Alanis Obomsawin at Free First Saturday
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“My main interest all my life has been education because that’s where you develop yourself, where you learn to hate or to love.” —Alanis Obomsawin
Film Screening with Alanis Obomsawin in Person
In honor of Abenaki filmmaker and artist Obomsawin’s lifelong dedication to education, see a special selection of her short films that uplift Indigenous children. Obomsawin will introduce the screening in the Walker Cinema at 1 pm.
Obomsawin’s early documentaries create a remarkable visual archive of Indigenous communities. Mount Currie Summer Camp (1975) was made with a Stl’atl’imx (Líl̓wat) community, seen through the beautiful faces of children going about their daily routines. Partridge (1972) shares family memories and a story of how the spirit of the partridge protects children in the Atikamekw community of Manawan. A 1977 filmed performance features Obomsawin onstage singing a traditional lullaby, Nbaw (Hush, Sleep).
In Sigwan (2005), a drama made for young audiences, a young girl learns about acceptance from forest animals.
The shorts program concludes with Walking is Medicine (2017), the story of six young Cree men who decided to walk from Whapmagoostui, Quebec, to Ottawa. Their journey is made in the spirit of their ancestors, whose traditions were to travel long distances in the winter, crossing frozen rivers and lakes, meeting many different nations from across the country. Known as the Nishiyuu walkers, they made their journey to bring attention to Indigenous youth and to be part of a new beginning.
Total running time for the program (with intro): approximately 35 min. Click here for more information about Free First Saturday: Generations.
Thank you to the National Film Board of Canada.
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki, b. 1932, near Lebanon, New Hampshire) is one of Canada’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers. She began her career as a professional singer and storyteller before joining the National Film Board in 1967. Her award-winning films address the struggles of Indigenous peoples in Canada from their perspective, giving prominence to voices that have long been ignored or dismissed. A Companion of the Order of Canada and a Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, she has received the Prix Albert-Tessier and the Canadian Screen Awards’ Humanitarian Award, as well as multiple Governor General’s Awards, lifetime achievement awards, and honorary degrees.
ASL interpretation will be provided for the reading at 11 am and the film introduction at 1 pm.
The short films will be captioned.
For information about accessibility or to request additional accommodations for this program, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
For more information about accessibility at the Walker, visit our Access page.
Free First Saturday is sponsored by
Family Programs are supported by the Manitou Fund, thanks to Rosemary and Kevin McNeely.
Education and Public Programs are supported by the Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation.
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