FILM SCREENINGS

Family Motel

2007. Canada. Written and directed by Helene Klodawsky. Made in collaboration with Hodan Shafici Mohamed. With Nargis, Asha Jibril, Sagal Jibril. Ayan, a Somalian refugee, not only supports her two teenage daughters by working two jobs as a cleaner, but also sends part of her salary to her husband and two sons in East Africa. She is determined to provide for her children and keep her girls out of trouble, but circumstances test her indomitability when she falls behind in her rent on a motel room in a seedy neighborhood. Shot on location with a nonprofessional cast, Klodawsky's first feature is a realistic and moving portrait of a family in crisis. Courtesy National Film Board of Canada. 88 min.