Before the Streets (Avant les rues)

This screening took place on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 2:00 pmYukon Arts Centre

Before the Streets celebrates a revival of native culture and its traditions, as embodied by the very actors who participated in the film. The first dramatic feature shot in the native language of Atikamekw, the film boasts a cast composed almost entirely of non-professionals living and working in the villages where the film was shot. The story takes place in Manawan, while a forest fire closes in on the nearby village of Wemotaci. First-time feature director Chloé Leriche made Before the Streets with the collaboration of Québec’s three Atikamekw communities, in drawing on all the vitality they embody. By following the pacing of her non-professional actors, she created a distinct style that goes beyond notions of the north-american indie genre and recent media reports on the dismal conditions in Canada’s native communities. Winner of the Philip Borsos 'Best Canadian Feature Film' at Whistler Film festival 2016.