Join Cinema Politica Network for the Vancouver premiere of GIFT, followed by a Q&A with director Robin McKenna and film protagonist Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, hosted by Johnny Trinh from the Community Arts Council of Vancouver.

This event is co-presented with Gvias - Greater Vancouver Interactive Arts Society and the Fazakas Gallery.

Inspired by Lewis Hyde’s beloved classic The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World, GIFT is a richly cinematic film, interweaving character-driven stories. On North America’s Pacific Northwest Coast, a young Kwakwaka'wakw artist & carver undertakes the elaborate preparations for a potlatch – to make a name for himself by giving everything away. In Rome, Italy, a factory occupied by migrants is transformed into a living museum, protected by a barricade of art: a model of resistance and an invaluable gift. In the “pirate utopia” of Burning Man, a mutant bumblebee art car distributes honey in a post-­apocalyptic desert landscape. Meanwhile, in Auckland, New Zealand, artist Mingwei Lee prepares to launch Sonic Blossom – a “transformative gift” of song.

GIFT is a tribute to something that can’t be measured or counted, bought or sold. Exploring the parallels between artists’ work and a gift economy, it’s a reflection on the creative process, the reasons we labour in service of our gifts, and a celebration of the imagination.

Tuesday, May 14
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 | $12.50 at the door

*Minors permitted in the balcony. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK. Please redeem at the door.

“More than a worthy tribute to one of my favorite books, Robin McKenna’s GIFT translates Lewis Hyde’s remarkable notion into new terms. A beautiful, moving, and thought-provoking reflection on the creative process and the things that make us human.” -Jonathan Lethem, American novelist

“A beautifully crafted film and such a thoughtful exploration of the idea of The Gift.”
-Faye Ginsburg, David B. Kriser Professor of Anthropology, New York University

“GIFT is a poetic outlook on gift economies through art and cultural practices. It follows four storylines linked by creativity, generosity, resistance and defiance.” -Phi Centre

“Above all, GIFT honours the creative impulse, and asks us to reflect on what art has to offer humanity, regardless of its market value.” -Brava.Media

“GIFT presents us with a rare opportunity to escape the relentless logic of the market and to reclaim a little bit of our human freedom.” -Le Devoir

“GIFT is [a film] worth watching, and a must-see if you are an artist.” -Laurette Folk, Compassion Anthology