Showing 350 results

Archival description
Home Made Visible collection English
Print preview Hierarchy View:

NYC 1969

Item consists of an a Haitian Canadian family’s home movie featuring the family in New York celebrating a birthday and Christmas. Video was filmed by André and Ginette Valcin.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It's November 1969 in New York City and the Valcin Family is celebrating Nadine's dad's birthday. Four-year-old Nadine waves at the camera and helps blow out her father's candles. We see Nadine's mother cutting the cake. Later in the day, Nadine, drinking her juice from a cocktail glass, is engrossed in a serious conversation with her father. Her mom is behind the camera shooting on Super 8mm film. At Christmas, the camera is pulled once more, a very exciting time for Nadine who was an only child. This private but celebratory occasion is one the whole family dresses up for. Nadine dons an all-white pantsuit she later swaps for something more comfortable, while her parents sport equally stylish crisp suits. The clothes become secondary to the gift unraveling — the toy car, doll, keyboard, all slowly collecting around her. André Valcin passed in 1999, so the Valcin family was happy to revisit these memories of him."

Nundy family videos

Series consists of a Indian-Canadian family's home movies documenting winter in the Laurentian Mountains, the cityscapes of Montreal, and skiing at Chicopee Hill.

Nundy family

New Conservatory of Music : playing the piano

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl playing the piano in an auditorium.

Project and donor(s) contributed discussion follow(s): "Cindy Long is practising piano at their home in Agincourt, Toronto. She took lessons at the New Conservatory of Music in Scarborough. She began group lessons at age 6, and continued to play through high school. Because she was given the choice to continue lessons or not (rather than being forced to practice as some of her peers did), she gained a love of piano and music that remains to this day."

New Conservatory of Music : man writing and child playing

Item consists of a home movie featuring a man writing on a desk in an auditorium and a girl playing the piano.

Project and donor(s) contributed discussion follow(s): "Cindy Long is practising piano at their home in Agincourt, Toronto. She took lessons at the New Conservatory of Music in Scarborough. She began group lessons at age 6, and continued to play through high school. Because she was given the choice to continue lessons or not (rather than being forced to practice as some of her peers did), she gained a love of piano and music that remains to this day."

New Conservatory of Music

Item consists of a home movie featuring an auditorium with a piano.

Project and donor(s) contributed discussion follow(s): "Cindy Long is practising piano at their home in Agincourt, Toronto. She took lessons at the New Conservatory of Music in Scarborough. She began group lessons at age 6, and continued to play through high school. Because she was given the choice to continue lessons or not (rather than being forced to practice as some of her peers did), she gained a love of piano and music that remains to this day."

Neighbour covered in snow and winter sports

Item consists a home movie featuring a neighbour covered in snow and community members playing winter sports such as ice skating, tobogganing, and hockey.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

N-5-6-7-8-9- 1976 (Jampi)

Item consists of an Argentine-Chilean family’s home movie featuring a child playing in his house and park; the first third of the clip consists of urban and rural landscapes.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Jean-Pierre Marchant's parents immigrated from South America in the early 1970s before he was born. His mother is from Argentina and his father is from Chile. Jean-Pierre was born in Vieux-Rosemont, Montreal, and spent the first year of his life there before they all moved to (what was then) the suburbs in Saint-Hubert, Longueuil, about 14 km from downtown Montreal. Jean-Pierre recalls day trips with his parents to the United States and Toronto. On this day, the family captures the roads and cityscapes of New Hampshire."

Muny : baby shower : Ngày Đầy Tháng

Item consists of an a Khmer-Krom family’s home movie featuring a birthday celebration.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "The Truong/Tram family's home movie footage shot in VHS format on January 25th 1992, captures the 1-month old birthday party of their youngest son in Brantford, ON, shortly after moving from Hull, Quebec. A full and lively gathering, their celebration includes families chatting over a community meal, speeches, gift giving, dancing to 80's music, and loving footage of a peaceful baby enjoying the party. The Truongs/Trams are of Khmer-Krom ethnicity, translating to 'Khmer of the South'. The Khmer-Krom are an [unrecognised] Indigenous group and ethnic minority in the South of Vietnam. Many Khmer people who inhabited the same refugee camps in Vietnam later immigrated together to Canada. When the Truongs/Trams arrived in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, Quebec) in 1989, they were able to regularly connect with a Khmer community at gatherings like these. The Troung/Tram family have since relocated to Toronto ON where they continue to celebrate and take pride in their identity, and attend Khmer language and dance classes. The Khmer Buddhist Temple of Ontario in Hamilton remains central to them and their community. Mother, Trinh Nha Truong, was happy to share her footage with Home Made Visible because she wants to show other Canadians that ‘our people live in Canada too.'"

