Good afternoon everyone! Today I will be live-blogging the film premiere of documentary This Changes Everything, directed by Avi Lewis and narrated by author Naomi Klein. Located in Old Ottawa South, the Mayfair Theatre will have both Lewis and Klein in attendance for the film at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by a Q&A. The Mayfair opened its doors at 1 p.m. and the line for ticket sales went onto the side walk and down the street.
I will be live-blogging from 6-6:30 p.m. before the film, then again from 8 p.m. onwards after the film and for the Q&A.
The doors are just about to open to the Mayfair Theatre and the line of people waiting stretches down Bank St. around the corner on Sunnyside Ave. The film premiere of This Changes Everything, the latest work of Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein, begins at 6:30pm. People of all ages, including families, have come out to see the film and hear directly from Lewis and Klein who will be in the audience tonight. The excitement building up for this show can be felt across the street at The Black Squirrel as many grab a latte to keep warm as they wait to enter the theatre.
I'm in line now, around the corner on Sunnyside Ave. The line isn't moving, but people are still in good spirits. Staff have confirmed that the show is sold out. Some groups of people without tickets are leaving a bit disappointed, but saying they will come back for the show on Friday.
Still waiting in line, but it's moving slowly. Perhaps they will delay the start time. There are a few solicitors along the line keeping us entertained. They include some environmental groups handing out brochures and even a walking tour operator.
6:50 Maude Barlow - this is a fabulous film. Book has been translated into 25 languages. Leap manifesto is an important vision for the future. This is timely as Canada has signed the tpp (crowd hisses and moans). Tpp agreement gives corporation right to sue government of they do something to act on climate change. What you stand for in this film will impact many people you have never met.
6:53
Naomi Klien: in this election there are so many distractions that are pulling us away from where we need to be.
Avi Lewis: Canadian labour congress is helping support this tour. This is a piece we have started to work on five years ago. It is not a piece that speaks to the moment, it's a deeper narrative.
Film began at 7:00
Ended at 8:25pm
There were some gasping some moaning some laughing during the film, I'm sure there were some tears as well. At the end, a Montana goat herder ends the film with the worlds, this is a time we have to run like Buffaloes. The crowd erupted into applause.
The Q&A session has begun.
Avi Lewis: Activism isn't a zero-sum game. It is a virus we have to spread.
Naomi Klein: I am a big supporter of fossil fuel divestment.
NK The next 5 years are the last chance. We absolutely cannot blow the rest of this decade.
NK People know that we are so far off course that we actually need o veer to get back on course.
NK What we know from the research is that we need to cut emissions so much that we need to challenge growth.
NK We are talking about a more deliberate economy than what we have right now.
AL We shouldn't be challenging Hydro One, we should be democratizing Hydro One.
Director Avi Lewis and author Naomi Klein have taken the stage of the Mayfair Theatre. It didn't take long before the focus of the discussion became the upcoming election. Lewis and Klein admit their support for the NDP, but they also emphasize the need for proportional representation. Moreover, they stress that much more is needed to go beyond the current model of economic growth our society is pursuing.
The audience was keen to ask questions, so much so that Lewis and Klein were inclined to take a group of questions at once. Some commenters drew attention to local organizations and initiatives, for example waterfalls on sacred Algonquin land that is facing development. The Mayfair Theatre interjected early, at 9:05pm, to end questioning and begin the book signing. Audience members were disappointed by the early end, but the theatre explained that another screening was to follow at 9:30pm.
That's a wrap! As I stand around the theatre blogging away on my phone, Lewis and Klein have popped into a taxi and have just driven away. This ends my live-blogging and tweeting of This Changes Everything. Thank you for following!!