Events & Gatherings
In Focus: Café Daughter
In Focus: Shelley Niro brings together a selection of six feature films from filmmaker and artist Shelley Niro in conjunction with her retrospective Shelley Niro: 500 Year Itch. This exhibition is on view in Remai Modern’s Marquee Gallery from April to September.
This screening of Café Daughter is free and open to the public, and will feature an introduction and post-film discussion with director Shelley Niro and The Hon. Lillian Eva Dyck, O.C., Senator.
Thursday, May 15, 7 PM
Film: Café Daughter
Director: Shelley Niro
Year: 2023
Runtime: 97 minutes
Country: Canada
Rating: PG
In a small Saskatchewan town in the 1960s, Yvette Wong, a young girl of Chinese and Cree heritage, struggles with her Indigenous identity amidst family tragedy in this coming-of-age film directed by Mohawk artist and filmmaker Shelley Niro. Yvette’s mother, Katherine, discourages her from embracing her Cree identity, so she explores it in secret. As she learns more about herself and her Indigenous heritage, Yvette finds a friend in Maggie Wolf, who embraces being part Mi’kmaq and encourages Yvette to be proud of being Cree. When her classmates learn about her Cree ancestry, Yvette encounters the realities of being Indigenous, facing prejudice with pride and holding fast to her dream of becoming a doctor. Café Daughter is inspired by true events and based on Kenneth T. Williams’ play of the same name.
Event/Exhibition meta autogenerated block.
When
May 15 at 7:00PM–9:00PM
May 15 at 7:00PM – 9:00PM
Shelley Niro, born in 1954 in Niagara Falls, New York, is a multidisciplinary artist and a member of the Turtle Clan of the Kanyen’kehà:ka (Mohawk) Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve. She currently resides in Brantford, Ontario. Niro’s diverse practice includes painting, photography, film, installation, sculpture, and mixed-media works. Her art challenges stereotypical images of Indigenous peoples, advocating for self-representation and sovereignty. Niro’s work is accessible, humorous, and peppered with references to popular culture. She delves into the timeless cultural knowledge and generational histories of her Six Nations community to provide purpose and healing.
Lillian Eva Quan Dyck, OC, scholar, feminist, senator, and advocate for Indigenous rights (born 24 August 1945 in North Battleford, SK). Lillian Dyck was the first Indigenous woman in Canada to earn a PhD in science. She was also the first Indigenous female senator and the first Chinese Canadian senator. During her time in the Senate, she was part of several actions to improve life for Indigenous people in Canada. This includes work on criminal justice and Indigenous education reform, and bills to reinstate Indian Status to women who had lost it based on sexist laws. Dyck was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2021.