Montreal snow storm

Item consists of an a Haitian Canadian family’s home movie featuring the family and their neighbours shovelling snow and digging out the street. Recording also features children playing in the snow and a tractor plowing the street. Video was filmed by André and Ginette Valcin.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "On March 4th, 1971, Montreal saw the "Storm of the Century", a massive snowstorm brought 43cm of snow and 100/km winds to the city. It would take 41 years for this snowfall record to be broken. People lost electricity for as long as ten days. Nadine recalls living on St. Leonard and not being able to see through her patio doors and that the only people who could get around were emergency vehicles and snowmobiles. Of course this major setback meant snow days for everyone, and Nadine's parents and neighbours got to shovelling. In a predominantly Italian neighbourhood, Nadine suspects her family may have been the only Black family on this street. With no school, five-year old Nadine took pleasure in the Montreal pastime of building snow forts."

Montreal Caribbean Carnival

Item consists of a Black-Canadian family’s home movies featuring crowds and performers at Montreal Carifiesta parade. Participants in costumes are playing mas, marching with a masquerade band. Several carnival bands - made up of dozens and sometimes hundreds of participants, wearing themed costumes created by various Caribbean designers and assembled by volunteers - would dance and perform for crowds and a group of judges (who would select and later announce the best mas band) at a local stadium, before the masquerade bands would make their way through downtown streets. In the 70’s and 80’s, the Carifiesta parade would mainly make its way along Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal, before the parade was moved to nearby René Lévesque Boulevard in later years.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "This footage was shot in the mid-1970’s and marks one of the first Montreal Caribbean Carnival celebrations in the city. Heather’s parents, Richard and Althea Seaman, brought her and her siblings, Hazel and Herbert, to see their first few parades as spectators. In later years, the family was occasionally involved as participants – whether helping to create costumes, build floats or march in the annual parade. The summer event was established to celebrate and showcase the Caribbean culture and heritage of immigrants, who were born on one of the diverse islands of the West Indies or those who had ancestry there. While Caribbean immigrants in Toronto started their carnival celebration - Caribana - in 1967, to mark Canada’s centennial celebration, Montrealers held their first Carifiesta parade and festival in July 1975."

Meeting baby brother

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl sitting next to a hospital bed and saying "she’s so beautiful."

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 9

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the wedding couple walking out of frame, while the woman in a blue dress and child walk into the frame. Footage is slightly out of focus.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 8

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the camera zooming in to a woman wearing a blue dress.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 7 : the kiss

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the officiant congratulating the couple, the ceremonial kiss, and an applause.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 6 : a case of the giggles

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a bride and groom standing in front of the officiant. flanked by a man in a suit and a woman in a blue dress. The groom is stating his declaration of no legal impediment to marriage and the bridge is giggling.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 5

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a bride and a man walking towards the camera.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 4

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring multiple generations sitting, standing, and waiting.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 3

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a woman sitting on a chair who stands up to walk away, the camera then zooms in to a man standing in the background and zooms out to a child walking across the frame.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 2

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring two adults posing for a photograph.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 19 : Star and her mother, woman dancing

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movies featuring a child and a woman standing by a window, with another woman dancing across the frame of the footage. The Macarena song is playing in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 18 : Parent child dance

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a man and child dancing with disco lights in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 17 : a wave

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a man sitting down at a table, pulling out a cigarette, and waving to the camera.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 16 : DJ onstage and kids spin as people come in

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the DJ and individuals on a stage with music playing in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 15 : Kids dancing, playing

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring children pulling another child off their seat in the foreground and children dancing in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 14 : Cutting the cake

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring children walking across the frame and the wedding couple tasting their cake.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 13 : at the table awaiting the first meal

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the bridal party seated at a table.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 12 : Family serving food

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a woman bringing food to a table.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 11 : Kids and families the hall

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the camera spanning across the room to reveal a decorations and children choosing their seats at the table.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 10

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring many individuals sitting with food and drinks at the table.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Mark & Flo's Wedding 1

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring adults and children talking and posing for multiple wedding photographs.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Marchant family videos

Series consists of home videos documenting an Argentine-Chilean family and friends in everyday life and at events such as picnics, parties, Christmas, and visiting the CN Tower and Niagara Falls.

