Big Sky Documentary Film Festival - Cree Code Talker
An insightful story that brings a hidden history that haunts the Canadian landscape. As Canadian law criminalized indigenous languages, Cree was being used in World War II to save lives. A mixture of interviews, rare audio, archival documents, war footage, and a brother’s memories.
Interview with Writer/Director Alexandra Lazarowich
Watch Cree Code Talker here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This film was created because the Tomkins' family came to us and asked us to make this film. It was important to the family to make sure that Charles "Checker" Tomkin's was remembered for his role, and the hundreds of other men who also did this work. It was with the family and all of our funders and supporters at the Alberta Veterans Society of Alberta, the National Screen Institute of Canada, BravoFact and Bell Media that we were able to create this film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It is important to note the magnitude of this story. Indigenous people have always been the first to answer the call when it came to wartime. Canada is about to celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2017, yet "Canada" - has still failed to celebrate or acknowledge the achievement of the Cree Code Talkers. Indigenous people weren't even allowed to vote at the time these tours of duty took place. We want to see both the Canadian and American governments acknowledge the work of the Cree Code Talkers - this is long overdue.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The universal themes of memory and loss are weaved throughout the film. We think that the personal is how Aboriginal people relate memories to land, and how the land and the water is interconnected to our stories and our families.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The film took on a life of its own, and as we interviewed the brothers in Northern Alberta, Canada we discovered and found new moments as we filmed. We had the support of Sturla Gunnarsson (Oscar-nominated, Emmy Award-winning Canadian filmmaker) who was our mentor for the film, he provided skilled and thoughtful feedback from the preproduction research stages all the way to the mastering of the film. Without his constant support this film would not be what it is.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We have received tremendous feedback from the family and the Aboriginal Veterans and that was the most important for us. As filmmakers we wanted to make sure we honoured the family and Charles and the community.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are currently looking for distributors for the film in Europe, to reach a new audience so that people from Europe can be aware of the role that Aboriginal people from Canada played in WWII.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for sales agents, buyers and distributors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Most importantly, we would like to get the code talkers recognized by the Canadian or U.S. Government. All of the veterans have passed, but they need to be recognized now.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The key question I think we can ask is how Aboriginal people have been used by governments, either for their resources, their history, their beliefs, their bodies, their language and how that has been used and extracted from us to save other people's lives.
Would you like to add anything else?
We could not have made this film without the help of our funders and without our research team at Ontario College of Art and Design and Warren Sinclair Chief Archivist from the Canadian National Defence Headquarters Directorate of History and Heritage
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Alex Lazarowich is working on a film about Aboriginal women from Northern Canada.
Cowboy Smithx is currently directing 30 short film and media elements for the Royal Alberta Museum, producing independent shorts and programming as the Curator of REDx Talks.
Interview: February 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Cree Code Talker
An insightful story that brings a hidden history that haunts the Canadian landscape. As Canadian law criminalized indigenous languages, Cree was being used in World War II to save lives. A mixture of interviews, rare audio, archival documents, war footage, and a brother’s memories.
Length: 14 min
Director: Alexandra Lazarowich
Producer: Alexandra Lazarowich, Cowboy Smithx
Writer: Alexandra Lazarowich
About the writer, director and producer:
Alex Lazarowich is a Cree filmmaker who has forged her career as a Director and Producer. Her films are dedicated to telling underreported stories about the lives of Indigenous peoples.
Cowboy Smithx is an Indigenous filmmaker of Blackfoot Ancestry from the Piikani and Kainai tribes of Southern Alberta, Canada. Cowboy received his initial film production training in Los Angeles, California at the NMTN American Indian Summer Institute at UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, USC-Zemeckis and FOX Studios in 2006-2007.
Key cast: Frank Tomkins, James Tomkins, Charles "Checker" Tomkins
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Sales Agents, Buyers, Distributors
Funders: Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta, National Screen Institute of Canada, Bell Canada, BravoFact Canada
Made in association with: Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta, National Screen Institute of Canada, Bell Canada, BravoFact Canada
Where can I see it in the next month?
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival - Missoula, Montana; Nordly Film Festival - Camrose, Alberta Canada; Mother Tongue Film Festival Smithsonian Institute - Washington D.C., Reel to Real Film Festival - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.