Thank you to everyone for coming out and making Transformative Imaginings a super successful event! Over 80 people attended the screening at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum on Friday night. Visiting artist Danis Goulet from Toronto and her film ‘Wakening’ was amazing. She shared valuable information on her filmmaking process and an up close look at the making of ‘Wakening’. Thanks again to A.s. Centre for hosting Danis Goulet for her artist talk Friday afternoon. Special thanks to curator Dianne Ouellette for all her hard work on this special event!
The Filmpool, along with our partners Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Aboriginal Student Centre University of Regina and curator Dianne Ouellette are proud to present ‘Transformative Imaginings’, a screening of short films at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum on March 8. The program will include award winning Cree/ Métis writer director Danis Goulet and her film ‘Wakening’. We are delighted to announce that Danis will be in the audience for a Q and A following the screening. In addition Danis will be presenting an artist talk at the University of Regina on March 8 at 2 PM
— FILM SYNOPSES —
Wakening – Danis Goulet (Feature Artist) In the near future, the environment has been destroyed and society suffocates under a brutal military occupation. A lone Cree wanderer Weesakechak searches an urban war zone to find the ancient and dangerous Weetigo to help fight against the occupiers.
It’s Like That – Southern Ladies Animation Group Animated short using the voices of 3 refugee children held in mandatory detention interviewed over the phone by an ABC journalist.
SNIP – Terril Calder Animated short that cuts up colonial Canadian histories by telling a story of survival amidst the country’s genocide of Indigenous children. Annie and Gordon travel back in time to save Charlie and Niska, trapped in a nightmare reality designed to eradicate their culture.
Mahiganiec (Baby Wolf) – Jacqueline Michel A grandmother sits around the campfire telling her grandchildren about a young girl who was raised by a wolf. When the young girl is found by a woman, the worlds of wolf and human collide. Anishinaabe subtitled English.
Walk in Dreams -Jonathan Thunder Based on the director’s personal, intuitive paintings, this Walk in Dreams takes us through a fantastical world with the creatures that live there.
Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes) – Amanda Strong Since time immemorial Indigenous people have harvested sap from trees to produce syrup a practice that continues today. Two main characters Biidaaban, a young Indigenous gender fluid person and Sabe, a Sasquatch shape shifter set out to harvest sap from Sugar Maples in their urban environment and private neighbourhoods of the city. Biidaabaan can see traces of time, people, creatures and land. By harvesting syrup in this way they are continuing of the work of their ancestors. Ancestors and animals such as Ghost Caribou and Ghost Wolf are embedded within the landscape but only Biidaaban can see them. These visuals reverberate throughout the work to draw from the past but what we see is steadfast in the present.
Blows with the Wind – Hazhir As’Adi, After occurring some events for the scarecrow, scarecrow becomes human.
Shaman – Echo Henoche, NFB This animated short tells the story of a ferocious polar bear turned to stone by an Inuk shaman. The tale is based on emerging filmmaker Echo Henoche’s favourite legend, as told to her by her grandmother in her home community of Nain, Nunatsiavut, on Labrador’s North Coast. Hand-drawn and painted by Henoche in a style all her own, Shaman is the first collaboration between the Labrador artist and the NFB.
The Importance of Dreaming – Tara Audibert Old lonely Owl dreams of having his own family. In his travels he comes upon a large skulk of foxes playing together. Owl thinks they are beautiful, and he watches over them for many days and nights. He wishes he could have such a beautiful family. One Fox is different, she notices Owl and watches him. Owl flies down to meet her and showing off his charms, becomes a part of the skulk. Foxx and Owl fall in love, but their love is met with contention driving Foxx and Owl away to try to find happiness together.