Film Screening: Mois de l'Histoire des Noir.es—True North

In celebration of Mois de l’histoire des Noirs (Black History Month), the Alliance is honored to partner with the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago and the Quebec Government Office for a screening of Haitian-Panamanian filmmaker Michèle Stephenson’s 2025 documentary True North.

Guests will enjoy a pre-reception featuring complimentary Canadian beer and maple cream cookies. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Consul General of Canada in Chicago Madeleine Féquière and award-winning documentary fillmmaker Naeema Jamila Torres, moderated by the Canadian Consulate’s Senior Foreign Policy & Diplomacy Servies Officer, Colleen Duke.

Doors at 6:00 pm for a complimentary beer reception. Screening at 6:30. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave. Non-alcoholic options will be available.

Stephenson’s moving documentary centers on the 1969 Sir George Williams affair protests against systemic racism at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, when a group of Haitian-Canadian students occupied a ninth-floor computer lab. By turns searing and galvanizing, True North furthers the director’s ongoing investigation into the Black experience throughout the Americas and the historical pressures that shape it. Alternating between intimate interviews with those who lived through the protests and startling archival footage—including powerful statements from activist and future Dominica Prime Minister Rosie Douglas—True North is a moving tribute to the valiant young people who dared to stand up for their rights and forged an impactful contribution to the story of Black liberation.

About the Presenters

Madeleine Féquière is Consul General of Canada in Chicago and a recognized expert in leadership, corporate credit administration, credit risk and operations, credit enhancements and international trade. Her experience in corporate governance spans 25 years of active involvement on the boards and committees of numerous organizations in the cultural, health, education, and business sectors on a global scale. She is a Concordia University graduate.

Naeema Jamilah Torres is an award winning documentary filmmaker based in Chicago. Her work unpacks notions of womanhood, complex ethnic identities, and legacies in the Americas through visual and audio mediums. An Impact Producer and Executive Director of Mezcla Media Collective, she is also a lecturer at Northwestern University and DePaul University.

About the Moderator

Colleen Duke is Senior Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Services Officer at the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago.

About the Filmmaker

Michèle Stephenson is a documentary filmmaker who was born in Haiti and now lives in Brooklyn. Previous projects include American Promise (2012), The Changing Same (2018), and Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (2023).

Get Here

The Alliance Franaise de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Ave. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark and the 66 on Chicago Ave. A Divvy station is located in front of the 54 W Chicago Ave entrance.

Parking Information

$10 for 12 hours at 100 W Chestnut St. Validation is available at reception.

Please be advised that students, members, and attendees at cultural events or programs may be photographed, and these images may be used for marketing purposes.