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A&E column: Documentary premiere, ‘Mamma Mia!’, 500 million years of plants

A look at what’s coming up in arts and entertainment in the Cowichan Valley
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First Mayo Public school in Paldi, built in 1921. Teacher Margaret Evans. Paldi’s history is featured in a National Film Board documentary called ‘Unarchived’ which is premiering in Duncan on Feb. 15 at Vancouver Island University. (Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives)

Feature-length documentary Unarchived is premiering in Duncan next week at the Cowichan Campus of Vancouver Island University.

The screening is Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

What makes the documentary, by directors Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok, so special for people in Cowichan is that it was largely shot on Vancouver Island, with key pieces taking place in Paldi and Duncan.

So what’s it all about?

“The film features VIU Professor Imogene Lim as one of several knowledge keepers in community archives across British Columbia, who are fighting for a more inclusive history through family photos, newspaper articles and deeply rooted memories,” says a press release for the premiere, which is being co-presented by Vancouver Island University’s Global Citizens Week and VIUFA HRIS (Human Rights & International Solidarity) with the National Film Board of Canada, which produced and is distributing the film. The idea is to “reveal some of what has been erased from the official record.”

Getting into the film screening is free, and there will be a post-screening panel with special guests including the two directors, Dr. Satwinder Bains of the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive, Dr. Tzu-I Chung of RBCM and Dr. Imogene Lim of VIU.

Unarchived - Trailer (2m00s) from NFB/marketing on Vimeo.

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Are you a fan of musicals?

Brentwood College School presents Mamma Mia! on March 1-4.

Yes, this is the popular musical featuring the songs of Abba to tell the tale of a young woman who wants her father to give her away at her wedding. There’s just one hitch, her mom isn’t sure which one of three possibilities is her dad. It’s lots of fun and great music.

The show takes place at the T. Gil Bunch Centre for the Performing Arts at Brentwood College School. Book tickets online at theatre.brentwood.bc.ca. Ticket prices range from $10 to $25.

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The Cowichan Valley Naturalists Society is inviting everyone to a talk on Monday, Feb. 6 titled Ten Million Years/Minute - The story of plant life on earth.

Starting at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom Dr. Barbara Hawkins from the Biology Department at UVic with cover 500 million years of land plant evolution in one hour.

“We will speed through the origins and rise of land plants at a rate of 10 million years per minute. We will address the challenges of life on land, how plants adapted from their aquatic origins, how plants changed the terrestrial environment and how the environment changed plants. The evolution of stems, roots, leaves, seed, flowers and fruits will be discussed. Wear a seatbelt!” says a press release for the talk.

The event is free. For the Zoom link email cvns@naturecowichan.net