BOW VALLEY – A new locally produced short film hopes to share the stories and experiences of immigrants that now call the Bow Valley home.
Local filmmaker Eric Langshaw worked with the advisory group over the past several months to interview Bow Valley residents who immigrated to Canada about their own personal experiences.
The film – Home – was screened this week by the Immigrants Advisory Group (IAG), which works in collaboration with the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership, at artsPlace in Canmore on Monday night (June 3).
The event was not only a screening of the short film, but also an opportunity for members to meet one another.
“It’s more like a meet and greet, [to] learn about IAG and what IAG has been done in the past and what we do now, what our mission is, visionary are,” said Javan Mukhtarov, co-chair of the group.
Home shares the stories of IAG volunteer members and why they moved in the Bow Valley.
“[Home] is also about profiling what brings people here and then sometimes what the challenges that people might have in order to stay here and those attractions and challenges are not just exclusive to the immigrant population,” said co-chair Joanne Morgan-Smith.
Factors such as housing and employment throughout the Bow Valley community are issues that Morgan-Smith said affects everyone as well.
Throughout the making of the short film, Mukhtarov and Morgan-Smith discovered the various challenges and obstacles of immigrants in the Bow Valley.
For Morgan-Smith, she highlighted that every immigrant’s experience is different and it varies from person to person.
“Every immigrant is an individual at the end of the day with a unique set of circumstances and life experiences. That’s really become more apparent to me through all those processes,” said Morgan-Smith.
Mukhtarov found that working with everyone on this project was a great opportunity for IAG members to collaborate with one another.
“We all have great skills in different areas, but working on one project requires everyone to put what they have on the table,” said Mukhtarov.
The IAG is always looking for new members to join their community.
“We are always looking for new members because given the cycle at the valley, people do come and people do go. We are constantly looking to broaden our immigrant advisory group,” said Morgan-Smith.
Home will be available for viewing on the BVIP website. Visit www.bvipartnership.com/ for more information on the BVIP or the IAG and their upcoming events.
