Agenda

THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW

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[ I N T H E S P O T L I G H T ]

Watch and learn from a legend

ALANIS OBOMSAWIN is one of the most prolific directors in Canada—but her contributions far exceed filmmaking. The 89-year-old Abenaki woman has made more than 50 films spotlighting how systems have failed, and continue to fail, Indigenous peoples. Her work has given them the chance to share their stories and generate discussions that inspire change. Obomsawin’s filmography includes Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, a landmark documentary released in 1993 that chronicles the tense 78-day standoff between the Kanien’kéha:ka (Mohawk) and law enforcement during the Oka Crisis. Her 1984 film, Incident at Restigouche, looks at the Quebec provincial police’s raid on the Listuguj reserve as part of their efforts to impose fishing restrictions on the Mi’kmaq.

Eleven of Obomsawin ’ s films, including the two mentioned above, are now available to stream on APTN Lumi, the Indigenous network’ s streaming service.

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[ W E L L V E R S E D ]

Celebrate survival with this former poet laureate

“I want to go home, but home is the mouth of a shark. Home is the barrel of a gun. No one would leave home unless home chased you to the shore. No one would leave home until home is a voice in your ear saying—leave, run, now. I don’t know what I’ve become. ”

Warsan Shire’s first full-length poetry collection comes on the heels of a celebrated career. The Somali British poet, best known internationally as the wordsmith on Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Black Is King, draws from her life to illustrate the experiences of Black women and girls, refugees and immigrants, mothers and daughters. With careful nuance and striking imagery, Shire expertly weaves poems of pain and loss with memory, love and resilience.

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in her Head, out March 1.

— Radiyah Chowdhury

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[ G E T W I L D ]

Build a whole new world

Challenge yourself and design a harmonious landscape with Cascadia, a new puzzle-y tilelaying game. Players score points by pairing wildlife tokens with habitat tiles to create a diverse environment. The game ’ s gorgeous artwork showcases iconic species of the Pacific Northwest, including grizzly bears and chinook salmon.

— Grace Hunter 1

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[ I N S T I T C H E S ]

LEARN A RELAXING (AND USEFUL) HOBBY

Keep your hands busy with these four virtual crafting courses

1. Instructables Embroidery Class

In this 10-module course, craft instructor Jessy Ratfink provides a guide to getting started in the world of hand embroidery. From the tools you ’ll need for basic stitching to creating and transferring patterns onto fabric, each lesson includes detailed written instructions and progress photos for reference. instructables.com/ Embroidery-Class/

2. Yarnspirations Knit-along

The Canadian yarn retailer is a one-stop shop for all things knitting, offering step-by-step demonstrations and free patterns on its website. In March, you ’ll find a tutorial series that takes viewers through the process of making a cable-knit sweater in four live video instalments, delivered weekly and available on demand. yarnspirations.com/patons-knitalong-cardigan-lessons-page

3. The Beading Circle

This biweekly gathering is a safe space where Indigenous and nonIndigenous people can connect through the art of beadwork. Zoom sessions are led by Indigenous artists and will take place March 9, March 23, April 6 and April 20. Beading circles held specifically for 2SLGBTQ+ community members take place on the first Thursday of each month. instagram.com/thebeadingcircle/

4. The Crochet Crowd Studio

With tons of tutorials available on its YouTube channel, this Nova Scotia–based crochet studio offers lessons on how to make balaclavas, bags, blankets and so much more. There ’ s plenty of info for those looking to learn about the basic tools, stitches and techniques of this craft; most of the videos are beginner-friendly and come with free downloadable patterns. youtube.com/c/mikeyssmail/videos

— Natalie Michie

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[ D A N G E R ZO N E ]

Embrace the difficult things with Sarah Polley

Written by COURTNEY SHEA

IN HER NEW memoir, Canadian actor, director and screenwriter Sarah Polley isn’t avoiding the tough stuff. The collection of essays spans her traumatic experiences as a child star through an almost-career-ending brain injury in 2015. It also includes details about her experience of being sexually assaulted by Jian Ghomeshi as a teen—something she has never spoken about publicly before.

Can you explain the title Run Towards the Danger? During my concussion recovery, I went to a lot of different doctors and specialists, and the advice was always “Listen to your body, ” [and] “Respect your limits. ” For more than three years, I took discomfort as a reason to turn away. And then I heard about a doctor in Pittsburgh with a different approach. He said my brain had become less adept at the things I was avoiding. I began the challenging and painful process of doing the things that hurt the most and, slowly, they didn’t hurt anymore. The idea of moving towards the difficult things rather than away started to bleed out into the rest of my life, including writing this book.

In one of your essays, you reveal you were sexually assaulted by Jian Ghomeshi when you were 15 years old. Why did you decide to share this experience now?

The whole book is about memory and how the past informs our present and vice versa, and my experience [with Ghomeshi] is also about the relationship to memory and how it works after trauma. It’s also about why so many people don’t tell their stories—that instinct not to speak, which I think is profoundly misunderstood.

