Alanis Obomsawin will be screening her latest documentary, entitled ‘Trick or Treaty’ which chronicles the struggle of the aboriginal people of Northern Ontario to assert their rights. It includes coverage of the epic 1600 kilometre walk from the north to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, by a determined group of young indigenous people.
At the press conference yesterday, where the TIFF line-up was announced, Alanis Obomsawin said, “my hope is to educate what treaties are not just to our people but to all Canadians”.
The 82-year old has been chronicling the lives of aboriginal people in Canada for over 50 years. Her first film, “Christmas at Moose Factory” came out in 1971, and one of her most famous, “Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance” provided a context to the Oka crisis that took place during the summer of 1990.
Jesse Wente, Director of Film Programmes at TIFF Bell Lightbox, said, “The Masters program is there to identify film makers who throughout their career really altered the landscape of cinema. Alanis is certainly one of Canada’s great documentary film makers but in a larger context she is really the grandmother of indigenous cinema all over the world.”
In an emotional response thanking TIFF for the honour of being included in the Masters programme, Obomsawin talked about her latest film saying, “it’s as if our young people are recognizing themselves and their ancestors”.
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