You never know where a lunch date might lead. In the case of University of Ottawa communications lecturer Gary Evans, one such date will take him to China. From April 7 to 28, Evans will present a series of screenings and discussions of Canadian film at Hainan University in Haikon City, the China University of Communications in Beijing and Beijing University.
The idea for Canadian Film Weeks (CFW) arose at a luncheon for 25 Chinese academics visiting Concordia University in Montreal last summer. Evans met a friendly young woman who asked some intriguing questions about Canada’s national self-image. The woman turned out to be Li Yufeng, the dean of Foreign Studies at Hainan University. She suggested Evans visit China to share some of Canada’s best film work.
The CFW will feature classics from the National Film Board, including the 2004 Oscar winner for Best Animated Short Film, Ryan, and a number of acclaimed feature films such as 2003 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, The Barbarian Invasions, whose executive producer was uOttawa alumna Denise Robert.
