First established by the United Nations in 1967 to confront apartheid in South Africa, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) has since grown to encompass the global fight against all forms of racial discrimination faced by racialized communities. Below is a selection of films that reflect the spirit and purpose. These films can be presented at any time of the year to encourage ongoing reflection and dialogue.
Table of Contents
Night Watches Us (Very soon in the programming choices)
Stefan Verna | 2024 | 42min. Documentary styles, street art and spoken word blend in Night Watches Us as it examines the systemic forces that caused a young man’s tragic death.
reXistence
Will Prosper | 2025 | 10 min. reXistence expose la violence systémique et célèbre la force des communautés afrodescendantes du Canada, pour réveiller nos consciences et nourrir les luttes d’aujourd’hui.
Camera Test
Joyce Wong | 2019 |5 min. What gets lost when female voices are stymied during the creative process? Pairing intimate interviews with absurdist re-enactments, Joyce Wong crafts a tartly subversive look at patriarchy and racism in the film...
The colour of beauty
Elizabeth St. Philip | 2010 |16 min. The Colour of Beauty is a shocking short documentary that examines racism in the fashion industry. Is a black model less attractive to designers, casting directors and consumers? What is the colour of...
Screen Test
Linda Lee | 2004 | 6 min. This short documentary portrays an actor's perspective on ethnocentrism and systemic racism in the entertainment industry.
Hanging On
Chedly Belkhodja | 2006 | 14 min | In French and in English with English subtitles. This short documentary shows the struggle that young immigrants have in a small community unaccustomed to cultural diversity, and their frustration at not...
Ninth Floor
Mina Shum | 2015 | 81min. Over four decades later, Ninth Floor reopens the file on the infamous Sir George Williams Riot – a watershed moment in Canadian race relations and one of the most contested episodes in the nation’s...
Themes
- Animated films
- Art, Music, Literature
- Celebrate French, next March
- Teen Zone
- Black History Month suggestions
- International Women’s Day Suggestions
- International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21)
- Climate Change
- 2SLGBTQI+
- Science and Environment
- Truth and Reconciliation
- Voices in society
- Youth