The Department of Gender Studies is screening a documentary entitled
“The Raging Grannies”
Skype participation with Prof Carole Roy–St Francis Xavier University, Canada
Venue: TR 107, IT Services Building
Date: Monday 9 May 2016
Time: 15:30 till 17:30
GRANNY POWER is a documentary about the Raging Grannies. Spanning 10 years, the film follows several passionate, activist grandmothers as they fight for peace, social justice and the environment.
From occupying Wall Street sites in Canada and the U.S., to demonstrations against nuclear arms, the Montebello G-20, arms fairs and protests at military recruitment centres, the film follows several Grannies as they undertake surprising political guerrilla actions, challenging authorities and stereotypes alike.
The film spans the present and the past of the Raging Grannies movement: from its beginnings 25 years ago in Victoria, B.C., to its present as an international movement. The film is also a window on important issues that concern us all: our role as citizens as we grow older, the challenges of aging, the inevitability of death. Remaining active and finding a voice as elderly women, these grannies are deflating clichés about ageing.
Director Magnus Isacsson first encountered the Grannies while shooting scenes for films about major political, social and environmental issues. Most of the footage was shot in classical vérité style, by one of Canada's best documentary cinematographers, Martin Duckworth.
This is a documentary about an important, growing and radically under-represented segment of the population. As citizens become more passionate about expressing political dissatisfaction with the status quo, the Raging Grannies are proving to be an inspiration and a symbol of proud civic engagement for audiences of all ages.
Please contact Ms Isabelle Camilleri & Ms Samantha Grima by phone on 2340 3956 & 2340 3808 or by sending an email to isabelle.camilleri@um.edu.mt and samantha.grima@um.edu.mt if you are interested in attending.
Bionote
Prof. Roy studied Women's Studies/Liberal Studies (B.A., University of Victoria), Women's Studies (M.A., York University), and Adult Education (Ph.D., University of Toronto). While on a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) she taught at Trent University, Peterborough.
She worked as a non-formal educator with community-based educational exchanges in Tunisia, Thailand, Uruguay, and various parts of India. Her interests include women/older women activists; the use of arts for social change; qualitative and arts-informed research. Her book, The Raging Grannies: Wild Hats, Cheeky Songs, and Witty Actions for a Better World (2004), was published by Black Rose Books and was selected for the 2005 Amelia Bloomer Award (Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association). She is currently doing research on documentary film festivals as tools for adult education and community building, and greatly appreciates the support of a research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.