They're making sure January won't ever be forgotten.
My Name Was January, the short documentary chronicling the life of New Westminster resident January Lapuz, who was killed in her home in 2012, premiered to an appreciative crowd last month.
The movie had its Metro Vancouver premiere at SFU Surrey on Feb. 28, drawing a crowd of more than 150 people, according to a press release.
Producer Alex Sangha and directors Elina Gress and Lenee Son joined two cast members, Velvet Steele and Natasha Adsit, for a panel discussion after the screening – facilitated by SFU professor Jennifer Marchbank, who teaches in the gender, sexuality and women’s studies department.
It also drew some familiar political faces, with Surrey city councillors Brenda Locke and Allison Patton in attendance, as well as former MP and MLA Penny Priddy.
“The film itself gripped the audience so that they can relate to January and trans women as people, first and foremost, and in doing so the audience walked away thinking about how to empathize with the issues presented in their own way,” said Sangha in a press release.
Want to know more? You can check out a past Record feature story about the film project.
Two more public screenings of the film are coming up on two Saturdays in the fall, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28 at the Surrey City Centre library. Check out www.januarylapuz.net to stay on top of all the details.
