Bassima’s Womb
The mission of the Centre d'art et essai de la Cinémathèque québécoise (CAECQ) is to primary program Quebec-made documentaries and independent fiction, as well as international documentaries, animated and foreign films, while encouraging opportunities for meetings between the public and the artists. Its programming is presented in conjunction with the Cinémathèque québécoise’s under the label New releases.
The May 19 screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, Babek Aliassa
Official selection, RVQC 2025
When her illegal husband is deported from Canada, Bassima, a young Syrian woman, finds herself in a difficult situation, both socially and financially. Desperately looking for a way to bring her husband back, she agrees to become a surrogate mother in exchange for a false passport for him. However, she soon finds out that she is already pregnant and must give up her own child.
Babek Aliassa
Babek Aliassa was born in Iran. He studied architecture in Paris before turning his attention to cinema. Soon after arriving in Canada in 1996, he settled in Toronto and became involved in the city’s French-speaking artistic community, for which he founded the Laboratoire d'art, a media arts centre that quickly became an essential link in the artistic creation in French-speaking Canada. After directing a few documentaries, he moved to Montreal to make his first feature film, Halal Butcher Shop (2012). The theme of immigration is central to his work and is deeply informed by the many times he has moved in his life, from France to Iran, and from English-speaking Canada to Belarus, before settling down in Quebec. In addition to writing and directing, Babek is passionate producer. He has served on the board of Diversité artistique Montréal (DAM) and helped found the Union des Producteurs et Productrices du cinéma Québécois (UPPCQ), where he advocates for the right of artists from diverse backgrounds to tell their own stories within the Canadian and Quebec media industries. His skills as a screenwriter make him an ideal ally and creative partner in his artistic relationships both in Quebec and abroad. His latest feature film, Bassima's Womb, is set to open in theatres soon.
