Lakeside Packers is one of the world's largest slaughterhouses. Here, Sa-Eva Katusevanako spends his working hours repetitively picking bits of bone and fat out of meat. Trained as a diplomat in his native Congo, he is one of thousands of immigrants and refugees who have come to tiny Brooks, Alberta to work at the plant.

Centering on the 24 days of the first-ever strike at Lakeside, this film is a nuanced portrait of people working together and adapting to change. They are people like Peter Jany Kwai, who escaped war in Sudan, wears an African shirt and a cowboy hat, and affirms his Canadian identity as well as his determination to fight for his rights. Or Edil Hassan, a devout Muslim born in Somalia, who counts her hours of organizing and picketing among of her proudest moments.

In a decade, tiny Brooks has been transformed from a socially conservative, primarily Caucasian town to one of the most diverse places in Canada. Hijabs have become commonplace, downtown bars feature calypso and residents speak 90 different languages. Mayor Don Weisbeck calls the changes "a shock."

Canada's urban centres have had decades to adapt to multiculturalism. It arrived suddenly in Brooks. As 24 Days in Brooks shows, people from widely different backgrounds can work together for respect, dignity, and change - even though getting there is not easy.

24 DAYS IN BROOKS is directed by Dana Inkster and produced by Bonnie Thompson (NFB, North West Centre).  It was a winning selection in the National Film Board of Canada's 2006 Reel Diversity Competition.  Reel Diversity is an NFB initiative in partnership with CBC Newsworld.


Photo credits: NFB/Brad Wrobleski