Marchant family

Mahaica Market, Guyana

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie on black and white footage featuring wide and panning shots of market stalls, mid and close shots of merchant interactions with customers, and tracking shots of customers walking through the market.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "As a child, Shenaz wandered Mahaica Market with her mother shopping for the weeks groceries. As an adult and as a filmmaker, Shenaz wanted to capture her childhood memories and archive the vendors in the market. For Shenaz, recording her trip back to her childhood community had less to do with being Guyanese and more to do with being a filmmaker and an artist."

Long family videos

Series consists of home movies documenting the Chinese family's everyday life including footage of children playing, riding horses, and performing at a school recital. Footage captured by Cindy Long and Yong Dong Long (the donor's father).

Long family

Lo family videos

Series consists of home movies pertaining the everyday of a Chinese family in Regina including footage of family visiting from Macau in the wintertime, children playing and receiving Christmas presents, the family picking fruits and vegetables in the backyard. Footage captured by Jacob Chon Tat Lo.

Lo family

Liberty Village

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie filmed by Shenaz Baksh in 2005. Clip features employees at their desks working and drinking beers. Recording also features the CN tower with cranes and construction of Liberty Village in the foreground.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Liberty Village in 2005 was a rapidly changing place, and Shenaz Baksh, equipped with a brand new Super 8 camera decided to document it. The community had changed so much and by the brief shots of construction seen outside her office window, would only continue to change more. This gave Shenaz all the more reason to archive her workplace of five years. Nearing 15 years later, Shenaz's coworkers marveled less at how spaces change over time, like Shenaz had intentioned, but more at their youthful appearances."

Learning to read

Item consists of a Tamil family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It’s 1997 and four-year-old Abhirami Balanchandran is being taught how to read by her mom. In her family home at Markham and Eglinton in Scarborough, Ontario, her mom goes through the alphabet with her one by one. Abhi looking back sees her funny facial expressions and sees a ‘very inquisitive, more playful version of herself…. It’s a sweet reminder.’"

La Ronde

Item consists of a Moroccan family's home movie featuring two children and a woman entering the park to ride the carousel, bumper cars, and ferris wheel amongst many other children’s rides. Footage contains a 360 degree cityscape views of the Jacques-Cartier bridge, Longueuil, and Montreal (including the Olympic Stadium).

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "A couple take their young daughter down to La Ronde on a warm sunny afternoon. Opened since 1967, this amusement park continues to be a popular family attraction during the summer season and a common childhood experience for many Montrealers. Yousra remembers going to the park with her family every couple of years and the excitement this visit would bring. She recounts how they"would be out from the day until night".

When asked about her memories of the day, Yosura remembers most clearly the bumper cars and atmospheric nostalgia of being in that place. Like many families with home movies on older formats, she grew up seeing the tapes throughout the years, but stopped once her family no longer had a VHS player. Born and raised in Montreal, but with Moroccan heritage Yousra describes herself as being"someone with two identities [we] are culturally bilingual… I try to define myself and not let others define me.""

Kwanzaa celebration at the Halifax Public Library

Item consists of a home movie captured by an African Nova Scotian/Indigenous Black family featuring celebrations and interviews about Kwanza, New Years, and a Christmas tree lighting.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At Auburn Highschool in North Preston, Nova Scotia, LaMeia Reddick attended an applied broadcast journalism class, where she had the opportunity to learn and explore directing, interviewing, production and editing.

The school had its own news station, and LaMeia could nurture her interest in recording stories of african canadian content. The stories students recorded would be broadcast for the school. In the footage, LaMeia documents a big Kwanzaa celebration at the Halifax Public Library, a large and diverse gathering of people of African diaspora, from various backgrounds, faiths, cultures, and ethnicities. The celebration includes performances with drums, song and dance. LaMeia interviews Tracey Jones about the meaning, origin, and seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Karen Hudson, the principal at Auburn Highschool was influential to LaMeia, and continues to make a long lasting impression on the culture and students at the school. She has introduced African enrichment to the school’s programs, including afrocentric math class, which helps black students excel at math. She continues to be an important role model and won the top principal in Canada award. LaMeia had a really positive experience at the school; having a black female principal as well as the courses available to her contributed to her future successes and set her up on the right path. "Having a school that valued your cultural experience and taught me about it, provided me with opportunities to nurture that part of myself, as well as understand my identity which [teenagers] are in the process of formulating."

