Northern Heart

This screening took place on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 8:00 pmOld Fire Hall

7 pm Ta’an Kwäch’än Dancers 7:30 pm Film Screening A 90-minute program featuring 6 films from Canada’s North, made by First Nation and Inuit filmmakers. Nuxalk filmmaker Banchi Hanuse will attend the event to present her documentary, Cry Rock which received the Audience Choice Award at the 2011 Dawson City International Short Film Festival. Hosted by Whitehorse-based musician and filmmaker Dennis Allen. Vadzaih Vakan Gwiidaandaii m.j. moses, old crow, yt, 2011, 6 min Vadzaih Vakan Gwiidaandaii (Caribou, our livelihood) tells a real story about the Vuntut Gwitchin who are part of the Gwich’in Nation and their existence with, and their reliance on the caribou. As Gwich’in people they are spiritually connected to the caribou in many ways. Lumaajuuq a. arnaquq-baril, iqaluit, nu, 2010, 8 min Lumaajuuq is a tragic and twisted story about the dangers of revenge. A cruel mother mistreats her son, feeding him dog meat and forcing him to sleep in the cold. A loon, who tells the boy that his mother blinded him, helps the child regain his eyesight. Then the boy seeks revenge, releasing his mother’s lifeline as she harpoons a whale. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril uses graceful animation to retell this story, based on a portion of the epic Inuit legend “The Blind Boy and the Loon.” Cry Rock b. hanuse, bella coola, bc, 2010, 29 min Less than fifteen Nuxalk language speakers and storytellers remain in Bella Coola, British Columbia. One of these elders is the filmmaker’s 80-year-old grandmother. In a technologically obsessed century, it would seem easier to record Nuxalk stories for future generations, but the filmmaker resists. Instead, she asks whether an electronic recording can capture the true meaning and value of these oral traditions. More importantly, can it be considered cultural knowledge? Cry Rock illuminates the intersection of Nuxalk history, place and spirit that are at the heart of an oral storytelling tradition. Intermission Inuit High Kick a. arnaquq-baril, iqaluit, nu, 2010, 3 min Powerful. Precise. Poetic. The traditional Inuit sport of high kick requires incredible physical strength and concentration, rendered in this minimalist documentary as a sophisticated dance- like movement in cinematic slow motion. Visually, Inuit High Kick is a compelling study of human locomotion. Cinematically, it is a clear celebration of ancient culture. ~ Alex Rogalski, Hot Docs Film Festival My Own Private Lower Post d. ghastant’ aucoin & g. loverin, teslin, yt, 2008, 32 min In Tlingit and English with English subtitles. Duane Gastant’ Aucoin embarks on a journey with his mother, Vicky Bob, to understand the effects that the Lower Post residential school had on her life. While he never attended Lower Post, he comes to the realization that this residential school has had a profound influence on him. Haa Koosteeyi (Our Tlingit Way) is where mother and son find the strength to overcome and truly survive, in a performance that also features Sharon Shorty and Rae Mombourquette. From the Spirit: Abraham Anghik Ruben r. yakeleya & b. stewart, edmonton, ab, 2007, 24 min Abraham is an Inuvialuk from the Western Arctic. He studied at the Native Arts Centre of the University of Alaska and is recognized as one of the artists who has taken the art of carving to a whole new level of high art. His carvings are deeply rooted in the Shamanic traditions of his ancestors and are in major collections all over the world.