Long Time Here
Long Time Comin’
Dionne BrandFaith Nolan and Grace Channer, two African-Canadian lesbian artists, give back to art its most urgent meanings—commitment and passion. Grace Channer’s large and sensuous canvases and musician Faith Nolan’s gritty and joyous blues propel this documentary into the spheres of poetry and dance. Long Time Comin’ captures their work, their urgency, and their friendship in intimate conversations with both artists.
2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5
Sidewalk-level entrance, elevator and ramp available, door width 32 inches, no automatic doors. No accessible parking on-site. Four wheelchair accessible seats in the cinema. 15 step-free seats in row 9. Accessible gender-neutral washroom located on the 2nd and 3rd floor.
For a map of Innis Town Hall, click here
Images Festival is committed to providing an accessible festival and continues to work to reduce barriers to participation at our events. This year, we are implementing a COVID-19 policy to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission for all, and to prioritize the participation of people who are disability-identified, immunocompromised, or part of an otherwise vulnerable group.
The following guidelines will be in place: Self-Assessment: We ask that staff and participants screen themselves for COVID-19 before visiting the exhibition.
Long Time Comin’ (1993) follows the friendship of musician and activist Faith Nolan and multi-disciplinary artist and activist Grace Channer. Directed by Dionne Brand, the poet and novelist, this documentary foregrounds the Black, feminist, lesbian liberation movements of the early 1990s in so-called Toronto, Canada.
Taking its title from a lyric sung by Faith, “It's been a long time comin’...” This program takes the second half of that lyric as its title “...long time here.” The song continues:
No jobs
No schools
Ain’t no hope for the future here
It’s been a long time comin’, a long time here…
Equal parts concert, art exhibition, table talk, and rally, Long Time Comin’ breathes life into and sets the tone for the way movement work is depicted today. Both Grace and Faith speak to their connection—with each other and to the queer community—as a sustaining force. This film is an early effort to share this ongoing practice in real time, documenting the lives, communities, and creative work of the Black women groups that have long been at the forefront of movements for liberation. Guided by Faith’s music and performances alongside Grace’s paintings and sculptures, the film presents a reflection on collective efforts to combat racism, sexism, homophobia, and intergenerational poverty of the early 1990s that still, in 2025, anchor much of our conversations.
Dionne Brand has since stated that she does not write toward anything called justice, but rather against tyranny—a distinction that speaks to the complexities of power, resistance, and the limitations of institutionalized justice. The film program Long Time Here underscores how the labour of queer Black women has been central to these struggles, while leading us all to the unfinished work of liberation. Though the social and political landscape has shifted in some ways, the film remains a vital document, offering insight into the networks of care, organizing, and artistry that have shaped Toronto’s activist histories, as well as the importance of communion, laughter, and joy in continued efforts against tyranny.
Dionne Brand
Dionne Brand is a renowned poet, novelist, and essayist who has also made documentaries. Her writing is notable for the beauty of its language and for its intense engagement with issues of social justice, particularly gender and race. Her writing has won the Governor General’s Award for Poetry, the Trillium Prize for Literature, the Pat Lowther Award for Poetry, the Harbourfront Writers’ Prize, and the Toronto Book Award.