The footage is a testament to how hard Principal Karen Hudson worked to introduce African culture to kids. LaMeia is interested in sharing the footage with Karen, and would like to interview her now. Karen and LaMeia live in neighboring communities, North Preston and Cherry Brook, which are large Indigenous and Black communities in Canada."

Khan family videos

Series consists of home movie videos from a Pakistani family in Toronto and includes footage of the subway, visits to Ontario Place, a relative's wedding, breakfast, and Ridley college. Footage captured by Shaheen Khan.

Khan family

Kavadi : hooks

Item consists of a Tamil family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At nine-year-olds, Abhirami Balanchandran visits Sri Lanka for two months with her family for the second time. It was 2003 and during the civil war so it required multiple checkpoints before she was able to reach her hometown of Jaffna located in the north. They visited for Thaipusami, where she witnessed Kavadi for the first time. Kavadi is a ritual done for the Murugan, God of War where the back is pierced with several hooks while people partake in ceremonial dance. It was traditionally done for both sacrifice and preparation for war. It was Abhi’s first time witnessing something like that from her community which was definitely a cultural shock. ‘It was jarring, fascinating and beautiful.’ So much has changed since this video was taken and looking back at the footage of what Jaffna looked like has skewed her idea of what home looks like."

Kavadi : hanging from pillars

Item consists of a Tamil family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At nine-year-olds, Abhirami Balanchandran visits Sri Lanka for two months with her family for the second time. Here her and her family join several other Tamils come to witness Thuku Kavadi] where a person’s back is pierced with hooks hanging from a pillar, with no harness or anything else holding them up. It looks like you're flying. Abhi recalls asking her mom, ‘How do they do that?’ and her mom told her people train for months with such deep meditation that they transcend pain from their bodies. Sometimes they are suspended for as long as two hours. This ritual is also a part of the ceremonial festival Thaipusam for Murugan, the God of War."

Kaieteur Falls tour

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie featuring what appears to most likely be Kaieteur Falls and includes footage of a plane, people walking through the Amazon and looking at the habitat, and a lookout with a scenic view of Kaieteur Falls and the valley below.

Kaieteur Falls plane ride

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie documenting what appears to most likely be a trip to Kaieteur Falls and includes footage from the plane's windows flying to and over the falls.

Kaieteur Falls and Orinduik Falls

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie featuring what appears to most likely be Kaieteur Falls and Orinduik Falls. Footage consists of a close up of the top of the falls; a close up of the middle section of the falls; another view of the falls, the river below, and a rainbow; a landscape shot of the falls from a far away plane window which is covered in water droplets alongside views of the winding river; three men walking on a trail; and a close up of a quickly moving river and rapids.

Kaieteur Falls

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie featuring what appears to most likely be Kaieteur Falls. Footage zooms out from the falls to a landscape shot, cuts to men walking in the Amazon, cuts to several shots of the falls and the valley below, and ends with the three men at the river bed.

Joudaki family videos

Series consists of an Iranian-Canadian family's home video of a father and daughter visiting Iran and includes footage of Shiraz, the Takht-e Lamshid, Isfahan, the Great Mosque (Shah Mosque), and Naghsh-e Jahan Square. Footage captured by Abbas Joudaki.

Joudaki family

Jog family videos

Series consists of home movies from a Japanese and Indian family in Ottawa documenting children playing in the backyard and singing songs in Japanese and Matrathi. Footage captured by Vijay Jog.

Jog family

Jeopardy

Item consists of a Japanese-Indian family's home movie of children playing Jeopardy.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "We’re in a suburban backyard in Ottawa, ON and it’s summer time in 1984. Sonia, age 4 and her younger sister, age 2 are playing with a swing set and an inflatable tipi likely from Canadian Tire. The inflatable has a small hole to pop your head in, and has imagery of the trope of the "Indian" and the "cowboy." This was strange for Sonia to see when revisiting the footage, because this type of imagery likely wouldn’t be sold anymore.

