Life is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza

Presented by: If Not Now Toronto, the United Jewish People’s Order and Reform Jews for Human Rights

All proceeds to go to a fund for Gazan families arriving in Canada

We invite you to join us for a special screening of Life Is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza, followed by a conversation with Gazan families organizing to bring their relatives to safety in Canada through the emergency Temporary Residence Visa program.

About the film:

Exiled above the arctic circle in Norway and refusing to accept the boundaries imposed by international politics & rigid bureaucracy, Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly insists on telling heartfelt stories from his hometown Gaza. Despite his statelessness and having only limited connection to his family abroad, he manages to channel support from friends and his own creativity, adhering to his motto LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. And throughout it all, he fights for his rights with integrity, community, and a smile for the world.

After the film we will hear from two members of the Canadian Gazan Families group, who have been advocating to bring their family members to safety in Canada, and hear what we can do to support them. 

More about the families and the TRV program: 

It has been over a year since Canada launched a Temporary Residence Visa program for Gazans with Canadian family members called “Crisis in Gaza: Special Measures for Extended Family”. Only around 900 people have made it to Canada through the program, despite it being an emergency measure. Thousands of family members are trapped in Gaza and Egypt, waiting for the applications to be processed or receive final approval so they can come to Canada and reunite with their families. The families in Canada are organizing to push the new government to act with urgency in order to safely evacuate people from Gaza and expedite the process of getting their family members to Canada. This is an opportunity to learn more about what Gazans are facing in exile, and how to get involved in supporting the families.

ACCESSIBILITY: Please let us know any accessibility needs you may have including if you will be coming with a mobility device, require an interpreter, or anything else. Please let us know by June 1 so we have time to accommodate as best we can. 

MORE ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION: Innis College is accessible on the main floor, including Town Hall. There are four dedicated spaces for assistive mobility devices at the rear of Town Hall, and the theatre has power-assisted doors for full access.

Please note: while the stage is accessible, stage doors are not power assisted. Assistive-listening devices are also available. An accessible gender-neutral washroom is located on the third floor of the east wing.

Note that the film is subtitled and the venue is not currently equipped with closed caption readers.

Food & drinks are not allowed in the theatre, but are allowed just outside in the lounge.

The venue uses MERV 13 or higher filters and has 4 air handling units. You can read more about the ventilation system here. 

Masking is very encouraged!

You can find out more about how to get to Innis Townhall here.

If you have any access needs or questions please reach out to David Wall at program@winchevskycenytre.org after purchasing your ticket and no later than June 9th so we can do our best to meet your needs.