culture
Celebrating First Peoples Cinema
TIFF unveils a new multi-faceted programme aimed at honouring indigenous people on screen.
Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man. Photo courtesy of Photofest.
TIFF’s First Peoples Cinema programme—scheduled to run June 21 to August 19— features not only films but musical acts, a lengthy list of special guests, and a free exhibition entitled “Home On Native Land.” It was a labour of love.
“I’ve been putting this together for more than a year now,” said Jesse Wente, the head of film programmes for TIFF. “This is a series I have thought about for a decade or so.”
Wente focused primarily on the four countries that have been instrumental in the development of First Peoples cinema: Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Other countries are also represented.
Below are just a few of the films that are worth a look in coming months. All screenings are at TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West).
Nanook of the North
June 21, 7:00 p.m.
$13.25–$18.75
Photo courtesy of Photofest.
For a film that is quickly approaching its 100th anniversary, Nanook of the North still holds up surprisingly well. Widely regarded as the first documentary, it was also the first film to blur the definition of the documentary form, as some elements were fictionalized by American director Robert J. Flaherty. The story remains captivating because it is one of basic survival against the harsh climate of northern Quebec and the constant threat of starvation. A sequence in which Nanook stalks and harpoons a walrus is gripping. But what is most striking, in the end, is Nanook’s remarkably simple way of life and his indefatigable spirit. The screening will be accompanied by the music of Tanya Tagaq, a renowned throat-singer born and raised in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
June 22, 5:15 p.m.
$8.50–$12
Photo courtesy of FRL.
Part ancient folktale, part family melodrama, this epic story unfolds with all of the weight of a Shakespearean tragedy—one that happens to be set in the Canadian Arctic. Atanarjuat (Natar Ungalaaq) makes an enemy of Oki (Peter-Henry Arnatslaq) when he (that is, Atanarjuat) falls in love with and marries Atuat (Sylvia Ivalu), Oki’s betrothed. After taking Oki’s sister Puja as a second wife (Lucy Tulugarjuk), Atanarjuat is the victim of a series of betrayals that endanger his life. This is followed by a sequence that has become justifiably iconic: Atanarjuat flees from his would-be assassins by sprinting bare-ass naked over the ice floes. The Canadian production was widely praised upon its release, and it isn’t difficult to understand why. It takes its time establishing a bunch of characters and an ominous tone before setting in motion an absorbing narrative.
The Exiles
July 6, 2:00 p.m.
July 10, 9:15 p.m.
$8.50–$12
Photo courtesy of Milestone Films.
An attempt to realistically portray 12 hours in the lives of a group of Native Americans who have left the reservation to live in 1950s Los Angeles, The Exiles functions as an interesting time capsule. Not only does it show off a specific time and place, but it’s also a great piece of early ’60s filmmaking. The stories are told largely in confessional voice-overs. Characters are shown drinking in bars, aimlessly searching for sex or violence.
The Orator
August 2, 6:30 p.m.
$8.50–$12
Photo courtesy of the New Zealand Film Commission.
A solemn, stoic dwarf longs for the respect of his people and for the title of chief in The Orator, which was the first feature film ever made in the Samoan language. The dwarf, Saili (Fa’afiaula Sanote), lives a plain farming life in a small village with his wife Vaaiga (Tausili Pushparaj), who has been exiled from her own village. They have a somewhat rebellious teenage daughter, Litia (Salamasina Mataia). An unfortunate turn of events forces Saili to take action in spite of constant ridicule from his fellow villagers. The pacing may be a little slow for some, but the film tells a universal story about discovering inner strength. If nothing else, it provides a rare glimpse into a unique culture.