Content warning: brief mention of genocide. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) film festival, held at the VIFF centre, has had an expansive catalogue of unique films and documentaries which capture stories from these regions. Tezeta, directed by Aramazt Kalayjian and Garegin Papoyan, unveils the rich contributions that Armenians have made to Ethiopian history. The film focuses on the power of nostalgia, and how music evokes longing emotions that connect them to their identity. The filmmaker’s journey starts with an obsession with a picture. In the photo are 40 Armenian orphans, survivors from the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian genocide, who…
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When one mentions the guitar, you may think of it as an accompanying instrument — a twinkle in the background of a singer’s vocals. But as proven on February 1 by International Guitar Night’s stop in New Westminster, there’s more…
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February is Black History Month so here is a curated list of events everyone can attend while learning about the history of struggles, successes, and perseverance of Black people all over the world. These events range from being held by…
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A love letter to XO, Kitty — Karly Burns, Fact Checker [caption id="attachment_130766" align="alignnone" width="300"] PHOTO: Courtesy of Awesomeness and ACE Entertainment[/caption] For those who love coming-of-age romance tropes, XO, Kitty will have you feeling butterflies. This spin-off of the…
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It was a cool night in January, my new boots dug into my heels and made it hard to walk straight, but I kept trudging happily on towards my beacon of light; The Birdhouse. Why? Because Man Up hosted the…
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“P.U.N.K Girl” by Heavenly Twee was originally British slang for sweet to a “nauseating” degree. Heavenly was one of the bands who emerged in the ‘80s in opposition to the “increasing harshness in the post-punk music scene” under the…
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[caption id="attachment_130691" align="alignnone" width="200"] IMAGE: Courtesy of Ten Speed Press[/caption] In Bibi’s Kitchen Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen Available to borrow from the Vancouver Public Library Published in 2020, this book collects recipes from Eritrean, Somalian, Kenyan, Tanzanian, Mozambican, South…
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Grenadian Canadian musician Kaia Kater, born in Montréal, tells the story of her roots through music. She released her first EP, Old Soul, right out of high school in 2013. With a jazz-inflected voice and masterful songwriting, she plays into…
Continue reading[caption id="attachment_130645" align="alignnone" width="696"] PHOTO: Jasmeen Sran / The Peak[/caption] DIVERSEcity Black in BC: Celebrating Black Excellence When: Friday, Feb 7, 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Cost: Free Where: Surrey Art Gallery & Surrey Civic Theatres at Surrey Arts Centre, 13750 88…
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Content warning: brief mentions of murder and war. Those familiar with Chinese history are probably no stranger to Empress Wu Zetian, the only legitimate empress of The Middle Kingdom. But, did you know there is a connection between Zetian and…
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