It reveals the then deep rooted racist nature of canadian immigration policies which sought to build a homogenous nation of white immigrants. As parliament passes sweeping, repressive immigration legislation, toronto filmmaker ali kazimis timely book, undesirables, is a welcome and necessary contribution that should be required reading not only for jason kenney and his cohorts, but also those goodhearted folks who claim the new law violates canadas mythic humanitarian traditions. In may 1914, the komagata maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from british india, was turned away when it tried to land in vancouver harbour. Prof hopes komagata maru apology acknowledges canadas. The book was a finalist for both, the 2012 vancouver book award and the roderick haigbrown regional prize in the 20 bc book prizes.
Ali kazimi historical story of the ship komagata maru and canada. A journey with jeffrey thomas 1997 and continuous journey 2004. Twelve books that challenge canadas colonial history. White canada and the komagata maru an illustrated history. Ali kazimi born 1961 is a canadian filmmaker, media artist and writer. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. The linked data service provides access to commonly found standards and vocabularies promulgated by the library of congress.
White canada and the komagata maru 2012, and fair play 2014, a 3d video installation currently on view at the surrey art gallery until june 8, 2014. Ali kazimi is an awardwinning filmmaker, critically acclaimed writer and visual artist. Over the past two decades he has engaged with this history thru a feature documentary, continuous journey 2004, a book, undesirables. White canada and the komagata maru, an illustrated history, is a welcome and necessary contribution that should be required reading not only for jason kenney and his cohorts, but also those goodhearted folks who claim the new law violates canadas mythic humanitarian. Announced by the canada council for the arts on feb. Torontobased filmmaker and new media artist ali kazimi has dealt with the issue in his documentary continuous journey, and a book. Ali kazimi is an indiaborn, torontobased awardwinning filmmaker whose career spans over two decades. Komagata maru history vividly revisited in ali kazimis undesirables. White canada and the komagata maru an illustrated history 2012 references. Join facebook to connect with ali kazimi and others you may know. The images of detained south asian migrants in cages, and protests against canadas immigration rules, are jarringly familiar.
White canada and the komagata maru film maker ali kazimi documents the tragic saga of expulsion of indian immigrants who had wanted to make canada their home in 1914. And, to be honest, i had only found out about it recently, when my mom showed me a book written by ali kazimi called undesirables. Professor ali kazimi earns governor generals award in. Professor kazimi s most recent publication is the book undesirables. Ali kazimi, who made a documentary about the komagatu maru, has created a book full of stunning photographs from the period, a reminder for canadians that diversity is not easy to accomplish.
In 2014, dream arteries, written by phinder dulai, was published by talon books. The story of vancouvers legendary penthouse nightclub, ali kazimi s undesirables. White canada and the komagata maru in may 1914, the komagata maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from british india, was turned away when it tried to land in vancouver harbour. As parliament passes sweeping, repressive immigration legislation, toronto filmmaker ali kazimis timely book, undesirables. May 23, 1914, the komagata maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from british india, was turned away when it tried to land in vancouvers harbour. Such photographs of struggle and oppression form the stirring backbone for awardwinning filmmaker ali kazimis book, undesirables. As a filmmaker and, later as a writer, i have been exploring how we remember, through the preservation of material objects for the past couple of decades. Mar 30, 2012 the characters are skilfully drawn, and kazimi shows the documentarians deft hand in capturing the emotions on all sides. White canada and the komagata maru, an illustrated history, is a welcome and necessary contribution that should be required reading not only for jason kenney and his cohorts, but also those goodhearted folks who claim the new law violates canadas mythic humanitarian traditions. This photograph has been reproduced widely in activities that commemorate the komagata maru incident. Ali kazimi recounts komagata maru incident in undesirables.
Expanding on his film on the same subject, continuous journey, the book addresses an infamous incident in canadian history, when a ship carrying migrants from british india was turned away when it tried to land in vancouver harbour in 1914. May 26, 2012 ali kazimi, who made a documentary about the komagatu maru, has created a book full of stunning photographs from the period, a reminder for canadians that diversity is not easy to accomplish. For example, it is featured in ali kazimi s documentary film continuous journey 2004, and his subsequent book undesirables. The nine muses by john akomfrah, canadian beer news dinner series, the day after peace, and ali kazimi s undesirables book launch. Photoanjula gogia in the summer of 1998, shortly after she won the booker, india carried out a series of nuclear tests and gatecrashed the international nuclear power club. White canada and the komagata maru by ali kazimi the history of south asians in canada is rarely discussed in depth, yet it spans a couple of centuries.
Kazimi, chair of yorks department of cinema and media arts, came to canada in 1983 from india. Professor ali kazimi is filmmaker, writer, and visual artist whose work deals with race, social justice, migration, history, memory and archive. Ali kazimi an awardwinning documentarist recounts one of the most infamous events in canadian history. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional.
White canada and the komagata maru, an illustrated history. In 2011, ali kazimi authored the nationally acclaimed book, undesirables. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Undesirables book vancouver public library bibliocommons.
