Celebrate “The Shortest Day” with free films

I don’t know about you, but I am very, very happy when the winter solstice rolls around.

Winter’s great and  I love snow. But it bothers me to lose the sun so early in the day. It’s a big relief when our part of the globe heads back toward more light.

This Earth and Sky info page has much more about the December solstice — including the fact the winter solstice for the northern hemisphere is also the summer solstice for the other half of the planet.

Various beliefs or customs have been attached to the solstice across many cultures and eras.

To which we can add an entirely modern event: free films being shown in many Canadian Cities. This is the second such event, called “The Shortest Day“.

From the website:

The Shortest Day is a three-day celebration of short films offering free screenings across the country. Started by the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) in France in 2011, the event has now spread to some 50 other countries.

From Newfoundland and Labrador to Yukon, more than 60 participating venues—movie theatres, cultural centres, associations, festivals and libraries—will join the celebration and hold free screenings of one or several of the three thematic programs: Kids, Family and Comedy. A wonderful opportunity for audiences to discover talented Canadian filmmakers who have been honoured here and abroad on the festival circuit.

The Shortest Day: an entertaining way of welcoming the winter solstice from December 19-21!

Here’s the whole slew of locations across Canada, including Ottawa and Montréal. It sounds like a fun way to get through the darkest weekend of the year.

Tags: art, canada, culture, film, short films, solstice, tourism, winter