DIRECTOR'S BRUNCH with Kagan Goh
Sunday, October 22, 2023, 11:00 AM
Liberty North, 100 Caplan Ave Unit 1, Barrie, ON L4N 9J2
Tickets: $40.00
IF YOU HAD TO WALK OUT OF YOUR PRESENT LIFE IN 48 HOURS, POSSIBLY NEVER TO RETURN, WHAT WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU? WHAT WOULD YOU LEAVE BEHIND?
For this year’s Director's Brunch, we are welcoming the multi-talented and award-winning director Kagan Goh. This event includes the screening of his fascinating documentary called Stolen Memories, a detective story about his personal quest to return a photo album "stolen" from a Japanese Canadian family during the Japanese internment of 1942.
In the film, Kagan Goh, aided by Mary Seki, his 70-year old detective sidekick, embarks upon a quest to find the rightful owners, find out what happened to them, and return their lost photo album. Documenting the search as well as redressing the wrongs of the past is a symbolic "homecoming" – coming home in terms of returning to a place of self-acceptance, belonging, wholeness and healing.
After the screening Kagan will discuss his film, his process, and more.
Also attending is Grammy award-winning flautist Ron Korb whom is featured in the film where he speaks about his family’s experience of the internment, and was also the composer of the film’s music.
The Brunch will begin with a generous breakfast buffet featuring a delicious assortment of food and drink, including mimosas.
KAGAN GOH
Originally from Singapore, Kagan Goh is a Vancouver-based Chinese Canadian BIPOC multidisciplinary artist: award-winning filmmaker, published author, spoken word poet, playwright, actor, mental health advocate and activist. Kagan is a well-known spoken word artist, essayist and poet, a respected and established voice in Vancouver’s literary community for over two decades. He has been invited to perform at readings, festivals and on radio. He is a graduate of the prestigious Humber School for Writing program, and holds a certificate in creative writing from Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. He has been published in numerous anthologies, periodicals, and magazines. Goh was writer-in-residence at the Historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, B.C., from November 2014 to February 2015. In 2012, Select Books in Singapore published his poetic memoir, focused upon his relationship with his esteemed father, Who Let in the Sky? Kagan is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a number of releases including the award-winning Mind Fuck (1996); Stolen Memories (2012); Breaking the Silence (2015); and The Day My Cat Saved My Life (2021); his films have been broadcast on national television and gained entry into respected film festivals across Canada. Goh’s debut memoir, Surviving Samsara, which recounts his struggles with manic depression, breaking the silence around mental illness, has recently been published by Caitlin Press in Winter 2021. Surviving Samsara was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize 2022 in the creative nonfiction on English category. Surviving Samsara is also a multimedia multidisciplinary live theatrical production of the same name that incorporates virtual reality, dramatic performances, spoken word, music, and audiovisuals.
RON KORB – COMPOSER
Japanese-Canadian flutist Ron Korb has travelled around the world collecting bamboo and various indigenous world flutes. Reflecting Celtic, Asian, classical, jazz, New Age and Latin influences, his music embodies the diverse cultures, traditions and experiences of his travels and his Asian Canadian upbringing in Toronto. His mother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older cousins were all interned in the interior of BC during WWII. Ron graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in music performance and has gone on to perform at The Smithsonian Institution, Madison Square Gardens, Heian Shrine in Kyoto, Japan, The National Theatre in Panama and has had three tours in Mainland China. Ron has played on over seventy major motion picture soundtracks by such directors as: Ang Lee, Atom Egoyan, Mira Nair, John Woo, Robert Lepage and James Ivory. He has 5 Grammy certificates, 4 of them for winning albums; playing on two 2023 albums: “Sakura” by Masa Takumi and “Divine Tides” by Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej. His critically acclaimed music has been released in twenty countries on various record labels.
"As a Flute player Ron Korb mesmerizes his audiences with dynamic performances of beautiful original music and interesting arrangements. His work is accessible but also introduces new sounds and instruments to delighted audiences." - All About Jazz