The University of Calgary Development Studies Club is an organization aimed at raising awareness of international development issues. It is made-up of dedicated students from different disciplines and vocations. In the 2006-2007 academic year it has organized several events that have addressed a wide variety of issues including corruption and fair trade. On Wednesday March 28th, 2007 it will address homophobia.
The Development Studies Club presents Paragraph 175 a documentary about Nazi persecution of homosexuals. It is directed and produced by R. Epstein and J. Friedman and narrated by Rupert Everett. It has won 14 awards including the Sundance Film Festival Documentary Jury Award for Directing.
The documentary’s website observes that, "The Nazi persecution of homosexuals may be the last untold story of the Third Reich. Paragraph 175 fills a crucial gap in the historical record, and reveals the lasting consequences of this hidden chapter of 20th century history, as told through personal stories of men and women who lived through it: the half Jewish gay resistance fighter who spent the war helping refugees in Berlin; the Jewish lesbian who escaped to England with the help of a woman she had a crush on; the German Christian photographer who was arrested and imprisoned for homosexuality, then joined the army on his release because he ‘wanted to be with men’; the French Alsatian teenager who watched as his lover was tortured and murdered in the camps.
"These are stories of survivors -- sometimes bitter, but just as often filled with irony and humor; tortured by their memories, yet infused with a powerful will to endure. Their moving testimonies, rendered with evocative images of their lives and times, tell a haunting, compelling story of human resilience in the face of unspeakable cruelty. Intimate in its portrayals, sweeping in its implications, Paragraph 175 raises provocative questions about memory, history, and identity."
Guest Speaker, Dr. Annette F. Timm, Assistant Professor, Department of History, University of Calgary, will introduce Paragraph 175 and facilitate a discussion afterwards.
After the screening of Paragraph 175 the Development Studies Club will host a discussion of homophobia in Calgary. A guest speaker will define homophobia and apply it to the local environment. As well, representatives of the University of Calgary programs that address homosexuality will be available to discuss their activities.
This event, sponsored by Twisted Element and GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine, is scheduled for 6:30-9:30pm on Wednesday March 28, 2007. It will take place in Science Theatres 145 at the University of Calgary. This event will be open to the public and admission will be free.