Activism & Politics

Carleton Divestment - Join the Movement

The campaign for divestment led by Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) continues at Carleton University in the winter of 2011 with a call for a campus wide referendum. I produced this video in January 2011 for this new phase of the campaign. Special thanks to Ben Saifer for script development and Rabita Sharfuddin for coordination.

Novotel Mic Check

I took part in a direct action in early December 2011 as part of a community campaign to pressure Novotel to stop harassing its workers who have been trying to unionize with UNITE HERE. This is what I was able to put together from the footage I got.

Canadian Jews Oppose the Jewish National Fund (JNF)

Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV Canada) asked me to produce this video in support of their Stop the JNF campaign, which launched in the fall of 2011. Special thanks to Dave Ron for interviewing Dr. Ismail Zayid in Halifax.

Hassan Diab Video Statement

Ahead of the extradition decision from the Ontario Superior Court on 6 June 2011, I met with Hassan Diab and his support committee to film this statement, which will be provided to reporters following an expected unfavourable decision that will result in Mr. Diab being taken into immediate custody.

Global Action Week 2011

Dawghaus Studios produced this video as a "Big Story" feature for Global Action Week (May 2-6, 2011), organized by the Canadian Global Campaign on Education (CGCE). The video features author Kagiso Molope sharing her experience with education in South Africa during the apartheid years. A big and special thank you to the wonderful Leigh Eagles for leading the project.

Green Line: Drawing Out the Vote

Dawghaus Studios produced this video in April 2011 for the Young Greens of Ottawa to support their campaign to draw out the youth vote for the May 2nd federal election. Special thanks to Scott Baker and the many young greens who volunteered to appear in the video. Primary distribution is via YouTube.

Carleton Board of Governors Shutdown

On 29 March 2011, students at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, shut down the scheduled Board of Governors (BoG) meeting after the body refused to consider a motion calling for divestment of pension stock from four companies implicated in Israel's occupation of Palestine. The direct action was led by Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA), and received the support and participation of 25 allied campus student groups, as well as faculty, staff and community members. I wasn't present at the demonstration, but managed to cut a video using footage shot by several others, including Lia Tarachansky from the Real News Network.

Trevor Haché for Ottawa-Vanier

My friend Trevor Haché declared his candidacy as a New Democrat in the riding of Ottawa-Vanier for the May 2011 federal elections. I produced the following video for his campaign in late March. (YouTube link is here.)

Student Rally for CUSA Divestment Vote - 17 February 2011

I attended the rally organized by Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at Carleton University, ahead of the vote on divestment taken by the Carleton University Students Association (CUSA). This is the video report.

SAIA Divestment Campaign - 17 February 2011 CUSA Vote

Before bringing the divestment campaign directly to the Board of Governors, Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) decided to organize with other campus groups to have the Carleton University Students Association (CUSA) pass a vote in favour of divestment. I produced this video to draw out students to a rally at the CUSA meeting. Voiceover by Angela Schleihauf.

Defend Free Speech: The CPCCA and the New McCarthyism

Independent Jewish Voices asked me to produce this video as a response to the dubious Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism's (CPCCA) November 2010 conference in Ottawa. A loose grouping of political representatives from various political parties, the CPCCA appears to be more concerned about silencing critical discussion of Israel in the public sphere than countering authentic anti-Semitism. This production benefited from support of activists across Canada. The videographers were Martin Duckworth (Montréal), Julis Fisher (Vancouver), Qais Ghanem (Ottawa) and Ali Mustafa (Toronto). Additional production support was provided by IJV members Corey Balsam, Linda Belanger, Tyler Levitan, Dylan Penner, Diana Ralph and Grafton Ross.