However, they were greeted with wide spread racist hysteria and calls for a “White Canada forever”.
Kazimi's film draws powerful connections between Canada and India as differently imagined spaces within the British Empire and charts the ways in which the Komagata Maru incident contributed to the growing anti-colonial sentiment in India.
In an interview, Kazimi explained his motivation to make the film – “Whenever my energy would flag, somebody would say, 'I've never heard of this' and I would say “OK, that's why I have to do this!”
“Continuous Journey is the second film in the two-part film series on Asian Canadian History organized by HRES to honour May as Asian Heritage Month.
Karen Cho's film In the Shadow of Gold Mountain, documenting the struggle to gain compensation for the racist Head Tax imposed on Chinese immigrants, was screened on May 12.
Continuous Journey will be screened at the Ewart Angus Centre (HSC 1A6) at 3:30 p.m. on May 26. The McMaster community is invited to see the film and stay to discuss its significance with fellow audience members.