May Updates with the Embassy Cultural House: Queer Cinema and Ana “Falastini"

A line from a poem by the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, echoes in our minds in the many days since the genocide in Gaza began.

View this email in your browser "He thinks of the journey of thought across borders" A line from a poem by the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, echoes in our minds in the many days since the genocide in Gaza began. Many of the upcoming ECH solidarity events are centered on the people of Palestine and are a reminder of the unending violence they have been forced to endure. We continue to condemn the Israeli state-sanctioned atrocities that are occurring at an unprecedented scale. We applaud the many activists who continue to speak out and call for justice.  "He thinks of the journey of thought across borders" - Mahmoud Darwish Jamelie Hassan, maquette for ceramic tiles, commissioned by Michael Lynk, 2023.  Queer Cinema for Palestine 2025 Queer Cinema for Palestine 2025  June 14, 2025 at 7-9:30 PM London Public Library, Lawson Room, 251 Dundas Street, London, ON FREE Queer Cinema for Palestine “No Pride in Genocide,” is a single program of stellar new short films, to be presented by groups/partners in 50+ cities globally during Pride June 2025. The Embassy Cultural House, based in London, ON, will host a QCP screening event on June 14, 2025 at London’s Central Public Library.  Queer Cinema for Palestine began as a film festival in 2021, offering a hybrid ten-day program in thirteen cities around the world, celebrating Palestinian voices and queer solidarity with Palestinians and their liberation struggle. This is QCP’s 3rd year and Embassy Cultural House has programmed with QCP since the inaugural program in 2021. QCP supports the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, in particular the call by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) to boycott the Israeli government-sponsored LGBTQ film festival, TLVFest.  For more information, please visit QCP's website. The Embassy Cultural House would also like to thank Antler River Media for partnering with us to host this event.  Queer Cinema for Palestine 2025: Trailer Film Program Not/For The Money - Upcoming ECH Online Exhibition Kelly Greene, Changing Currency: Prototype Kanata 151 $10 Bill, 2018. Image courtesy of the artist Online Launch: June 20, 2025  Embassy Cultural House website Money is a very urgent issue for many artists. An aspect of this issue is the general public’s inability to value the arts and cultural workers’ vital role and impact within any community. There is a lack of understanding in the way cultural workers survive and build meaningful lives, often with a minimum of resources. The issue of money, the impact of economic disparity, and insecurity dominates many of our lives. Without a stable income, most people struggle to afford basic necessities that are required for quality of life. The theme of money is addressed frequently within the art world, but usually it is in the context of the art “market,” commercial auctions, and wealthy collectors. Many artists work to imagine and engender new relationships, value systems, and ways of being. As journalist Eric Reguly wrote in The Globe and Mail business section, “You don’t necessarily need buckets of money to succeed. Sometimes imagination and the courage to break the rules can do the trick. Lorraine Johnson: Building Biodiversity with Native Plants Lecture with Lorraine Johnson: Building Biodiversity with Native Plants Friday, May 23, 2025 at 1-3 PM Eldon House, 481 Ridout Street, London, ON FREE / RSVP Required Join cultivation activist, Lorraine Johnson, in exploring the correlation between reconciliation and native plant gardening. In this presentation, Lorraine will share her knowledge on restorative land care, native plant species, and our relationship with plants, wildlife, and each other. With over three decades of experience in researching, writing, teaching, and the author of ten books covering topics from ecological health to the connections between communities and nature, come learn from Lorraine and grow your understanding of native plants and the role that they play in restoring our relationship to our landscape and each other. To attend, you must call 519-661-5169 to provide your name, email, phone number, and number of persons. For more information, please visit the Eldon House website.  