How did you decide on Nargis and her daughters for the key roles?
Hodan had heard of Nargis’s kids through her contacts in the Somali community, that they were interested in performing. She later realized that she’d already met Nargis through community work. One of the things that Cynthia Scott and David Wilson talk about, with regards to alternative drama, is inviting mystery and destiny to happen. And that’s what happened with Nargis and her daughters. They were the first people we auditioned for the main roles – and Ina and I immediately agreed that they were right for the parts. Nargis is a very different person from Ayan in many ways, but as a single mother, she has an understanding of what it means to fight for your kids. And in her professional life, as Case Coordinator with the City of Ottawa’s Community and Protective Services, she’s familiar with the housing shortage in the city and how people are placed in motels. Some years back, she herself has had to place clients in motels. And she has this remarkable personal charisma. The whole famil
