SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 4pm
FIRST EYES
at Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, Front & York
E
I
very year at our festival we hold a special screening of Aboriginal
films at the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre. This
year, visiting filmmaker Michelle Latimer has curated our program.
n the past decade there has been an explosion of work surrounding
Aboriginal issues and themes, created by First Nations, Inuit and Métis
people. This movement has been critically described as an Indigenous
New Wave, and it offers a re-examination of how traditional customs
are portrayed and misportrayed in the media. All of these films make
bold statements that reflect upon society and the role First Peoples’
have played in its evolution. The work you will see here represents a
form of reclamation. It’s bravely distinct, contemporary in approach and
undeniably authentic; remarkable stories told from the inside out.
Michelle Latimer
INDIGO, Amanda Strong, BC, 9m, Animation
After years of repression, an old woman’s common sense
goes head-to-head with the fantastic imagination of her
inner child, who yearns to be free.
BHITTOS (Rebel), Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers,
Canada/Norway, 14m, Documentary
Director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers delves into her parents’ mythic
love story that spanned continents and activist movements,
united Indigenous cultures and resulted in the birth of two
mixed-race children.
A COMMON EXPERIENCE, Shane Belcourt, ON, 11m, Drama
Acclaimed playwright Yvette Nolan voices her personal experience
in this beautifully poetic and intimate exploration of the
multigenerational effects of Canada’s residential school system.
SNARE, Lisa Jackson, BC, 3.5m, Performance
Spare and visually arresting, SNARE is a performance-based
piece that captures the brutality of violence against aboriginal
women, as well as the possibility of healing and grace.
20