She and her sister are singing songs in Japanese (her mother’s mother tongue) and Marathi (her father’s mother tongue). The Japanese songs are ones she still recalls and sings to her own children. The Marathi songs are familiar, and Sonia recalls her father teaching them to her, but she doesn’t remember their titles, or know what they mean.

Sonia grew up in Ottawa, and moved to Toronto as an adult. Although she was the minority in school as one of two non-white children, she doesn’t remember feeling out of place. Her parents said that other children called her "blacky" but she doesn’t recall this happening.

In relation to Home Made Visible, Sonia says, "The process of drawing out pieces of history and indicating its value, [and] that it deserves to be preserved is incredible""

Javeed family videos

Series consists of digitized home movies documenting an Indian family in Canada communicating via video letters to family in India. Video letters include Indian nursery rhymes, biryani songs, and footage of children practicing Urdu and memorizing the Quran in Arabic.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "In the Javeed family’s apartment in Scarborough ON, two boys aged between 3 and 7 create a video letters to their grandmother who resides overseas in India. Both boys are born and live in Canada. The videos document shifts in communication technologies, at a time prior to the use of communication apps like WhatsApp, used to keep in touch with family. Scarborough was quite diverse by the early 2000s, and the boys generally felt connected to their peers, although their mother remembers they had experienced racism and some issues at school. She attests that they grew up differently than she did as a first generation immigrant, wherein she felt like an outsider in Toronto in the early eighties. The family had a lot of discussions as they were growing up about these issues, and ensured the boys were familiar with current affairs."

Javeed family

Jabbar family videos

Accession consists of digitized home movies from an Indian family in Canada documenting family members visiting Canada. Project and donor contributed description follows: "Sometime between 1987 and 1988, it's the summer season and the Jabbar family welcomes uncles and aunts over for a visit to Canada, staying at their apartment in Scarborough, ON. Family was always welcome at the Jabbar household and they are happy and willing to stay for weeks at a time despite the small space. The footage shows how multigenerational the gatherings are, which included S's grandmother who recently came to live with the family."

Javeed family

Isaac family videos

Series consists of a Haitian and Sudanese family’s home movie documenting a school performance at the École élémentaire catholique du Sacré-Coeur.

Isaac family

Iran vacation

Item consists of an Iranian-Canadian family’s home movie featuring landscapes, cityscapes, and heritage sites in Iran.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Both Bita and her father, Abbas, contributed to this write up. Bita felt protective of her family and their image,  and chose to contribute a clip that didn’t centre people but a place. The scenery itself is a beautiful valuable contribution of a country in flux.

In 1998, Abbas visits Iran with his daughter Bita for the first time in sixteen years since moving to Canada. Bita at the time was a shy eight year-old and recalls that she didn’t speak for the first three weeks of the trip and that this was her first time leaving Canada.

In this clip Abbas is alone behind the camera capturing historical sites. He was prompted to take this trip because an Iranian friend in Vancouver couldn’t go home and asked him to make these movies of Cyrus the Great, Isfahan, etc. and to bring them back to show on local Persian TV. He did end up making these movies on a miniDV camcorder but never did give them to his friend.

The clip starts out at night time in Shiraz, with the Takht-e Lamshid built for Cyrus the Great. Then moves on to Isfahan, the "Great Mosque" that in farsi they call the Shah Mosque based in Naghsh-e Jahan Square. Abbas recalls at the time wondering how locals knew he hadn’t been living their for 16 years. People could tell that he had left and was living somewhere else. For Abbas, these clips show a country rich with stories and pride.  

After years of searching for these tapes, they found them again in the summer of  2018 the night before Bita returned to Iran for the second time in her life."

I & A (ages 7 & 3) Feb 2003 video letter for India Grandma : part 3 of 3

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Muslim by faith, the children practice memorizing the Quran in Arabic. Their parents teach them to recite one line at a time to ensure that they learn at a young age. They know that seeing this would bring their grandmother joy and make her proud. The video letter is a way to connect with her through these recitations of a shared faith as she doesn’t speak English."

