BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University’s Center for Comparative Muslim Studies (CCMS) is fostering community and critical dialog through its newly active film club, utilizing cinema as a “third space” for learning and engagement. The club screens films focused on the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and their diasporas, aiming to broaden understanding beyond conventional academic frameworks.
The film club directly supports CCMS’s core mandate of moving beyond a singular view of Islam to recognize the diverse experiences and agency of Muslim communities in shaping their societies and cultures. According to Parsa Alirezaei, a research assistant at CCMS, the club’s goal is “to create a community of people who want to learn about the world of the Middle East, of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the diaspora.”
Open to all-students, staff, and community members alike-screenings are followed by audience-driven discussions, incorporating everything from formal presentations to spontaneous conversations grounded in “situated knowledge,” enriched by the lived experiences of participants.
Alirezaei emphasizes the power of film to foster empathy and understanding: “I think what film does well is…to humanize an experience. There’s something about watching a human go through the emotions of being human in a context. This is why art can have a especially big impact.” The club’s screenings aim to deconstruct cultural narratives and explore how they shape our perceptions of the world, offering a space to “wrestle with power.”
Those interested in joining the CCMS film club can email CCMS at [email protected] and find screening announcements on their website: https://events.sfu.ca/event/45898-ccms-film-club-fall-2025-semester-multiple-dates.
