2015 DCISFF Program | Page 22

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