Rhymes for Young Ghouls screening
John Christou, a Sheridan graduate and producer of the Rhymes for Yong Ghouls.
STORY BY SATYARTH MISHRA
Sheridan graduate John Christou is returning to campus Tuesday to screen his acclaimed film Rhymes For Young Ghouls.
A graduate of Sheridan’s Advanced Television and film program, Christou is producer of Rhymes For Young Ghouls, an officially selected film of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was named one of the top 10 Canadian films by TIFF.
“It’s an honour to be invited back to screen for Rhymes for Young Ghouls at Sheridan,” said Christou in an email interview. “I only spent a year at Sheridan but I was very fortunate to have a range of incredibly supportive teachers as well as very talented classmates.”
Even after he graduated, many of his teachers continued to help him, Christou said.
“Teachers like Vladimir Kabelik, Jean Desormeaux, Geoff Pevere and David Barlow helped me to lay down the foundations of knowledge that would eventually lead to the making of Rhymes.”
The film is set in 1976 against the backdrop of the native Indian’s residential school tragedy in the fictional Kingdom of Crow, where every Indian child under the age of 16 must attend a residential school.
“Rhymes for Young Ghouls is a serious rebuke of government abuse and abuses,” said Christou. “It’s important and fun and raucous. It’s a must-see. Making it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life (second to having kids), but also one of the most important.”
Christou struggled to build his film career, after he graduated from Sheridan.
“Every day in the film industry is a struggle. You have to fight to get to your script read. Fight to get your film funded. You have to fight for your director’s vision,” he said. “Making films is just one continuous series of fights with yourself and with others.”
Jennifer Clarke, manager of Sheridan Alumni and a friend of Christou, said in an interview the purpose of film screening is to connect students with graduates.
Jennifer Clarke, manager of alumni, showing a poster of the event.
“It’s a great way for us to showcase the alumni and celebrate their achievements and success after graduation,” she said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn first hand because we always have Q and A after the film screening.”
Sheridan Alumni has been widely promoting the screening of Christou’s film.
“The faculty and all of the film programs have been speaking about it in all of their classes. We also have reached out to the Aboriginal Centre, and also have posted a poster in the residence, hoping to connect students as well. Besides that we are reaching interested community groups in Oakville as well,” said Clarke.
Dora Wong, 22, a student in MakeUp and Creative Arts, said she is looking forward to the film. “I am an international student from China. I heard about the screening from my friends, and being a new in Canada, it really made us excited to watch the film and improve our knowledge and language about the Canadian culture.”
The screening will be held in SCAET Lecture Hall (S235) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (September 9) at Trafalgar Campus.
