My name is Melody Hsu and I am entering into my second year of undergraduate studies at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. I am double majoring in Art History and International Development Studies with a minor in Communication Studies. Before coming to McGill, I received the diploma of international baccalaureate after completing years of health science-related studies. Yet, instead of continuing to study in the field of science at university, I have decided to follow my passion and curiosity, and to change my academic path to Arts, Humanities, and Social Science. I am passionate about the visual arts – especially the Dutch Golden Age paintings – and the architecture from the Ancient to Contemporary. I am also curious about how we can contribute our knowledge to develop better, healthy, meaningful, and productive societies, and to solve real-world development challenges. In my future projects, I plan to pursue a graduate study in Art History and to gain more experience in the field of museology, creative works, NGOs, governmental, and international organizations.
This summer, despite the global pandemic of COVID-19, I gladly received the opportunity to work remotely as an intern with the Kabir Center of Arts & Culture for its South Asian Film Festival of Montreal. The Kabir Center for Arts & Culture is a non-profit arts center based in Montreal promoting – through events and concerts of professional standard – South Asian Classical Arts and Contemporary South Asian Cinema to the public of Montreal and elsewhere in Canada. The Center aims to encourage harmony, mutual respect, and to build bridges among the members of South Asian diaspora with the larger Canadian society. This internship is a non-academic credited course that provides me a rich learning experience about non-profit art organizations, South Asian Arts and Culture, and the film industry.
My responsibilities as an intern consisted of compiling film data and gathering information regarding prospective audiences, communities, filmmakers, and media who might be interested to promote and participate in the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal this year and following years. Being in the middle of a global pandemic, my internship offered me the privilege to work remotely and safely at home. Therefore, self-organization, time-management, autonomy, independent work, and good communication were the important skills required for me to provide a well-done work with a quality internship experience. For instance, I need to be critical when selecting films, be creative when searching and compiling a listing, and be efficient in organizing works. Each Friday, my internship supervisors and I would conduct a live-zoom meeting to discuss our responsibilities and works, and to communicate new ideas to improve our film festival and to enhance our remote-working experience.
As an East-Asian descent growing up in Montreal, I have always felt the multicultural dynamic in Montreal’s culture, arts, academia, and in its people: the Montrealers. The internship with the Kabir Center offered me the opportunity to participate in the promotion of Asian cinematography and culture to our communities of Montreal and Canada, and to strengthen the relationship between filmmakers worldwide whose films focus on South Asian and its diaspora. It also provided me a first-hand experience in the market development of a film festival, and the organization structure of a non-profit art center. This internship is a meaningful experience for my professional career – it is a stepping-stone towards my dream of working in the field of arts.
My remote internship experience with the Kabir Center became possible thanks to the opportunity given by the Faculty of Arts Internship Office who also awarded me an Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund. I also want to say a big thank you to the founder of Kabir Center, Mr. Raghunathan, and the director of South Asian Film Festival, Mr. Yajnik, for offering me the opportunity to contribute in the promotion of South Asian Cinema and filmmakers to our Montreal and Canadian communities, and to enhance the multicultural dynamic of Montreal and elsewhere in Canada.
