SOLID GROUND – INDIGENOUS CANADIAN SHORTS

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Solid Ground – INDIGENOUS CANADIAN SHORTS, 2019

Urban Shaman Gallery with ImagineNative and Winnipeg Film Group/Cinematheque are please to bring once again (over 12 years running) a wonderful program of Indigenous Films and Videos to Winnipeg. So many of the artists featured in this program have worked with Urban in the past (Thirza Cuthand, David Garneau, and Tasha Hubbard to name a few) and we are excited to showcase them on the big screen and comfy chairs at Cinematheque (304 - 100 Arthur Street Winnipeg, Manitoba).  

SOLID GROUND – INDIGENOUS CANADIAN SHORTS

Wednesday, May 30 / 7 pm

Introduced by Amanda Kindzierski

Our relationship to land – in all its incarnations – comes into focus in this programme of shorts by Indigenous filmmakers from Canada. From fear to strength and displacement to pride, these artists take us on a journey that requires a firm footing and a strong stance. Curated by imagineNATIVE it features works from emerging to more senior Indigenous artists. Generously supported by Urban Shaman Gallery.

Tshiuentin, Directed by Caroline Monnet , 2016, Canada, 11 mins Carving its way through the beautiful landscape of western Labrador and northeastern Quebec is the Tshiuetin rail line. The only railway in Canada owned by Indigenous people, the Tshiuetin is a lifeline for the people who call this land home and a source of pride for all who ride this historic line.

The Unforgotten featuring Tanya Tagaq, 2018, Canada 3:40 min This music piece created for Iskwé’s song was created by students from the Digital Lodge project with support from Rhayne Vermette and Amanda Kindzierski. The Digital Lodge is a multi-year project to train a group of youth from Thompson, Manitoba in the art of digital storytelling and the practice of digital responsibility and citizenship.

Cree Code Talker, Directed by Alexandra Lazarowich, 2016, Canada, 13 min During the Second World War, the Allied Forces utilized Indigenous language speakers to transmit coded messages that could not be broken. The contributions of Charles “Checker” Tomkins are revealed in this insightful look into how the Cree language was used as a vital secret weapon in combat.

God’s Acre,  Directed by Kelton Stepanowich, 2016, Canada, 15 mins Lorne Cardinal stars in this unsettling, powerful short of a man determined to protect his land at all cost. As the water slowly rises in a frighteningly familiar future, the man must choose to abandon all that he knows or give in to the rising tide.

7 Minutes, Directed by Tasha Hubbard, 2016, Canada, 7 min Marie’s walk from her university library to her home is an even seven minutes. It’s a walk she has made many times but one night she is followed by a man who tries to get her into his van. Relieved to have escape, Marie’s story speaks to the threat Indigenous women confront on a daily basis.

Hoop Dancers, Directed by  David Garneau, 2013, Canada, 5:40 min Hoop Dancers is a silent video featuring four young men in powwow regalia playing pick up basketball. The video also shows young Indigenous men engaging the contemporary world while also enjoying traditional cultural practices. It is a celebration of athleticism, cultural continuity, adaptation and beauty.

Grow Up, Directed by Michael Captain, 2018, Canada, 2:08 min This video is seen how you see it. The things you hear is how you hear it. I’m not going to tell you how to feel when you watch my video.  You see what you want to see.

2 Spirit Dream Catcher Dot Com, Directed by Thirza Cuthand  2017, Canada, 4:56 min 2 Spirit Dreamcatcher Dot Com queers and indigenizes traditional dating site advertisements. Using a Butch NDN ‘lavalife” lady (performed by director Thirza Cuthand), 2 Spirit Dreamcatcher Dot Com seduces the viewer into 2 Spirit “snagging and shacking up” with suggestions of nearby pipeline protests to take your date to, and helpful elders who will matchmake you and tell off disrespectful suitors. It’s the culturally appropriate website all single 2 Spirit people wish existed. Following up on her video “2 Spirit Introductory Special $19.99” this work examines the forces of capitalism through envisioning a “financially unfeasible” service for a small minority community.

Cache-cache, Directed by Louisa Papatie , 2016, Canada, 3 mins. Set amongst a dreamlike forest, a grandmother and her grandchildren play a whimsical game of hide-and-seek. The joyfulness in her voice and the giggles of the children are a welcome invitation to a time when all we needed was a place to hide.

The Grandfather Drum, Directed by Michelle Derosier , 2016, Canada, 12 mins Revered for its healing powers by the Anishinabek of the upper Berens River, Naamowin’s drum can restore life. This stunning animation reveals the true story of how a drum designed to heal became trapped by colonial forces designed to disrupt the delicate balance between the world above and the world below.

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Urban Shaman, Imagine Native and Cinametheque Logo

Urban thanks our friends at ImagineNative and WFG for working together with Urban Shaman Gallery to bring these amazing works to Winnipeg! We also acknowledge the support, throughout the year, of our friends, volunteers, community and all our relations, NCI FM, the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Manitoba Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts. 

~Miigwetch/ Hai Hai/ Ekosi