Ana Falastini Screening at Western University Ana Falastini Screening Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 4-7 PM UC 1401, University College, Western University, London, ON FREE On Sunday, May 25, Ana Falastini, a documentary about Palestinians in Vancouver, will be shown from 4PM to 7PM at UC 1401, Western University. There will be Q&A with the filmmakers following the screening. This event is organized by the Embassy Cultural House, People for Peace London, IJV London, the Western Film Department, the Canadian Palestinian Social Association London, and possibly more! Join us! "Ana Falastini" Official Trailer (2024) As The Crow Flies: Garden Tours with Ron Benner Join local artist Ron Benner for special garden tours through As the Crow Flies this summer! This longstanding, living artwork blends art, ecology, and cultural history. Experience its evolution and meaning firsthand at this guided outdoor event, rain or shine! These events are a celebration of As The Crow Flies' 20th anniversary at Museum London.  As the Crow Flies is an outdoor photographic/garden installation by London, Ontario-based artist, writer, and gardener Ron Benner (b. 1949). Installed on the western side of the Museum, overlooking the Deshkan Ziibi (Thames River), Benner’s work consists of an elliptical or egg-shaped reflecting pool. The pool is surrounded by a rich assortment of plant life, which the artist has cultivated for regeneration every year since 2005. It also supports migrating waterfowl and is an ecosystem for amphibians, insects, and fish. The flowers and vegetables that make up As the Crow Flies all grow along the 81.14th meridian leading from Benner’s home of London, south to far-flung locations such as Cape Sable, Florida, and the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. A series of 22 black-and-white photographs document seemingly disconnected landmarks situated along the same meridian. They include colonial monuments, military infrastructure, and industrial remnants. Benner studied agricultural engineering before becoming an artist. He considers the tension between the human imposition of order on the natural world—through mapping, trade, settlement, and colonization—and the rich cultural knowledge that plants embody. As the Crow Flies illustrates Benner’s longstanding commitment to investigating the history and political economics of food cultures. The work embodies his think-globally, act-locally approach to creative practice. For more information, please visit Museum London's website.  Tours are offered June 1, July 6, 27, August 3, 24. Registration is required.  Summer Launch Party at Museum London Summer Launch Party at Museum London June 5, 2025 at 7PM Museum London, 421 Ridout Street, London, ON RSVP Required   Join us as we celebrate the launch of our newest exhibition programs! Explore all three floors of the Museum, meet the artists, designers and curators, and engage in hands-on activities in our Studio. Savour delicious refreshments and sweet treats from Culinary Catering and Yaya’s Kitchen and enjoy live performances from local artists including DJ Wickham and Willy Aristide! For more information, please visit Museum London's website.  RSVP Here Coming Soon: Indigenous Art 2025 Indigenous Art 2025 at Woodland Cultural Centre June 21–September 30, 2025 Woodland Cultural Centre, 184 Mohawk Street, Brantford, ON   The Indigenous Art 2025 exhibition at Woodland Cultural Centre, now in its 49th year, showcases multidisciplinary works by Indigenous artists from across Turtle Island. Featuring painting, sculpture, textiles, and digital media, the show highlights themes of personal history, language, land, and cultural resilience—continuing an ongoing dialogue around decolonization and Indigenous creativity. For more information, please visit the Woodland Cultural Center website.  Relevant and Related Links From Mondoweiss: Exterminating Gaza was always Israel's plan, but now it's official by Qassam Muaddi From The Dalhousie Gazette: The Canadian Media will not use the words Palestine or genocide by Jenna Olsen Never One Thing Alone, April 9 - May 31, 2025 at Gallery TPW, Toronto, ON From CBC London: Award-winning 'Afro-forward' restaurant to open cafe at Museum London by Jack Sutton From Arab America: Watermelon+ Launches May 8: A New Global Streaming Platform Elevating Palestinian and World Cinema From Mondoweiss: Yemen is acting responsibly to stop genocide and the U.S. is bombing them for it by Craig Mokhiber Visit the ECH Website Embassy Cultural House is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton peoples, at the forks of Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River), an area subject to the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum and other treaties, colonized as London, Ontario. The ECH strives to create meaningful relationships between the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island and our contributors. The ECH honours the stewardship of the many Indigenous peoples who have resided on these lands since time immemorial. Copyright © 2025 Embassy Cultural House. All rights reserved. Our mailing address: 514 Pall Mall Street, London, ON, N5Y 2Z6, Canada Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.