There was a humble tone to the voice of Canadian filmmaker and journalist, Alexandre “Sacha” Trudeau, as he delivered a passionate speech during the Thompson Rivers University President’s Lecture Series on Nov. 3.
Trudeau has travelled all over the world to bring home the voices of people from around the globe in an effort to share their stories.
“By bringing them close to us, by telling stories about them, or showing them, helps us feel how much we have in common, and dispels a lot of fear that tends to divide us,” he said.
Trudeau said his father, former prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, was the man who launched him into a life of exploration, and taught him that the world is not a place to be feared.
“When we fall prey to fear in any circumstance [it] leads us to irrational behaviour, and at all times it is important to live without fear,” Sacha said.
As a child Trudeau recalls that his bedroom walls were adorned with maps of the world, and he often dreamed of becoming an explorer.
There was a glint of passion in his eyes when Trudeau spoke of his journeys to these lands that seem so foreign and removed from the rest of society.
“It’s easy to forget when we are faced with Iraq or Afghanistan, or Papua New Guinea, that the people there share our humanity, and have unique stories,” he said.
In 2003 Trudeau embedded himself with a family in Baghdad where he filmed a documentary about the impact of war on their lives during the United States invasion.
“There is no war that comes without tremendous cost to innocent people, a tremendous cost to justice,” he said.
During his speech Trudeau presented a clip of his film, ‘Refuge,’ a documentary about his journey to Darfur.
Although the region is facing many conflicts Trudeau said he does not travel to these places to come home and tell stories of anguish.
“I go to these places, because they precisely reassure you that humans are extremely resilient, dignified people, especially when they face tremendous crises,” he said.
Trudeau spoke in a poignant effort to teach the over 300 members of the audience about appreciation for the world we live in, and about keeping an open mind to the globe in its entirety. Trudeau wrapped up his speech by encouraging the young generations to make good use of their hands and to always be producing something.
“That’s the step towards continued improved quality of living in a world which has tremendous challenges to looking after so many people’s desire to have freedom and comfort like we do.”
The TRU President’s Lecture Series sponsors one or more speakers each academic year on topics of global importance. Over the past four years, TRU has welcomed such international figures as Stephen Lewis, Romeo Dallaire, Lloyd Axworthy, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, David Frum and Buffy St. Marie. Some of these highly regarded presentations have generated local and international responses that include the founding of the CanGo Grannies and motivating many TRU students to become actively involved in a variety of developing world projects.
Written by:
Alyson Couch,
2008 The River 97.5
Public Relations Internship
