The Cinematheque

“[Bacon] is wise and forward-looking, focused on preserving the stories of her elders for the next generation … Call Me Human takes the viewer on a heartening journey alongside a woman and her life’s work.”

Madeline Lines, POV Magazine

The trio of films in this program represent the various ways Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island pass on their knowledge, language, and culture in order to safeguard the next seven generations and honour the last seven. Cree filmmaker Theola Ross’s heartfelt documentary Êmîcêtôsêt: Many Bloodlines is a celebration of resilience and love, and explores themes of race, culture, class, and gender roles surrounding the journey of bringing a child into the world through in-vitro fertilization. Call Me Human, directed by Abenaki First Nation filmmaker Kim O’Bomsawin, is an emotionally stirring documentary that explores the incredible life journey of Innu poet, writer, and activist Joséphine Bacon. Arctic Song, a mesmerizing animated short film directed by Neil Christopher and Inuk filmmakers Germaine Arnattaujuq and Louise Flaherty, uses a combination of exquisite visuals and traditional Inuit song to breathe life into tales passed down through generations in the Iglulik region of Nunavut.

Best Canadian Documentary (Call Me Human)
VIFF 2020

Êmîcêtôcêt: Many Bloodlines
Canada 2020
Theola Ross
11 min. DCP In English and Cree with English subtitles

Call Me Human
Je m’appelle humain
Canada 2020
Kim O’Bomsawin
77 min. DCP In French and Innu with English subtitles

Arctic Song
Canada 2021
Germaine Arnattaujuq, Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty
6 min. DCP In Inuktitut with English subtitles