Abstract

This thesis addresses the possibility of affecting change in official multiculturalism in Canada. It starts from the premise that the current policy and discourse of multiculturalism need to be re-evaluated in our evolving multi-racial and multi-ethnic landscape. Masala , the 1992 Canadian feature-fiction film, is used as an example of how cultural representations reflect a different type of engagement with multiculturalism. It is a hybrid film--a concept that helps articulate this alternative perspective. Cultural critics also contribute to the broader discourse of multiculturalism by translating films like Masala for the general public. An overview of this criticism reveals how Masala 's hybridity is interpreted, and if this body of discourse might serve to liberate new meanings of multiculturalism.