Artist, Sadia Mir, turns the camera on herself. Witnessing the hardships her immigrant parents experienced when they moved to Canada to create “a better life,” i was here before follows Sadia’s journey, as she returns to Pakistan in her attempt to answer ‘was it worth it?’ and to contemplate a life where her family did not choose to migrate – what if they had stayed behind? A personal reflection of immigration and its multiple facets, of a country not traditionally explored except through the nightly news, and ultimately, at the core, of one woman trying to come to terms with the impact of migration and settlement on her family and on her life – past, present and imagined.


Sadia Mir is a documentary media artist and freelance writer with a passion to tell powerful stories of social, political, and cultural relevance. In today’s increasingly globalized world, she sees the importance of sharing universal stories of humanity to bridge communities on the local, national and international front. When not creating documentary work, her time is spent in partnership with community-based organizations where she focuses on advocacy, research and program development – encountering issues that subsequently fuel her art. She holds a BA in Cultural Studies and Art History from McGill University and is currently completing her MFA in Documentary Media at Ryerson University.

sadiamir.com

Opening Reception: June 22, 7:30 p.m.
June 22, 6-10pm

National Film Board of Canada
150 John St.
www3.nfb.ca
(416) 973-3012

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Ryan Gauvin
Jermaine Bagnall
Gail Hammer
Estelle Hebert
Randy Horton
Ernie Kestler
Stephanie Kloibhofer
Mark Laurie
Robert Lendrum
Heather Lidberg
Joanne Loton
Morris Lum
Lindsay Maynard
Sadia Mir
Zanele Muholi
Lyndall Musselman
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Mike Sage
Melanie Saumure
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