Family Motel

by Helene Klodawsky

In the alternative drama, Somali Canadian first time actors show the domino effect of becoming homeless, revealing just how close many of us are to the edge

2007 · 1h28m · Canada

English

About the Film

Headstrong Ayan, a refugee from Somalia, has big dreams. New to Canada, she’ll show anyone she can provide for her family. Still, it’s difficult to keep it all together. On top of the soaring rent, her daughters, 16-year-old Nasrah and 13-year-old Leila, need braces. And even working two jobs as a cleaner, it’s tough to find enough money to send to her anxious husband and two sons still stuck in East Africa. Ayan’s confidence is shaken when she is unexpectedly evicted for late payment of rent. It is the beginning of the summer break from school, and the city faces a severe housing shortage. Ayan and her daughters are exiled to the city’s tattered hinterland among other homeless families, hookers and unsettled souls. A vibrant and contemporary feature drama fired by a trio of remarkable debut performances, Family Motel charts one eventful summer in the lives of Ayan and her girls as they confront life on the edge. Finding inspiration in the alternative dramas pioneered at the National Film Board of Canada as well as community-based storytelling, director Helen Klodawsky and her collaborators deftly fashion a fresh and authentic tale of falling through the cracks in a land of plenty – and a stirring portrait of dignity under fire.

Screenings of this film have been made possible thanks to the National Film Board of Canada.

Upcoming Screenings

Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!

Festivals and Awards

2008

Les Rendez-vous du Cinema Quebecois, Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance Through Film

In the Press

Review

FAMILY MOTEL : LES RÉFUGIÉES

VOIR

Editor

Tony Asimakopoulos

Cinematographer

Germán Gutiérrez

Producer

Ina Fichman and Ravida Din

Production Company

Instinct Films and National Film Board of Canada

Film Related

About the Director

Helene Klodawsky

Helene Klodawsky has been writing and directing feature length documentary and narrative films for over 20 years. Her films have been screened and televised around the world, and have received more than 25 honours, including awards from the Academy of Canadian Cinema, Hot Docs, Les Rendez-vous du Cinema Quebecois, the Jerusalem International Film Festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Mannheim International Film Festival. Helene is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Reviews and articles about Helene’s work have appeared in many periodicals, including The Globe and Mail, National Post, New York Times, Newsweek International, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, La Presse, Nouvelle Observateur, The Independent, BBC News Service, Hindu Times, Asian Tribune, Art In America, Art Forum and Chatelaine.

Helene Klodawsky is a member of Doc Organization, the Writer’s Guild of Canada, Réalisatrices Équitables, and the Quebec Executive of the Director’s Guild of Canada.

Other films by Helene Klodawsky