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The
documentary film, OTTAWA PRIDE was
released at the Centretown Movie Moonlight
Theatre on July 9th with over a hundred people
in attendance.
The
Documentary gave insight into today's GLBT community by interviewing
individuals who represent GLBT sports groups, service organizations
and clubs to ask the question
why be involved? Also the documentary explored what pride is about
and why have a Pride celebration?
The
documentary runs 18 minutes.(newspaper
article below)
Watch a clip of Ottawa Pride or read about the
first in the TV Series, QAF Invasion
==========================================
Frame by frame
FILM / Pride documentary explores sense of community
story by Julie Weisberg / Capital Xtra! July 1, 2004
There are many different ways for Ottawa’s queers to explore
and express
their sense of community during this year’s Pride celebrations.
For filmmaker Paul Morralee, that expression and exploration comes
through
the sharp focus of a camera lens.
Morralee, who owns and operates the Ottawa-based video production
company MorVision, has just completed work on a short documentary
film that seeks to highlight the purpose and importance of Pride
to Ottawa’s GLBT community.
“The reason [for] investigating the purpose of Pride is to
look into the values
that it presents to our community and what it does for our community,”
he says. “And the only way I felt that I could know my community
was to do something
like this — and you don’t know unless you ask.”
The short film, titled Ottawa Pride, will be shown on Fri, Jul 9
at Centretown Movies in the Sparks St Mall before Pride Film Night’s
feature presentation, Mambo Italiano.
Morralee says that as a newcomer to the city — he relocated
to Ottawa
about a year ago — the short documentary was the best way
of familiarizing himself with the capital and its gay culture.
“It’s my tool for me to personally become more connected
with my community,”
he says. “Not to give the story away, but what I am hoping
to do is stand-up articulations within the different parts of the
community expressing my personal journey of coming to Ottawa.”
In addition to highlighting the value and purpose of Pride, Morralee
says the
film will also attempt to define “what our community is.”
“It’s a way of going out as objectively as possible
to gather sentiments from
people in the [queer] community as to what the community is,”
he explains. “Because the community isn’t just a bar,
it isn’t just a newspaper and it’s not
the World Wide Web. What it is is a network of people that bring
our
community together and give us more values to be in our community.
So,
this documentary is out to explore [that].”
Morralee — who has worked on projects for CBC, TSN and CTV
—
says the idea for this film began to develop while working on a
documentary
about the Queer As Folk phenomenon in Manchester, England –
the city
where the original 1999 British series is based – and the
effects the controversial program’s popularity had on the
English city’s gay village.
“It was like straight people crashing into gay space. It was
so in your face,” he says. “And this is basically where
I began to do a little bit of an exploration into what is our community.”
Although Morralee says he has not yet completed the film, which
will run
about 10 to 15 minutes long, he is optimistic it will find a meaningful
place
among this year’s Pride celebrations.
“One of the biggest fears you have for a documentary is will
it come together,
will it happen?” Morralee says. “Hopefully, when people
walk away from
watching it, they’ll go, ‘Oh, there is something out
there – there is a sense of community.’”
------c. 2004 Capital Xtra--------
"OTTAWA
PRIDE"
Background Information
Purpose:
The purpose of the documentary is
to explore the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Trans gendered community in the Ottawa area. Defining
the G.L.B.T. community through a documentary will illustrate to
the G.L.B.T. community and the community in general a wider sense
of understanding for all.
Synopsis:
Each year the Ottawa- Gatineau G.L.B.T.
community gets together
to celebrate Pride. The annual weeklong event gives an opportunity
to voice issues around G.L.B.T. society, but it is also a celebration
of fun.
The documentary will explore: the
issues that are currently facing
the G.L.B.T. community, what makes G.L.B.T. individuals proud and
to understand the meaning and purpose of the Pride Festival.
The Pride Documentary will focus
on the activities that make up
the G.L.B.T. mosaic. The purpose of the Pride Documentary will be
to capture G.L.B.T. people’s explanation as to what Pride is and
what it means.
The documentary will show the mosaic
of queer issues as it
pertains to active community groups and also voice issues
not necessarily covered by the organized community.
Comments
or Questions? e-mail
us!
Community Groups & Organizations
Following is a tentative
list of GLBT community groups and
organizations.
ADVOCACY & ACTIVISM:
EGALE, Lambda Foundation (Wilde
about Sappho), Lesbian & Gay Immigration Task Force, Ottawa GLBTC
Community Centre Task Force.
ARTS & MEDIA: Act Out
Theatre In Harmony: A Women's Chorus,
Making Scenes, Tone Cluster, The Ottawa Men's Chorus.
HEALTH: AIDS Committee
of Ottawa, GLBT Wellness Project,
The Men's Health Project, Bruce House.
LEISURE & PLEASURE: Ballroom Dancing, Bytown Boots, Couple's
Group, Gay Men's Bridge Club, Knight Riders, Lesbian and Gay
Hospitality Exchange, Mr. Leather Ottawa/ Outaouais Ottawa
Knights, PTS/ Kelly McGinnis Library, Time Out, The Ottawa Bears,
Gay Bowling Group
SPORTS Gay Curling,
Gay Ottawa Volleyball, Ottawa Front Runners, Ottawa Gay Hockey Association,
Out Golfing Group, Rideau Speedeaus,Time Out, Cycling, Time Out
Skiing, Women's Swim Night.
SUPPORT SERVICES Bisexual
Women's Discussion Group, Francophone Discussion Group, Gay Father's
Group, Gender Mosaic, Generation 'Q', Men's Coming Out Group-PTS,
P-FLAG Ottawa, Prime Timers Ottawa, Queer Kaleidoscopes- PTS, SAGE,
Women's Coming Out Group, GLBT Centre (Carlton University), Pride
Centre (Ottawa University) Youth Service Bureau
For
any further information please e-mail
us!
(last updated August 12, 2004 )
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