When Canada’s Government takes the decision to transform the correctional system to one that puts punishment first, Canada’s rehabilitative prison farms are one of the first casualties. A strong opposition forms towards the farm closures and for two days in the late summer of 2010, hundreds of angry protesters stand in front of Frontenac Prison Farm in the heart of Kingston, Ontario, ready to block cattle trucks brought in to remove the hundred-year-old prize dairy herd. The dramatic standoff between protesters and police lasts two days, through pouring rain and hot sun. Black-clad police arrest 24 people, the youngest 14 years old, the oldest, 85.
TIL THE COWS COME HOME tells the story behind this extraordinary display of civil disobedience, filled with gripping confrontations and a cast of colourful characters, from irate farmers to passionate nuns to endearing ex-cons. It asks provocative questions about the Canadian government’s hardening approach to criminal justice, food security….and democracy itself.
An optional discussion will follow the film. Films are free to the public. Donations are welcome to help with network membership fees. (Washrooms are not accessible, sorry.)
For more information on Cinema Politica Fredericton’s amazing Winter 2016 line-up like us on Facebook or contact: fredericton@cinemapolitica.org
Cinema Politica Fredericton Screens: Til The Cows Come Home | March 4, 2016 | 180 St. John Street | 7 p.m. | no charge
