The Film: Down a Dark Stairwell
When Akai Gurley, an unarmed Black man, is killed in a darkened stairwell of a New York City housing project by a Chinese-American police officer, Peter Liang, it sets off a firestorm of emotion and calls for accountability. When Liang becomes the first NYPD officer convicted of an on duty shooting in over a decade, the fight for justice becomes complicated, igniting one of the largest Asian-American protests in history and disrupting a legacy of solidarity.
At the intersection of two marginalized communities with parallels in Vancouver, this film will be the launching point for a conversation with event curator and moderator Natasha Tony (Elevate Inclusion Strategies), Ursula Liang (Director // no relation to Peter Liang), Meenakshi Mannoe (Pivot Legal Society), Lama Mugabo (Hogan’s Alley Society), Dawn Pemberton (Artist) and Vince Tao (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users).
Connection to community is vital to human existence. Preserving and rebuilding communities continuously threatened by systemic discrimination is at the centre of this moderated panel discussion. We will discuss the impacts of class, racism and hate, violence, and denial and exclusion of the Black and Asian communities in downtown Vancouver.
Join this dynamic discussion to explore the complexity of community, culture, and identity through the lens of restoration, connection, and compassion.
The short film Secret Vancouver: Return to Hogan’s Alley will screen prior to Down a Dark Stairwell.
Read more about the amazing panelists and musical guest Dawn Pemberton here.
**NOTE: BOTH FILMS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN CANADA**
