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Sarnia Justice Film FestivalTo Screen Film AboutBreaking Rules And Fulfilling Dreams


The Sarnia Justice Film Festival is starting off the new year with a powerful film about one young woman’s determination to fulfill her dreams, no matter the obstacles. What Walaa Wants is the Festival’s next documentary film and winner of the Special Jury Prize for Canadian Feature Documentary at the Hot Docs International Film Festival last year. What Walaa Wants will be screened at the Sarnia Library Theatre on Saturday, January 19 at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. Following the film there will be a discussion period lead by Najah Shuqair, a local writer who was born in Palestine and raised in Jordan. Raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank while her mother was in prison, Walaa dreams of becoming a policewoman in the Palestinian Security Forces. Despite discouragement from her family, even her beloved brother Mohammed, Walaa applies and gets in. But her own rebellious behaviour and complicated relationship with her mother are challenging, as are the circumstances under which she lives. Following Walaa from 15–21, with an intimate point of view, What Walaa Wants is the compelling story of a defiant young girl navigating formidable obstacles, learning which rules to break and follow, and disproving the negative predictions from her surroundings and the world at large. The Sarnia Justice Film Festival continues today to foster awareness and understanding of people around the world who suffer injustice and indignities, including those close to home, here in Sarnia-Lambton. In doing so, we hope to create positive change in our community and world. The Sarnia Justice Film Festival’s vision is the emergence of a sustainable world of communities at peace, living in just relationship one with another. We value empathy, equality, the sharing of resources and love of neighbour. We seek to be an effective contributor to the realization of this vision shared by many people. Stay in touch with the Sarnia Justice Film Festival by joining the conversation online: Subscribe to the e-newsletter: justicefilmsarnia@gmail.com Facebook: /SarniaJusticeFilmFestival Twitter: @SarniaJusticeFFThe Do not miss these films in the Sarnia Justice Film Festival’s 2018–2019 season! Recovery Boys Saturday, February 16, 2019 – 7 p.m. In a region ravaged by opioid abuse, four young men in a farming-based rehab forge a bond as they try to reinvent their lives after years of addiction. At the Fork Saturday, March 23, 2019 – 7 p.m. A refreshingly unbiased look at how farm animals are raised for our consumption. The filmmaker asks the tough questions behind every hamburger, glass of milk and baby-back rib. What he discovers are not heartless industrialists, but America’s farmers – real people who, along with him, are grappling with the moral dimensions of farming animals for food. Happening Saturday, April 13, 2019 – 7 p.m. An uplifting and colourful journey into the dawn of the clean energy era as it creates jobs, turns profits and makes communities stronger and healthier For more information on What Walaa Wants, please visit: https://www.nfb.ca/film/what-walaa-wants/ For the official trailer: https://vimeo.com/260252972 Please add the above film listings to your event calendar. For more information on the Sarnia Justice Film Festival, please contact justicefilmsarnia@gmail.com Find us online at www.Facebook.com/SarniaJusticeFilmFestival For your information, directors of the Sarnia Justice Film Festival include: Darren Hakker, Jessica Weening and Christina Dreise. Thank you for your love and support over the years! We’re always looking for corporate sponsors to assist us in the cost of screening our free films. Should you know of anyone who would be interested in doing so, please contact us. 


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