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CONTENTS
SYNOPSIS DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT BIOGRAPHIES CAST & CREW SPONSORS CONTACT INFO LINKS
SYNOPSIS
When a trans sister, January Marie Lapuz, is brutallymurdered in her own home, a community reacts and othertrans women of colour come to share and voice theirissues, concerns, and challenges. January was seen as abright light in the lives of many. This is the story of January,a friend, a daughter, a person. January’s murder was notthe only one of its kind. There were numerous othertransgender women of colour who have been killed,among many other trans people. This film will not onlybringing justice to January, but to all the women who havelost their lives. January had a beautiful soul, and now partof her soul rests in each and every one of us.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: LENÉE SON
Her name was January. She was loved by her friends and family. She was fearless andcompassionate. When I interviewed people who knew her, they described her as a"bright light" whose energy and personality radiated in a crowded room. At just 26 yearsold, she was lost too soon. I wanted to tell January’s story because I was saddened tolearn of the loss of another transgender woman at the hands of gender violence. Transwomen are being murdered at an unprecedented rate. For racialized trans girls living inpoverty like January, transphobic violence is also inherently connected to race, gender,and class. As an immigrant from the Philippines, a sex worker, and trans girl, Januarynavigated through these multiple structures of oppression. My Name Was January is a memorial of January’s life and light. It is a call for justice forJanuary and for all our sisters who have lost their lives to transmisogyny. It is a refusal tolose another sister to gender violence.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: ELINA GRESS
I didn’t know January and I never heard about her murder. This made me cringe. Whywas January murdered? Why did I not hear of this? Why was her murder not covered asstrongly as other news items? These are all concerns I had when Lenée and I wereapproached to do this film. This is why I am doing this. January was a person; a human being. Her life was just as valuable as yours and mine.The purpose of this film is not to generate fame or profit, but to educate our populationabout transgender rights and lives. There is no ‘script’. Just real people. This film is a platform for trans* women of colour to share their voices in a safeenvironment. The lives of trans* women of colour are important and that's something Iwant to make clear in this film. This is for January.
BIOGRAPHIES: LENÉE SON, DIRECTOR
Lenée is a Khmer Krom settler who grew up in Surrey onunceded Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, and Kwikwetlemterritories. She has a Bachelors of Journalism and minor inSociology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Her workas a freelance multimedia journalist has appearedin publications such as rabble.ca, Multimedia Photojournale,The Volcano, Westcoast Food, and Inside Vancouver. Whenshe's not working on multimedia projects, Lenee iscommitted to anti-poverty community organizing in Surreyand Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. She/Her pronouns.
BIOGRAPHIES: ELINA GRESS, DIRECTOR
Elina is a freelance multimedia journalist, primarilyphotojournalist, in the search for a greater understanding ofour world. She has a deep interest in the complexities of thehuman population. Telling people’s stories from theirperspective and not her own. Telling stories that can changepeople’s hearts and minds through photography anddocumentary. That said, Elina has a passion for wildlifeconservation and preservation; not to mention thedetermination to protecting our one and only home. Earth. She/her pronouns.
Sher Vancouver LGBTQ Friends Society is a social,cultural, and support non-profit organization for LGBTQSouth Asians and their friends and families.
PRODUCED BY SHER VANCOUVER
BIOGRAPHIES: ALEX SANGHA, PRODUCER
Alex Sangha is the Founder of Sher Vancouver. He has anMSc in Public Administration and Public Policy from theDepartment of Government from the London School ofEconomics and a Master of Social Work from DalhousieUniversity. Alex has worked as a social worker, instructor, clinician, andyouth counsellor. Alex is the recipient of the Telus LegacyAward from the Vancouver Pride Society for Creating SafeSpaces. He/Him pronouns.
BIOGRAPHIES: ASH BRAR, PRODUCER
Ash Brar is the President of Sher Vancouver. Ash was January's best friend. Ash invited January tobecome the Social Coordinator of Sher Vancouver. Januarybecame the first transgender person to hold an Executiveposition within the organization. Ash and January had acommon bond as they were both born in the Philippines andspoke Tagalog and were recent immigrants to BritishColumbia. He/him pronouns.
CREW
DIRECTED BY
PRODUCED BY
SET PHOTOGRAPHER
GRAPHIC DESIGN
LENÉE SON & ELINA GRESS
SHER VANCOUVER
SANDRA MINARIK
VINAY GIRIDHAR, JAG NAGRA
JANUARY MARIE LAPUZ,
JOSH SORONOW, ASH BRAR,
VELVET STEELE, BETTY LAPUZ,
ALEX SANGHA, NATASHA ADSIT,
KELENDRIA NATION, PAM HAYER
CAST
IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
BC CIVIL LIBERTIES ASSOCIATION
BC GOVERNMENT AND SERVICE EMPLOYEES' UNION
CITY OF NEW WESTMINSTER
CITY OF SURREY
HEALTH SCIENCES ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
KWANTLEN PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
MOVEUP
NO FEAR COUNSELLING
STYLE CUTS BY NARCY
UNIFOR
UNIFOR LOCAL 464
UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS - LOCAL 1518
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS
BIG BRO’S BARBERSHOP
JESSE WINTER HEADING PHOTOGRAPHY
KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY DPT. OF SOCIOLOGY
MOVING FORWARD FAMILY SERVICES
PAGE 84 DESIGN
PROGRESSIVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITY SERVICES (PICS)
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERSNEW WEST PRIDE
SFU DPT. OF GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND WOMEN'S STUDIES
SHAKTI SOCIETY
SURREY LIBRARIES
SURREY PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY SOCIETY (SPIDS)
VINAY GIRIDHAR GRAPHIC DESIGN
YAADIEN VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY
MEDIA SPONSORS
AAJ MAGAZINE
DRISHTI MAGAZINE
HAMAARA ANDAAZ ON JOYTV
METROVAN INDEPENDENT NEWS
SIMPLY THE BEST - THE LUISA MARSHALL SHOW
SURREY604
CONTACT
LENEE SON, DIRECTOR
ELINA GRESS, DIRECTOR
ALEX SANGHA, SHER FOUNDER
ASH BRAR, SHER PRESIDENT
WWW.LENEESON.COM
WWW.ELINAGRESS.COM
LINKS
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JANUARYMOVIE/
HTTP://JANUARYLAPUZ.NET
HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/JANUARYMOVIE
HTTP://WWW.SHERVANCOUVER.COM/YOUTH-AWARD.HTML