I & A (ages 7 & 3) Feb 2003 video letter for India Grandma : part 2 of 3

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The children are practicing Urdu by reciting what they know: a well-known Indian nursery rhyme about a thirsty crow, and a biryani song that the family made-up because the boys found it amusing. The video letter of the boys practicing Urdu is a way to build and maintain a relationship with their grandmother who doesn’t speak English."

I & A (ages 7 & 3) Feb 2003 video letter for India Grandma : part 1 of 3

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The children are reciting; reciting a shopping list, nursery rhymes like "itsy bitsy spider," and their ABCs. The video letter of the boys learning to write and spell is a way to build and maintain a relationship with their grandmother from afar."

Husain family videos

Series consists of a home movie from an Iranian-Canadian family featuring footage of Baghdad. Footage captured by donor's father.

Husain family

Hugs

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl giving a woman a hug.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti’s sister’s farm is a treasured place in their family’s collective memories. With 90 acres of land, the farm was a beloved retreat to the country for the Toronto family. In the footage, Leyla can be seen showing her picked grapes to her mother. Above them, Shanti’s mother picks grapes from their pergola.

Having recently started ballet classes, Leyla is wearing a pink ballet outfit complete with her own tutu. Endured by her outfit and feeling affection, Leyla is hugged by her grandmother.

At almost 4 years old, Layla and her grandmother are preparing the lights (diyas) for Diwali. In the Caribbean, the diyas would be lit outside the home, but since the family lived in an apartment the practise was kept to inside the home. Carefully, Leyla is guided in helping her grandmother. Her mother was a retired nurse to prepare for the holiday. Leyla grew up watching her grandmother during her daily prayers and helping on Diwali.

In rare form, Shanti is in front of the camera. As the family documenter, Shanti is usually the one behind the camera. Dressed as a witch, Shanti can be seen posing with her daughter who decided to go as a fairy princess this year before their evening of trick-or-treating."

House with Christmas decorations

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie featuring a snowy house with Christmas decorations on the lawn. Project and donor contributed description follows: "George Chan filmed Christmas decorations in town, day and night."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail with footage zooming on the horses hooves.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie following a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie following a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie following a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Horseback riding

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Home Made Visible collection

  • F0723
  • Collection
  • [195-], 1953-2008, 2019

Collection contains digital and analogue home movies submitted to and digitized by Home Made Visible, a nation-wide project by the Regent Park Film Festival. The project collected movies from visible minority families and Indigenous peoples in Canada. Footage consists of everyday life including children playing and family trips, and celebrations including birthdays and holidays.

Regent Park Film Festival

Holding a newborn and men sleeping on the couch

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a man holding a newborn and three men sleeping on the couch.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Holding a newborn

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a woman holding a newborn and a child asking to hold the baby.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Holding a newborn

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a woman holding a newborn

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Happy St. Mary Day

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring a cake with "Happy St. Mary Day" text decoration, children sitting on a couch eating cake, and a child dancing in front of the camera.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Halloween fairy princess

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl wearing fairy princess costume singing a song and an adult wearing a witch costume.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti’s sister’s farm is a treasured place in their family’s collective memories. With 90 acres of land, the farm was a beloved retreat to the country for the Toronto family. In the footage, Leyla can be seen showing her picked grapes to her mother. Above them, Shanti’s mother picks grapes from their pergola.

Having recently started ballet classes, Leyla is wearing a pink ballet outfit complete with her own tutu. Endured by her outfit and feeling affection, Leyla is hugged by her grandmother

At almost 4 years old, Layla and her grandmother are preparing the lights (diyas) for Diwali. In the Caribbean, the diyas would be lit outside the home, but since the family lived in an apartment the practise was kept to inside the home. Carefully, Leyla is guided in helping her grandmother. Her mother was a retired nurse to prepare for the holiday. Leyla grew up watching her grandmother during her daily prayers and helping on Diwali.

In rare form, Shanti is in front of the camera. As the family documenter, Shanti is usually the one behind the camera. Dressed as a witch, Shanti can be seen posing with her daughter who decided to go as a fairy princess this year before their evening of trick-or-treating."

Gros-Louis family videos

Series consists of home movies from a Huron-Wendat family documenting winter in Wendake and a summertime parade in Apache Junction, Arizona. Footage captured by Mr. Alexander Gros-Louis.

