A timely look at the devastating human impact of police brutality, Montreal director Stefan Verna's National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentary Night Watches Us launches online across NFB platforms starting December 2.
Night Watches Us will also screen on November 14 and December 4 at the NFB's Alanis Obomsawin Theatre in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, as the film makes its Montreal homecoming following a world premiere at Hot Docs.
Stefan Verna's 42-minute documentary is a poignant cinematic exploration of the tragic death of Nicholas Gibbs, a 23-year-old Black Montreal man who fell victim to police brutality while grappling with mental health issues.
Screenings at the Alanis Obomsawin Theatre, 1500 rue Balmoral, Montreal
November 14, 6 p.m.
Co-presented by the DESTA Black Community Network and the NFB, followed by an audience Q&A and a discussion.
The panel will feature voices deeply engaged in justice, advocacy and systemic change:
- Alain Babineau, Director of Racial Profiling & Public Safety, Red Coalition;
- Emilie Nicolas, Columnist and Human Rights Advocate;
- Ted Rutland, Author and Professor, Concordia University;
- Moderated by Svens Telemaque, Cultural Advisor at the Parole Board of Canada.
The screening (in English) will be followed by an audience Q&A and a panel discussion exploring why these injustices persist, the social and structural forces behind them and how storytelling and community actions can drive accountability and change.
December 4, 7 p.m.
Night Watches Us will be presented again at the NFB in the Quartier des Spectacles as part of the NFB's Hello Film! series. The film will be screened in English with French subtitles and followed by a Q&A with director Stefan Verna. Reserve seats on the NFB's Eventbrite site.
About the film
On August 21, 2018, a son lost his father, a mother lost her son, and a nephew lost his uncle. The community knows what happened. Flowers bloom where Nicholas Gibbs last drew breath. He was a 23-year-old Black man plagued by mental health issues but was murdered by the Montreal police. Stefan Verna's Night Watches Us examines the systemic forces that lead to Nicholas's tragic death, telling the story through the eyes of his family and community, united in their collective grief. Using a blend of documentary styles mixed with street art and spoken word, this film is a love letter in honour of Nicholas and the Gibbs family.
About the filmmaker
Stefan Verna is a Montreal-based artist and Concordia University Film Production graduate who's originally from Congo. Spanning film, dance and theatre, his diverse artistic practice reflects a fusion of personal experiences, exploring themes of pain and identity. Verna has worked as a cinematographer on projects that have been broadcast on Canadian networks, and his directing work ranges from documentaries to music videos. He is dedicated to community engagement, mentoring marginalized youth in particular, and is a co-founder of the Black on Black Films collective.
