Reflecting Lives - New Works from Aboriginal Women

Guest Curated by Michelle Latimer

Artists: Terril Calder, Cara Mumford, Lisa Jackson, Caroline Monnet, Delia Gunn, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Film Screening: March 16, 2012 at 7pm

Location: Cinematheque - Winnipeg Film Group, 100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg, MB

Phone: (204) 925-3456 - (ext 1) or (204) 942-2674

www.winnipegcinematheque.com

A film screening partnership between imagineNATIVE Film + Media Art Festival, Cinematheque – Winnipeg Film Group, and Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art. A series of short film works by Canadian Aboriginal women artists, guest curated by Michelle Latimer.

The Gift By Terril Calder (2 min, 2011)

Arresting and intelligent, director Terril Calder uses stop motion animation to explore the deadly legacy of betrayal wrapped up neatly in a Hudson Bay blanket.

Background:

Terril Calder (Metis) is a filmmaker, animator, visual and performance artist. Her first film Canned Meat premiered at ImagineNATIVE. She also collaborated and animated on the short film Choke, and is currently working on her first animated feature, The Lodge. She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s BFA program.

December 6th by Cara Mumford (9.5 min, 2010)

Clever and uncompromising, this spoken-word tour de force recalls the events of the Montreal massacre at L’ecole Polytechnique, making a bold statement for the abolishment of violence against women.

Background:

An emerging Metis filmmaker, Cara Mumford transitioned into filmmaking in 2006 when she attended the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmaker’s 16mm Film School during which she wrote and directed her first short film, No Time like the Present. Her short films, Coda in G Minor and Echoes previously premiered at ImagineNATIVE.

Parkdale by Lisa Jackson (16 min, 2011)

Director Lisa Jackson crafts an intimate account of two sisters running from abuse and neglect in this heartbreaking glimpse into the vulnerable lives of those who exist between the cracks of society.

Background:

With a background in documentary, including the acclaimed short Suckerfish and Reservation Soldiers for CTV's 'W5 Presents', Lisa expanded into fiction filmmaking with her residential school musical SAVAGE, which went on to win the 2011 Genie Award for Best Live Action Short after premiering at ImagineNATIVE in 2009. She recently completed Parkdale as part of the CFC Director Training program.

Kwoni by Caroline Monnet (2:50 min, 2010)

A young Aboriginal man’s thoughts and emotions iterate his personal growth through this lyrical story.

Background:

Caroline Monnet (Algonquin/French), born in Ottawa, Canada, is a self-taught award winning filmmaker and artist. She completed a B.A in Communication and Sociology at the University of Ottawa and Granada, Spain. She uses video, photography, and installation to explore the dualities of her social, political, and spiritual identity, developing a critical framework influenced by history, community, and unconventional memory. Monnet’s work has been exhibited across Europe, Canada and the US. She recently moved to Montreal and is an active member of ITWÉ, a trans-disciplinary collective dedicated to research, creation, production and education in the field of Aboriginal digital culture.

Déboires by Delia Gunn (3 min, 2010)

(French w/ English subtitles)

First-time director Delia Gunn blends stop-motion animation and personal testimony to create an unflinching and deeply honest portrait of a family embracing hope while emerging from the despair of addiction.

Background:

Delia Gunn was born in Kitcisakik, Quebec. Déboires is her third film and recently won the Best Animated Film Prize at the First Peoples Festival in Montreal.

Sloth by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (2 min, 2011)

This delightfully satirical animation reveals the evolution of Inuit stereotypes from past to present.

Background:

Based in Iqaluit, Nunavut, filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk) previously co-produced the documentary feature Experimental Eskimos. Her short films Inuit High Kick and Lumaajuuq played at ImagineNATIVE where Lumaajuuq was awarded Best Canadian Short Drama. She is currently developing a documentary about the anti-sealing movement entitled, Angry Inuk.

Tunnit: Re-Tracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (50 min) (2010)

(English and Inuktitut with English subtitles)

Inuit traditional face tattoos have been forbidden for a century, and almost forgotten. Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril with long time friend and activist Aaju Peter is determined to uncover the mystery and meaning behind this beautiful ancient tradition. Together they embark on an adventure through Arctic communities speaking with elders and recording the stories of a once popularized female art form.

Curatorial Statement: “Now, more than ever before, Indigenous, female filmmakers worldwide are reclaiming the medium of film as an essential storytelling tool. In the past decade alone, great strides have been made in contemporary, Aboriginal cinema, creating opportunities for emerging women directors to realize their vision. Their work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, critically lauded for its undeniable authenticity: remarkable stories being told from the inside out. And, yet it remains a tenuous path that female filmmakers must forge. The presence of Aboriginal women directors within the film industry is still disproportionately small, and it can be exceptionally challenging for those rising within the craft. For this reason, it’s important to celebrate the emerging women who persevere with tremendous vision to enrich the creative renaissance that is Aboriginal cinema.”

Curator’s Biography: Michelle Latimer (Métis) is an award-winning filmmaker, producer and actor. Most recently her short film CHOKE was voted amongst Canada’s Top Ten Films of the Year by TIFF. She also produced the documentary Jackpot, which premiered at the International Hot Docs Festival and garnered two Yorkton Festival Golden Sheaf Awards for Best POV Documentary and Best Emerging Filmmakers. She is currently co-creating and producing a dramatic series in development with HBO Canada/TMN and Movie Central, directing an animated short film for Bravo, and developing her first feature film. Latimer is the senior programmer at the ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, and has also programmed for the Hot Docs International Film Festival. She is a graduate of Concordia University’s BFA program.