Join awardwinning filmmaker and author ali kazimi in conversation with audrey macklin at the book launch of undesirables. A s parliament passes sweeping, repressive immigration legislation, toronto filmmaker ali kazimis timely book, undesirables, is a welcome and necessary contribution that should be required reading not only for jason kenney and his cohorts, but also those goodhearted folks who claim the new law violates canadas mythic humanitarian traditions. Aug 31, 2012 undesirables is a sincere research, a textual fossil of incidents related with migration to canada and a thoughtprovoking book of the year that will sail you through many historical and political waves. Professor ali kazimi earns governor generals award in visual.
Such photographs of struggle and oppression form the stirring backbone for awardwinning filmmaker ali kazimi s book, undesirables. The official book launch will take place on tuesday, may 22 at 7. Undesirables white canada and the komagata maru an illustrated history is a different book in many ways. Canada apologizes for racist incident 100 years after. Undesirables is a sincere research, a textual fossil of incidents related with migration to canada and a thoughtprovoking book of the year that will sail you through many historical and political waves. Born and raised in india, he came to canada in 1983. Associate professor in the department of film at york university. Our annual roundup includes books about places far flung from central america to palestine on diverse topics from art to politics but always with an activist twist.
We feature excerpts from the awardwinning documentary on the komagata maru incident, continuous journey, and speak with its director, ali kazimi, who is also author of the book, undesirables. The poetry book begins with a suite of poems that utilize archival records, public repositories, and online uploaded material never. Komagata maru exhibit recalls ship that was turned away. The characters are skilfully drawn, and kazimi shows the documentarians deft hand in capturing the emotions on all sides. It is a sumptuous coffeetable book with wonderful illustrationsincluding many fullcolour images from graphic art and documents of the periodand a succinct and fascinating account of the. His point of view films address a wide range of social, environmental and historical issues. White canada and the komagata maru grew out of kazimis 2004 television documentary continuous journey, about the komagata maru incident, and there is no denying the quality of the product. Guided by nostalgia, instinct and an accumulation of residual proofsdocuments, diaries, photos, furniture, shards of memoryhe reconstructs a cultural history that is not merely past, but virtually extinct. Professor ali kazimi interviews award winning arundhati roy to a sold out audience in toronto. In may 1914, the komagata maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from bri. One such incident is that of the komagata maru, an incident that ali kazimi explores in his book undesirables.
Transformative and radicalizing reflections on the archive by ali kazimi. White canada and the komagata maru an illustrated history 2012. White canada and the komagata maru, an illustrated. It is a sumptuous coffeetable book with wonderful illustrationsincluding many fullcolour images from graphic art and documents of. Is there any canadian writer who contemplates the meaning of time with greater distinction and intellectual grace than m. Ali kazimi is a cinematographer and director, known for random acts of legacy 2016, shooting indians. Expanding on his film on the same subject, continuous journey, the book addresses an infamous incident in canadian history, when a ship carrying migrants from british india was turned away when it tried to land in. White canada and the komagata maru story, expo ses this dark and o ften forgotten episode in canadian h istory. Professor kazimis most recent publication is the book undesirables.
The sikh challenge to canadas colour bar vancouver. Mar 14, 20 also nominated for the regional prize are aaron chapman for liquor, lust and the law. In my opinion, this is not the level of understanding students should have of major acts of discrimination in their countrys history. A detail of gurdit singh and the young boy is in a painting by the singh twins commissioned. White canada and the komagata maru story, exposes this dark and often forgotten. In 1914, a ship carrying 376 potential immigrants, mostly sikh indians, to canada was delayed, and then eventually turned away. In 2012, kazimi authored the nationally acclaimed book, undesirables. White canada forever courtesy of ali kazimi and phil strong.
Jul 12, 2012 as parliament passes sweeping, repressive immigration legislation, toronto filmmaker ali kazimi s timely book, undesirables, is a welcome and necessary contribution that should be required reading not only for jason kenney and his cohorts, but also those goodhearted folks who claim the new law violates canadas mythic humanitarian traditions. Komagata maru history vividly revisited in ali kazimis. Datasets available include lcsh, bibframe, lc name authorities, lc classification, marc codes, premis vocabularies, iso language codes, and more. May 20, 2016 we feature excerpts from the awardwinning documentary on the komagata maru incident, continuous journey, and speak with its director, ali kazimi, who is also author of the book, undesirables. Also nominated for the regional prize are aaron chapman for liquor, lust and the law. Bc book prize nominees announced the globe and mail. White canada and the komagata maru, awardwinning filmmaker ali kazimi addresses these and other provocative questions, creating a. White canada and the komagata maru, awardwinning filmmaker ali kazimi addresses these and other provocative questions, creating a historical framework that allows readers to view events through the eyes of earlier south asian migrants to vancouver, authorities of the dominion of canada, and imperial officials in britain and india. It discusses a grim chapter in canadas history, but the format it uses is of a richly illustrated coffee table book. Even in the last decades of the 20th century, discrimination was prevalent, he said. This includes data values and the controlled vocabularies that house them.
769 1195 1568 864 281 489 495 1223 731 1469 157 88 60 543 350 1097 1122 1515 1584 711 1012 705 1345 159 640 1086 627 1044 490 382 1113 1238 1461 638 12