And a current runs through me…: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Shorts Program

Presented in collaboration with Winnipeg Film Group/ Dave Barber Cinematheque and Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery…

Directors: Chanelle Lajoie, Jennifer Dysart, Sonya Ballantyne, Charlene Moore, The Ephemerals, Caroline Monnet
Curated by Jillian Groening & Mahlet Cuff

And a current runs through me… is a series of six short films connected through their relationship to transmission. From the digital transference of archival footage to the transgenerational effects of colonial genocide, each film in the series expands upon the idea of what a body might carry – transgressively, tenderly, and transformatively. Presented in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this series features works by Indigenous filmmakers Sonya Ballantyne, Jennifer Dysart, the Ephemerals, Chanelle Lajoie, Caroline Monnet, and Charlene Moore.

This collection of films by Métis, Cree, and Anishinaabe women and gender non-conforming artists weaves a variety of stories together. With a focus on documentary and experimental film, each work stands on its own as a way to touch on the complexities within each of the artist’s identities. Whether passing down stories from generation to generation or with kin, these transmissions are laden with the hardships of facing the realities of intergenerational trauma while moving through the violences of colonialism with the foundation of being grounded in their selfhood.

Each film in And a current runs through me… is a gift which resonates beyond the parameters of the screen. From the crooks of the body to the seams of a moccasin, this series addresses the ceaseless transtemporal echoes which continue through generations.

Curated by Jillian Groening & Mahlet Cuff.

• Métis Femme Bodies, Dir. Chanelle Lajoie, 2019, Canada, 6 min
• Caribou in the Archive, Dir. Jennifer Dysart, 2019, Canada, 9 min
• Nosisim, Dir. Sonya Ballantyne, 2017, Canada, 11 min
• Moccasin Stories, Dir. Charlene Moore, 2016, Canada, 22 min
• Maiden Indian, Dir. The Ephemerals, 2011, Canada, 4 min
• IKWÉ, Dir. Caroline Monnet, 2009, Canada, 5 min

This event is PWYC (pay what you can).