What Ales Us?
Cathy Van Ingen | Canada | 2024 | 22m
In-person Q&A with Cathy van Ingen, Ren Navarro, and Yvonne Irvine following the screening. Hosted by Tamara Jensen. Concessions provided by Cafe Pique Nique and Maenad Wines.
Two women reckon with a broken beer industry in Canada and start a movement to change it.
Director Statement: As I watched the #MeToo-style reckoning unfolding in the craft beer industry, I was drawn to the stories of women, like Brienne Allen, Erin Brandson, and Ren Navarro, who began sharing experiences of sexual harassment, assault, homophobia, and racism. The stories included accusations against some of the beer world’s most acclaimed breweries. As I dug deeper into beer history, I learned that women used to dominate beer making – and I wanted to know what changed. This film explores the battle brewing in the industry and what happens to the women who speak out.
Cathy van Ingen is an independent documentary filmmaker based in the Niagara region. While working as a professor of Kinesiology at Brock University, Cathy undertook an MFA degree at Toronto Metropolitan University in Documentary Media. What Ales Us? is her first film. With an interest in documentaries about unsung heroes and untold injustices, she launched a production company, Catchweight Films. She is interested in crafting character-driven visual stories drawing on original research and compelling narratives.
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