A Queer Panel—Part 2: Documentary Film Screening and Conversation with Filmmaker and Drag Artists
- Date
- April 16, 2025
- Time
- 5:30 PM EDT - 7:30 PM EDT
- Location
- Imagine Cinema, 20 Carlton St., Toronto, ON M5B 2H5
This panel engages a transnational lens to explore the multifaceted legal, material, and lived experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ migrants and asylum seekers across their migration trajectories. It examines these journeys from countries of origin, through transit spaces, and finally to settlement in host nations like Canada. Drawing on diverse case studies—such as Iranian refugees in Turkey, racialized francophone 2SLGBTQ+ immigrants in Toronto and Ottawa, and broader contexts in the Global South—the panel interrogates themes of precarity experienced by queer communities, intersectionality, and resilience. Key discussions will delve into carceral frameworks of asylum, the structural “stuckness” faced by migrants in transit countries, and the paradox of Canada’s homonationalist narrative versus the lived realities of queer refugees navigating a fraught bureaucracy. The panel also considers the vital role of civil society in facilitating integration and well-being, as well as the creative and fugitive strategies 2SLGBTQ+ individuals deploy to carve out agency and belonging amid systemic constraints.
This two-part event will feature academic presentations in the morning and a panel discussion in the early evening with 2SLGBTQ+ immigrants, as well as artist-photographer, and Toronto-based drag artists. The workshop will aim to take stock of existing studies and provide some tentative answers to a range of research questions including: What are the intersectional challenges faced by 2SLGBTQ+ migrants throughout their migration journeys? How do systemic barriers like restrictive policies, labour exploitation, and precarious housing affect their lives? What roles do civil society and community-led initiatives play in fostering integration and well-being? And finally, how do 2SLGBTQ+ migrants resist confinement and create spaces of resilience and belonging?
| PROGRAM | |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | Opening Remarks by Amin Moghadam and Shiva S. Mohan |
| 5:45 PM -7:30 PM | Documentary Film Screening & Conversation with Filmmaker and Drag Artists Co-chair: Amin Moghadam, Research Lead, Cities and Migration; Responsable du développement du réseau francophone de la recherche and Shiva S. Mohan, Research Fellow Conversation with drag artists: Jaja, Mahriel and Kimora Amour Film screening, Swimming Against the Current, Melika Shafahi Swimming Against the Current is a luminous extension of Melika Shafahi’s artistic journey —a documentary film that merges her signature style of meticulously staged precision with the raw emotional landscapes of marginalized lives. In this project, Shafahi turns her lens on the Iranian drag queens of Toronto: a vibrant community that has long embodied the struggle and hope of the diaspora since the Islamic Revolution. Panelists reflections |
Biographies
Javid Jabari is the founder and producer of Persian Drag Show in Toronto. His goal is to introduce LGBTQ2S+ culture to the Persian community through live performances that include lip-synching, traditional dance, and comedy. Javid was born and raised in Iran and came to Canada in 2015.
Kimora Amour is a drag queen, social justice advocate, and one half of Canada’s top carnival costume designing duo. She is best known for her appearance on Canada's Drag Race, where she made a memorable impact with the only completely silent runway performance, depicting a runaway African slave.
In addition to her drag career, Kimora recently competed on Season 9 of The Amazing Race Canada and appeared on CBC GEM's The CBX.
While drag is her passion, Kimora is also a dedicated neuropathic pain management nurse. She served on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing her advocacy and care for others with her creative pursuits.
Mahriel, known artistically as MAKHism, was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1987. He began his artistic journey studying computer graphics in high school and earned an associate degree in graphic design in 2006. His passion for the visual arts expanded to photography, leading him to pursue a bachelor's degree in photography at the University of Fine Arts, Tehran, in 2010. Specializing in self-portraiture, MAKHism uses this powerful medium to document and express personal experiences. During the COVID-19 quarantine in Turkey, MAKHism explored drag for the first time, introducing the character Mahriel O’Hara. She made her stage debut in Toronto in November 2021 and has since performed at numerous festivals and venues. For Mahriel, drag—like his other artistic practices—is a tool for self-expression, allowing him to explore emotions, challenge norms, and create meaningful work in the present moment.
Melika Shafahi is an Iranian-born photographer and video and filmmaker, trained in Tehran, whose work artfully bridges the gap between meticulously staged, static imagery and dynamic, collaborative encounters. Her early work featured carefully orchestrated tableaux vivants reminiscent of Western old-master paintings, where each element—blocking, color, and light—was intentionally crafted. Over time, her practice evolved into a more immersive approach, engaging directly with her subjects to create multi-layered portraits and installations that transform conventional exhibition spaces into experiential journeys.
A recurring element in Shafahi’s work is the use of subtle “displacements” or glitches—small anomalies that unsettle the expected harmony of a scene. These carefully introduced imperfections invite viewers to question traditional notions of perfection and authenticity while exploring the complex and, with the development of AI, highly topical interplay between reality and artifice. Her projects not only capture the intimate nuances of human expression but also dissolve boundaries between diverse cultural and geographic contexts. Drawing on her Iranian French heritage and experiences in varied environments—from the cultural crossroads of La Friche de la Belle de Mai in Marseille to the other-worldly landscapes of Hengâm Island in southern Iran, and the quietly nostalgic ambiance of her Cap-Ferret still lifes—Shafahi creates an aesthetic of associations. Her art transports audiences into a timeless, imaginative space where everyday objects and fleeting moments assume new meanings. Through this innovative blend of staged precision and spontaneous interaction, Shafahi redefines the role of the artist as both a storyteller and a catalyst for dialogue, forging connections that challenge, inspire, and celebrate our shared humanity.
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