I was sad to read about the terrible time you had making

Road to Avonlea. Well, it wouldn’t be any better if nobody had loved the show and I was miserable. These were formative years, and I felt trapped doing a job in a predominantly adult environment under a lot of pressure when I just wanted to be a kid. I will say writing these essays was a way of working through difficult times. I’m really happy with my life as it stands, so it’s hard to look back with regret.

Run Towards the Danger, out March 1.

Jameela Green Ruins Everything by Zarqa Nawaz Wanting success as a writer, Jameela Green seeks guidance from her local mosque ’ s new imam. In exchange, Green promises to do a good deed. But after a series of bizarre events, the imam disappears. Assuming he ’ s been taken by the CIA, she decides to rescue him. This black comedy explores the price of success and one woman ’ s search for meaning.

March 8.

Looking for Jane

by Heather Marshall

When Angela Creighton finds a letter detailing a life-shattering confession, the last thing she expects to uncover is the story of an underground abortion network from the 1970s known by its whispered code name: Jane. This debut novel follows the lives of three women in Toronto, separated by a few decades and connected by a story of survival and love.

March 1.

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[ S H E L F LO V E ]

COZY UP WITH A GOOD BOOK— OR FIVE

Enthralling reads, all written by Canadian women

Daughters of the Deer

by Danielle Daniel

It’ s 1675. Seventeen-year-old Jeanne Marie, born to an Algonquin mother of the Deer Clan and a white French father, is caught between two cultures linked by a long history of violence against First Nations people. Her worlds collide when Jeanne falls for a girl named Josephine, forcing her to claim her future and identity, even at the risk of her father ’ s anger.

March 8. My Ackee Tree by Suzanne

Barr with Suzanne Hancock

Suzanne Barr never set out to become a chef. But after her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Barr learned to cook in order to take care of her. She recounts her experiences in the culinary world as a Black woman, battling stereotypes and challenging the status quo. With honesty and vulnerability, she shares her story of finding ways to keep the things she loves.

April 5.

Uncertain Kin

by Janice Lynn Mather

In this collection of 18 stories from a Governor General’ s Award finalist, women and girls in the Bahamas search for stability during times of turmoil. In their own lives, they seek identity and belonging while struggling with the complexities of family, longing, grief, betrayal, coming of age and the realities of being a woman. April 19.

— Carol Eugene Park

1. TURNING RED The year is 2002. Meilin “Mei” Lee is a Chinese-Canadian tween from Toronto with a hair-raising ancestral secret: She turns into a giant red panda whenever she experiences strong emotions. Watch Mei step out of her comfort zone and learn to accept herself, fur and all, in this Disney and Pixar animation.

Premieres on Disney+ March 11.

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[ F E AT U R E F I L M S ]

Become one with the screen

It’ s been a hard couple of years, we know. Find an escape in these five exciting new movies

2. ALINE Describing itself as “fiction freely inspired from the life of Celine Dion, ” this film follows Aline Dieu as she evolves from a local singing sensation to an international superstar—and falls in love with and eventually marries her much older manager. Watch French comedian Valérie Lemercier play Celine through ages five to 50 (!!!) in a version of Dion ’ s—or Dieu ’ s—life that, while not necessarily accurate, is certainly entertaining. Streaming on Club Illico now. 3. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Though struggling to stay afloat, Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh) is a seemingly ordinary Chinese-American woman—until she ’ s not. Existing among multiple universes, she must learn how to access the emotions and abilities of all the alternate Evelyns to defeat an evil force spreading across them. Come for an intriguing interpretation of the multiverse concept, and stay to see Yeoh kick ass. In theatres March 25.

4. LUCY AND DESI Get an intimate look at the couple who reinvented comedy with their iconic 1950s sitcom, I Love Lucy. Directed by Amy Poehler, Lucy and Desi follows Lucille Ball and her on- and off-screen partner, Desi Arnaz. It includes interviews from their children and Ball’ s two protégés: Bette Midler and Carol Burnett. Snippets of the family ’ s home videos and audiotapes give viewers an in-depth look into the professional highs that came at the cost of the couple ’ s personal lows. Premieres on Prime Video March 4. 5. DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA All your favourite characters from the British TV series—and its sequel film—return to the big screen. Picking up from where the last film left off, A New Era follows the Crawleys as they gather to celebrate Tom Branson and Lucy Smith’ s wedding. While visiting a villa in the south of France that the Dowager Countess of Grantham received from a past lover, they must all prepare for a new era: the 1930s. In theatres May 20.

This watch is powered by solar energy. $325, solioswatches.ca.

CLEVER HACKS TO MAKE YOUR CLOTHES LAST LONGER page 18

[ H AV E A F I T ]

Jean machine

Denim is one of the worst culprits when it comes to fashion’s environmental impact. Case in point: It takes about 7,500 litres of water to make a single pair of jeans. Buying them second-hand is kinder to the planet—but you can’t always find the right fit. Enter Danielle Hodges, founder of Sequel. In her Hamilton, Ont., studio, she has been custom-fitting vintage jeans to her clients’ bodies from her stock of almost 2,000 pre-loved options—including plus sizes—since 2019. Alterations vary from size adjustments to making a whole new silhouette. In-person and virtual fittings are available, and you can also bring in your own pieces for tailoring. Custom jeans, from $200, sequeljeans.com.