IMAGeNation 2000
Film and Video Festival Schedule
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 3RD , 2000
1 PM TO
MIDNIGHT
VanEast
Cinema 2290 Commercial Drive (at 7th
Avenue)
What
Was Taken…And What We Sell
- Experimental Documentary
Director:
Nora Naranjo Morse 11mins 1994
Naranjo-Morse
describes a childhood experience at the Jack Denver Curio Store and Motel in
Taos, "Halfway through the evening, young Indian girls dressed in, what was
then called 'Squaw skirts' and other Southwest style clothing, paraded through
the arena in what became a ten minute commercial for a local seamstress who
fashioned her garments for this particular occasion.
I was one of the young Indian girls and as an impressionable child, this
stands out as one of the most significant memories of my youth.
Although at this tender age, I could not begin to identify or even
process these tumultuous emotions, I understood, somewhere in my child's
intuitive intelligence, the meaning of being a 'Professional Indian'".
The great West, initially explored for its rumours of enormous wealth,
continues today,
to be "discovered" by Americans for its extra- ordinary beauty and
fascinating cultural textures. The brilliant visuals of spectacular mountain
ranges, gushing rivers and what has always been seen as the exotic, primitive,
rich but simple lifestyle of the Southwest Indians continues to hold
immeasurable economic possibilities. How
much was taken...and what we sell asks questions of both the non-Indian and
Indian audiences concerning the marketing of the land and its people.
Director:
Barbara Cranmer 54 mins 2000
On August 29,
1997, the `Namgis First Nation of Alert Bay, British Columbia, was rocked to its
core. The bighouse where their traditional ceremonies were held was engulfed in
flames - the result of an horrific act of revenge. This powerful documentary
recounts the events that led up to the fire, and examines the cultural
significance of the bighouses in the `Namgis' past and present way of life.
Ingin
Among Us
– PSA
Director:
Cynthia Lickers 2mins
Independent Canadian video artists produce a Public Service Announcement around anti--racism education for broadcast on national networks. 3 versions: 2:00 / 1:00 / :30 sec "Ingin among us" uses a humorous cowboy and western movie to dispel stereotypical beliefs around the Native identity .
It’s
Now or Never
- Documentary
Director:
Vincent Carelli 30mins
Also named Twenty Years of Battles. In April 1997, the Makuxi Indians of North Roraima, celebrate twenty years of struggle to have their reservation "Raposa / Serra do Sol", recognized by the government. Includes their own re-enactment of the colonial takeover and their subsequent victory in reclaiming their land.
Spirit
Wind
– Documentary by Mi¹kmaw
filmmaker
Director:
Cathy Martin 50 mins
Mi'kmaw Chief Mi'sel Joe of Conne River in Newfoundland, built a birch bark canoe with four other men and paddled it across the Atlantic Cabot Strait to Nova Scotia to the annual Mi'kmaq gathering at Chapel Island. The historic journey took three years and three attempts before they were successful in making the crossing.
Tracks
in the Snow
–
documentary
Director:
Shirley Cheechoo 28 mins
Cree
elders and some adults walked and camped for four days and four nights, teaching
ten children aged 10 to 12 years the
traditional way of life. The video
documents this journey from the native community called Whapmoogstul, located on
the shoreline of Hudson’s Bay in Quebec.
East
Side Story compilation
Director:
Curtis Cameron 5:34 mins
Several
stories of resistance and the growing awareness among the youth from
Vancouver’s eastside for compelling community television.
Tushka
– An Award-winning Fictionalized Drama Based on Real Life Events
Director:
Ian Skorodin 75 mins 1997
Tushka ranks among the year’s groundbreaking
Native-made dramatic features. Based
on actual events during the 1970’s, set during the period when the FBI waged
its COINTELPRO campaign against civil rights efforts made by organizations such
as AIM and the Black Panthers. A
raw, compelling story, Tushka tells of government corruption, Indian defiance,
and the power of the human spirit – Heather
Rae, Sundance Film Festival
________________________________________________________________________________________
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 3RD 2000
EVENING:
REEL WARRIORS PROGRAM
7-12
PM -
Curated by Cleo Reece
Reel
Warriors is a program that honors and celebrates the struggles and courage of
indigenous peoples worldwide. This
year we are screening ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND as a benefit for consummate
warrior, Leonard Peltier. Also
screening is the feature film BACKROADS by Shirley Cheechoo about the resilience
and strength of native women. Also
featured is the latest video about the Gustafson Lake standoff, Above the Law
Part Two, from the perspective of the people involved.
2510037901
– Experimental
Short
Director:
Steven Loft 3mins
An
examination of codification and demarcation inflicted on Native people, and a
reflection on the artist’s mixed native and Jewish heritage.
His Indian status card is made into a tattoo.
Alcatraz Is Not An Island –Feature Documentary Benefit for Leonard Peltier Director: Jim Fortier 75 mins A beautifully shot film told with poetic power of the 1969 takeover of Alcatraz Island which kickstarted the next decade of Indian activism. With special guest speaker Robert Free, longtime activist and Alcatraz veteran, as spokesman for the Northwest Leonard Peltier Defense Network.
Break
Backroads A Feature Drama Director: Shirley Cheechoo 80mins Synopsis: A woman is raped, a man is dead. A drama that brings to life the chilling legacy of the “bear walker legend” set in the 1970s on a reserve in northern Ontario. This film was voted the third most popular film at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Shirley Cheechoo is director of the award-winning Silent Tears.
Above the Law Part II A documentary on Gustafson Lake Director: Mervin Brown Associate Producer: Splitting the Sky 54 mins Synopsis: Details the tactics used by the RCMP during the stand-off at Gustafson Lake against the Sun Dancers and the T’speten Defenders in 1995.