BAGAGES

Behind all the statistics, politics and disinformation about immigration to Quebec, there are countless individual stories that we would all do well to hear. Filmmaker Paul Tom brought his camera inside Paul-Gérin-Lajoie-d’Outremont high school in Montreal, where teens are invited to share their immigration experiences in class and stage them in drama workshops, giving the young newcomers a voice. With admirable maturity and frankness, they tell us about the pain of exile, the anguish of loss and their complicated relationships with their new country. Their cultural and emotional baggage forms the foundation of a more generous and empathetic society.