This film title may have been one of the most apt and fitting ones I’ve ever heard. A Bullet Pulling Thread opens with the gentle, unassuming Marilyn Farquhar hard at work sewing a political quilt. If you thought that a “political quilt” wasn’t a thing, there was a point in time where she admits that she didn’t either. After the death of her brother Barry at the hands of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police during a severe mental health episode, Marilyn was challenged to channel her troubled emotions into her main artistic outlet, quilting. The result, something soft and comforting yet infused with emotional complexity and cries for justice, seems to describe Marilyn as much as the quilts themselves.
In order to accurately tell the story of Barry’s death and Marilyn’s transformation, this documentary pieces together the diverging paths of these very different siblings. Marilyn lived a safe and quiet life church-going and quilting while Barry took bold, audacious risks and made headlines on both sides of the law, first for one of the biggest drug smuggling busts in history and then for fiercely advocating on behalf of those who were homeless and in need of harm reduction in the parks in Abbotsford.
Through footage and the testimonials of those who knew him well, Barry emerges as the multi-faceted figure he was, relentless in the causes he pursued and always chasing excitement but prone to substance use and dark thoughts. Marilyn’s pursuit of justice for the officers who shot Barry helps her construct a side of her brother she never knew, both in the import of his social activist work as well as his mental health. She may have been the polar opposite of Barry in many ways, but when under fire Marilyn blossomed into as passionate an activist as he was. She proves to be zealous in her investigation of Barry’s death and her insistence that mental health professionals should be available when police are called during a mental health crisis. She also demonstrates bravery in traveling and exhibiting her very personal, and yes, sometimes political, works.
Sadly, what happened to Barry is not uncommon in either Canada or the U.S. When police are called during a mental health crisis, it often ensues in escalation, misunderstandings, and violence. More laws are being developed to ensure mental health workers are available alongside police during these crises, and responses like mobile crisis teams are being used in some cities. This makes A Bullet Pulling Thread especially relevant and shines a light on how Marilyn was in a way much like Barry. When she saw an issue that needed change she immersed herself into it without reservation. I, personally, never knew that quilts could be so expressive, while at the same time being so consoling.
A Bullet Pulling Thread is a feature-length documentary playing in the virtual festival. Please watch it and join us for a live Zoom conversation with director Ian Daffern on Sunday, October 15th, at 7:00 p.m.
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82867489559?pwd=SKBC8FzLjwwglIeNNj3txhuqaUC5VT.1
