By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer
The Vancouver Asian Film Festival was memorable, bringing community members together through a collective love of storytelling. The power of community is sometimes overlooked for stigmatized communities like East Hastings. It Takes A Village: An East Van Story explores the tales of David and Jon Mubanda, their surroundings, and the personal and larger-scale impacts of community.
After leaving Uganda’s violent military regime, the Mubanda family settled in East Vancouver. The documentary focuses on the brothers’ extra-curricular activities and the adults that fostered these types of opportunities. This film destigmatizes what’s often labelled a “rough part of town” by showing us the bonds, collective projects, and history behind progression in sports and acting.
“I grew up in that world too. I grew up in East Van. I went to Van Tech. [Jon] went to Templeton,” Director Chris Cho told The Peak. “I’m very ingrained in that world because all of them are [my] friends and family.”
It was through this community connection that Cho was gifted the task of directing the film. A self-taught filmmaker, Cho built up his experience by creating YouTube vlogs and short films, which is how he first met Jon.
The documentary’s home-video footage of the past is a treasure. There’s a nostalgic charm in the grainy and handheld 2000s footage captured. The film is reflective and influential, as community members emphasize the importance of giving back and creating a space for the next generation to thrive. As someone who also comes from an immigrant background, seeing the two brothers develop themselves through sports and acting is something that resonated with me. Exploring new things can initially be a way to escaping struggles, but may also have the long-term effect of setting young adults on a positive path. This was especially true for me, as I spent time after school hanging out at a community centre near my high school playing sports or making skits.
“I wanted to tell a love story of the neighbourhood I grew up in, regardless of all its challenges, ups, and downs.” — Jonathan Mubanda, actor and youth worker
One of the fondest things that Mubanda shared about his love for East Van was the connection of various communities and cultures, all stacked together in one neighbourhood. “It was so multicultural — it was a melting pot,” he described. “For me, that’s why I love East Van. You get to know about each other’s cultures. You get to know about each other’s backgrounds.”
Mubanda told The Peak that “regardless of all its challenges, ups, and downs,” he “wanted to tell a love story of the neighbourhood.”
From playing in an underdog basketball team that ended up succeeding at a provincial level, to auditioning for his first roles as a youth with the help of his old drama teacher, Mubanda outlined positive experiences from his upbringing. It all boiled down to “having trustworthy adults” in his life as well as anyone that can be a “listening ear.” The ecosystem of healthy role models for a child is vital, as they provide them with opportunities, but also give them a safe space to express themselves — which is what East Van provided Mubanda with.
“For us, we had our coach, we had our principal, we had our drama teacher,” Mubanda added. “I had a good mom and dad. It’s definitely an asset.”
Towards the end of the interview, Mubanda expressed gratitude for his high school coach, who helped him get employed early on in his career with the school board. “She not only took care of me in high school, but she took care of me after high school. Just by an opportunity,” he expressed. Now, he has become a role model and trustworthy adult within his community.
As I reflected on the impact of It Takes A Village, I realized the reason this story was particularly striking was because of its authenticity. Mubanda and Cho didn’t want to tell a story about overcoming barriers within their childhood, but instead wanted to give back. Their focus was continuing the tradition of building a community where the youth can thrive.
