In 2007, Montrealer Stefan Christoff was invited by Philippines social-movement umbrella group Bayan to spend three weeks in Manila. There he not only spoke to members of grassroots organizations about militarized political rule and its international connections (yes, Canada is right in there), but met artists who were attempting to create change in a time of oppressive government control and increasing poverty. This encouraged him to turn the photographs of his visit into an exhibition back home.

"I never really thought I would ever go to the Philippines," says Christoff. "It happened simply because of community organizing here."

Christoff, known for grassroots endeavours such as Tadamon!, Artists Against Apartheid and work with the Centre for Philippine Concerns, as well as regular contributions to Hour, combines his political activism and his artistic sensibilities in photo exhibition On Movements in Manila, opening tonight.

"To be honest, I was focused on the pictures in an artistic sense, as I was taking them," says Christoff, explaining: "I was there as an activist, doing observation work in areas where the poverty is absolutely crushing. My photos take images from these intense circumstances: The urban landscape of the Philippines, the urban tapestry, the feeling of what Manila is like."

Award-winning author Miguel Syjuco, who left the Philippines over two years ago, adds his own perspective to Christoff's photography at tonight's vernissage.

"I've shown this exhibition previously and he's come both times and was interested in the work as an attempt o use the arts to demonstrate the human rights situation in the Philippines," says Christoff. "So, given that he's coming out with his first book, which won the Mann Asian Literary award even before it was published, he was into coming down to read from the book and talk about his perspective on the crisis in the Philippines, as an artist."

The two met while discussing the current political situation in the Philippines on a radio show. "I found his perspective unique and interesting, in the sense that he's an author celebrated in institutional circles but taking a position in solidarity with grassroots perspectives - he was speaking out and critical of the government's direct involvement in openly targeting the left and journalists."

Also speaking at the vernissage is Laura Cliche, a Masters student at the Université de Montréal, who interned with the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines this past fall, at a time that saw one of the largest journalist killings ever, when an staggering 32 journalists were killed on a bus.

On that, Christoff adds this piece of news: "The Philippines is now officially the most dangerous country for journalists in the world," a testament to an institutionalized failure in human rights and democracy - and a call to bring awareness to it.

On Movements in Manila - at Kaza Maza (4629 Parc), Feb. 4, 6 p.m.