VIFF Podcast
Bringing you exclusive in-depth conversations with industry-leading filmmakers, creators and cultural luminaries, recorded live at the Vancouver International Film Festival and year round at VIFF Centre.
~ About VIFF ~
Beyond film exhibitions, VIFF strives to engage and empower communities, encourage dialogue and champion local artists. With decades of experience and an unwavering commitment to creating exceptional programs, VIFF has transformed into a highly esteemed annual festival and a premier arthouse cinema.
Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming at VIFF Centre. All year, VIFF produces screenings, talks, conferences and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen.
VIFF Podcast
Why documentaries are the door to understanding with Elöise King (The Shadow Scholars)
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From travel bans to the risk of criminalization for her film's subjects, Elöise King had to persevere through many hurdles to get her documentary, The Shadow Scholars, to screen.
In The Shadow Scholars, cameras follow Patricia Kingori, the youngest Black woman professor in Oxford’s 925-year history, on her compelling global investigation into Kenya’s hidden essay mills — an industry where an estimated 40,000 highly educated yet underemployed Kenyans make ends meet by writing academic papers for wealthy Western students. As the film touches on an ethical gray area— facing many assumptions and judgments in the global north— King was determined to suggest a new worldview.
In this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we talk with King about the simple pleasure of diving deep into research, how documentaries can open doors to other worlds, and how education can mobilize us to think beyond the systems we live within.
This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.