A new documentary shares the story of homeless advocate Barry Shantz and his sister’s grief following his death by police in January 2020.
A Bullet Pulling Thread premieres Friday, Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at The Reach Gallery Museum (32388 Veterans Way) as part of the Abbotsford Film Festival.
Shantz is a former Abbotsford resident who co-founded the advocacy group Drug War Survivors. He and his group were instrumental in getting the City of Abbotsford to change its bylaws prohibiting the homeless from camping overnight in public parks.
A court battle – with Shantz and the Drug War Survivors on one side and the city on the other – resulted in a 2015 B.C. Supreme Court ruling that set precedents for the rights of the homeless.
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Shantz also contributed in changing the city’s policy to restrict harm-reduction services from Abbotsford.
He was fatally shot on the front porch of his Lytton home during a mental-health crisis after a six-hour standoff with heavily armed RCMP officers on Jan. 13, 2020. Shantz was holding a loaded 12-gauge shotgun at the time.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. later determined that police were “legally justified in their actions” when they shot Shantz.
His sister, Marilyn Farquhar, has since created a series of art quilts called Kairos – a Greek word meaning “an opportune time for action.”
Although they grew up together in small-town Ontario, Farquhar and her brother were very different. She had a calm, peaceful, safe life as an award-winning quilter.
In addition to fighting for the homeless, Shantz was a former drug smuggler and ex-con.
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In the summer of 2021, Farquhar packed up her quilts and drove across the country to exhibit them at The Reach in Abbotsford, and to confront law enforcement with her pain and share her experiences with those who knew her brother.
And as she discovered, grief is a question with no easy answers.
Ian Daffern, director of A Bullet Pulling Thread, said he was surprised by Farquhar’s honest and “the rawness of her emotions.”
“I hope what I’ve documented is a statement about art in action – a film that defines the purpose of art in this world: for healing, for expression, for bloodletting, to rage and provoke, to create a bridge between the self and the world,” he said.
“Understanding the issues tackled by Marilyn and her brother Barry is crucial to living as citizens in the world today.”
The Abbotsford Film Festival takes place Aug. 25 and 26, featuring a diverse selection of short films, documentaries, 48-hour films and live music.
Doors open at 6 p.m. each day. Visit abbotsfordfilmfestival.com for tickets and more information.