Gros-Louis family

Grandparents holding a baby

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a photograph of grandparents holding a baby.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Grandma swimming the cold pool

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring an adult in the pool and a child watching.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Robert, Shanti’s nephew swings 2-year-old Layla around on his family’s farm in Puslinch. Ten years older than Leyla and an only child, he cherished the weekend and summer visits from his younger cousin.

Her mother was an active swimmer in her youth and was excited to take up her old hobby on the family farm. Layla gestures to her grandmother in the pool who is clearly enjoying her self. Smiling brightly and leisurely swimming around she tells Layla how cold the pool is and not to come in."

Girls playing with cars

Item consists of a home movie featuring several children playing with cars.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In China, Cindy’s parents met a couple on the train when on their way to an interview to apply to come to Canada. Perchance, Cindy and the same couple’s kids ended up attending the same school and kindergarten class in Canada. The families moved to Canada within months of each other and became very close. They lived together in adjoining units during their first two years in Canada. This video documents the housewarming get together after the families got separate places. Seen here are four girls playing together in her friend’s basement.

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Fun in the Sun

Item consists of a Japanese-Canadian family's home movies filmed in the 1960s.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "In the summer of ’65, Naomi and Akemi run around a sprinkler and play in a wading pool in their backyard. Three year old Naomi, in the red bathing suit, two year old Akemi in the blue bathing suit and their four month old brother, Steven are recorded by their father Doug on the sunny Vancouver summer afternoon."

F.N.G.A. 2002

Item consists of a Anishinaabe family's home movie.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "A protest against the First Nations Governance Act (FNGA) at Parliament Hill in 2003. FNGA was a legislation that the government was trying to impose on First Nations that would overstep their jurisdiction to First Nations relations, impeding their rights as sovereign nations in very much the same type Indigenous people had with the White Paper, it could lead to a slippery slope of further government control over our nations.

Various Chiefs across Canada organized this protest that gathered quite a lot of support across First Nations. This was part of a caravan to Ottawa and take place in Toronto, ON.

Chief Roberta Jamieson, the chief of Six Nation, is talking about the FNGA can negatively affect the community. Beside her is another respected leader Roger Obonsawin shared a few words among well-known community members. Rebeka and David travel in their van and on their way stops in a Mohawk community, Tyendinaga where they are hosted.

They arrive in Ottawa and people from across Canada came and in the end there are people the legislation was thrown out. They succeeded.

The National Chief Matthew Coon Come gave a speech on Parliament Hill. The National Chief spoke out a lot at that time against the Federal government. Many social organizations were afraid of having their funding pulled but it was really good to be apart of something larger, bringing people across the country together.

As young Indigenous people in Toronto they formed the Coalition of Indigenous Sovereignty, including allies, supported by unions and grassroots organizations, met regularly to oppose this legislation. ‘It’s pretty inspiring to review that part of our lives. It captured a moment in time in Toronto for our family that was very special with us. It reflects where our communities were at.’

(4)
Rebeka and her family take a road trip to relatives in the states of David Shilling's in their old van. They were excited to cross this huge bridge into the states. His cousin plays with their kids.

There was a gathering to honor the live of the late Anishnaabe [Rodney Bobiwash] from the Mississaugas nations up north and [Kim Pernel Dominco]. Rodney was a professor at the University of Toronto and used to be the director of First Nations House. He worked international solidarity with Indigenous people in the South, and he had been support the work of [Kim penrecl Dominico] from Colombia. They had been working had together to bring light to the damning of a river on traditional territories. It was during the Free Trade Agreement summit happening in Montreal. Unfortunately, [Kim] was targeted and disappeared. It was devastating.

Shortly after that Rodney passed away due to complications with diabetes. They had his funeral at the Native Canadian Centre in Toronto, hundreds and hundreds of people came out. A Mayan group performed a beautiful dance in his tribute. At the time they felt very fortunate to be able to document things for their communities and to have that proof of gatherings and also for their family.

(5)
In the late nineties and early 2000s Rebeka’s brother and dad at the cabin for the summer. They had a huge catch and had a big fish fry and invited friends over. They made fried bread and lightly battered fish. Rebeka recalls that it was a lot of work to get the line ready, and to fillet it and to bred it, but it was heavenly to have."

Flowers on a house

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring flowers growing on the side of a house.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Flowers and garden

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring flowers growing on the side of a house, a garden, and flowers in a vase.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Results 101 to 200 of 350