People of the Kattawapiskak River, The

Screened as a part of: 

Opening Gala Screening

Wednesday, October 17 7:00 pm
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
Canada • 78 minutes • HDCAM
English
Directed by: 

Alanis Obomsawin

Alanis Obomsawin, a member of the Abenaki Nation, began her illustrious career as a singer, model and storyteller and remains an icon of Indigenous cinema. She made her professional debut as a singer in New York in 1960 and toured the world before joining the National Film Board of Canada in 1967. Since making Christmas at Moose Factory, her debut film, Alanis has directed, written and/or produced over 30 works. Having recently celebrated her 80th birthday, Alanis continues to pursue documentary filmmaking with the same vigour and sensitivity she has employed in her craft for decades. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, an inductee into the Playback Canadian Film & Television Hall of Fame and was honoured with a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. In 2004, she was awarded imagineNATIVE’s inaugural Milestone Award and remains a Patron of the Festival.

On October 28,2011, Theresa Spence, chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation, declared a state of emergency in her community in northern Ontario. The housing conditions on the reserve made international headlines and revealed the often hidden realities of extreme poverty in one of the world`s wealthiest countries. A media storm erupted in Canada as the plight of the isolated First Nation captivated the country. However, what was largely absent from the genuine concern and political finger-pointing portrayed in the press were the voices of the people of Attawapiskat themselves. Alanis Obomsawin journeys to Attawapiskat on the shores of the Kattawapiskak River and introduces us to the residents of the beleaguered community. Through the filmmaker`s gentle, yet unflinchingly honest lens, we are taken inside the overcrowded homes and make-shift shacks as the residents speak of their hardships while revealing inspiring hope for the future.

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