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Sold a Lie (2022) via CBC Curio
The Fifth Estate goes undercover to reveal the pitch made in India by some recruitment agents, and their financial connections to colleges in Canada. Lured by the promise of a post-secondary education, and a chance to build a life here, thousands of foreign students are coming every year and are arriving to find what they were promised, and what their families paid for, often isn’t what awaits them.
If you could go back and speak to your 12-year-old self, what would you say? Through this documentary, Philippine-born filmmaker Lester Alfonso attempts to answer this question by interviewing twelve diverse subjects, each of whom moved to Canada at age 12, like himself.
Mela's Lunch (1991) via NFB
This short drama from the Playing Fair series recounts the shaky beginnings of a friendship between Allison and Mela, a girl who recently immigrated to Canada from India. Mela is trying hard to make friends and get used to her new surroundings, but Peter and other classmates make her feel unwelcome and out of place. Though Allison initially goes along with the group, the film shows that differences in skin color and country of origin need not be an obstacle to friendship or self-esteem.
Someone Like Me (2021) via NFB
When a queer group of strangers unite to support a gay Ugandan man seeking asylum in Canada, unexpected challenges lead them down an emotional road together in search of personal freedom.
Twelve