An Educational Screening Initiative for Canadian Classrooms
Bring a vital chapter of Canadian history into your classroom.
"A Testament to Human Resilience."
Barbara Goslawski, POV Magazine
Foon Hay Lum holding the Head Tax Certificate of her late husband, Jack Lum.
A Chinese banquet table of ancestral artifacts serves as a recurring motif
Foon Hay Lum holding the Head Tax Certificate of her late husband, Jack Lum.
Film Synopsis
In 1923, the Government of Canada passed what became known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, virtually ending Chinese immigration for 24 years and fracturing families across the Pacific. Exclusion: Beyond the Silence a documentary explores the legacy of that legislation - how it silenced generations, how memories survived in families and communities, and how contemporary voices now share these stories.
Told through intimate interviews, archival materials, and a striking visual motif – the film invites students to consider belonging, racism, identity, and reconciliation as part of Canada’s living history.
For Educators: How to Watch
OPTION 1 — McIntyre Media (Schools and Boards)
McIntyre Media offers 3-year licenses, tech support, and study guides to schools and boards to stream the film in their classrooms.
Rates and Preview Requests:
If your school or school board already subscribes to McIntyre Media, you can stream the film immediately through their curriculum content platform ON-CORE. Just sign in with your school email account, and search for EXCLUSION under its title. Current board partners include the TDSB and YRDSB.
Watch on ON-CORE (subscribers only):
OPTION 2 — Vimeo (Individual Classrooms)
For a single viewing in your classroom, get a one-week streaming license via Vimeo for $50.00
Rent on Vimeo:
Curriculum Guide (FREE)
Ready-to-use activities, discussion prompts, and historical context aligned to Canadian curriculum outcomes.
PDF:
Content advisory: The film discusses historic and contemporary racism. Educators may wish to preview and prepare discussion supports.
Synopsis (Educator Version)
Exclusion: Beyond the Silence is a feature documentary that reveals the human impact of a discriminatory immigration policy that caused lasting intergenerational trauma to Chinese Canadians, their culture and family life.
It is the story of two granddaughters, Keira Loughran and Helen Lee, who set out to examine the legacy of their grandmothers, Jean Lumb and Foon Hay Lum, women who fought for reunification of Chinese Canadian families and helped pave the way for Canada’s policy of multiculturalism.
Filmed across Canada and in China Exclusion: Beyond the Silence invites students to examine how law, policy, and public sentiment can marginalize citizens, and how civic engagement, empathy, and storytelling can repair what was broken.
It's an extraordinary untold story and a timely reminder of the struggle and sacrifice of the Chinese Canadian community and their contribution to Canadian society.
Key Creative Credits
• Director: Keira Loughran
• Writers: Keira Loughran, Wei Hu, Craig Thompson
• Producers: Craig Thompson, Wei Hu, Keira Loughran
• Executive Producers: Craig Thompson, Peter Raymont, Justin Poy, Wei Hu
• Director of Photography: Iris Ng
• Editors: Sarah Peddie, Jonathan Baltrusaitis
• Original Music: Deanna Choi
Acknowledgements & Partners
Exclusion: Beyond the Silence has been produced
with the participation of:
• TELUS
• Knowledge Network (BC)
• Rogers OMNI Television
• YES TV
• Canada Media Fund
• Rogers Documentary Fund
• Ontario Creates
• Federal and Ontario Film and Television Tax Credits
It is presented on this page in partnership with the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto to support national classroom engagement with Chinese Canadian history.
Classroom Use & Permissions
The Vimeo one-week license is intended for classroom and on-campus educational use during the rental window.
Schools/boards with a McIntyre Media subscription may stream under their institutional terms.
For community screenings, parent nights, or public events, please contact us for appropriate licensing.
Produced by Ballinran Entertainment in association with
White Pine Pictures
National Community Screening Partner
