Students’ Association is trying to show diverse films. Is it enough?
Algonquin College is working to show a variety of different movies, like the film Bros that played on March 12.
The Students’ Association and Algonquin Commons Theatre are collaborating to show more diverse films to students.
Students and the public could see Bros and have popcorn for free.
The romantic comedy Bros is about two gay men: Bobby, a podcast host not looking for a serious relationship, and Aaron, a lawyer who Bobby meets at club. They both start to build an attraction to one another, but both do not want to commit to a serious relationship.
This is just one of many of the diverse films that the theatre at Algonquin College has been showing. Other diverse films shown at the college include Barbie and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
However, is the SA showing enough diverse films to students?
“I think we can do a little more, possibly a lot more,”said Doménic Laçelle, a student in the broadcasting-television program.
“I think there needs to be more culturally diverse events here at the college,” said Laçelle.
“With the local government’s decision to cap the number of international students, I think it’s important to focus on our international students and we can do that by showing films from other countries,” said Laçelle.
“It’s a campus full of international students and it makes sense to show diverse films,” said Siddharth Paul, a student studying event management.
The Bros movie night event had around 10 people.
“People do show up and leave in a good mood. There’s free popcorn and it’s a free event,” Nikki Thomson, an Algonquin Commons Theatre staff member, said.
Business marketing student Lea-Nora Stoykova believes that the SA needs to show more diverse movies at the theatre than music bands.
Tatanisha Riggan, the SA’s equity, diversity and inclusion coordinator agrees with students, that showing more diverse films at the theatre is important. She and the SA plan to be having more diverse films be shown at the theatre in the future.
Riggan said she seeks students’ feedback regularly and is open to suggestions from students on films they would like to see.
“One thing about film and several other art forms is that it makes it a way to access diverse perspectives and understand different cultures,” said Riggan.
