Activist and filmmaker John Greyson to present award-winning “Lilies” at Western

John Greyson, Canadian filmmaker and activist, will visit Western University this week to present his film “Lilies” to launch London’s second annual Prisoners’ Justice Film Festival.

Greyson, known for his work on social justice issues, will present the film on Friday, January 24 at 6 p.m. in Conron Hall. Attendance is free and a panel discussion will follow the presentation.

Released in 1996, “Lilies” is an adaptation of the Québécois play, “Les feluettes,” written by celebrated playwright Michel Marc Bouchard. Set in a Quebec prison in 1952, “Lilies” tells the story of a bishop listening to the confession of a dying inmate who has enlisted his fellow inmates to perform a play that reflects on the time when he and the bishop were childhood friends.

The film won Best Motion Picture at the 1996 Genie Awards and received 14 nominations in total.

Last August, Greyson traveled to Egypt to film the humanitarian medical efforts of Dr. Tarek Loubani, an assistant professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. The two were detained for a 50-day investigation following accusations of involvement in an anti-government protest. They were released without charge.

For more information about this event, please contact Chris Gittings, Chair of Western’s Department of Film Studies, by email at gittings@uwo.ca or by phone at 519-661-2111, ext. 85781.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer, 519-661-2111, ext. 85165, jrenaud9@uwo.ca, @jeffrenaud99

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