Remembering the Homelands – Lisa Jackson’s How A People Live

Pristine waters in majestic fjords, lined by evergreen forests and a backdrop of snowcapped mountains. A bald eagle flies over treetops and a harbour seal peeks up from the waves.

To most B.C. citizens, these are not mere postcard pictures, but real memories that many of us, at least the lucky ones living near the coast, have experienced, travelling on one of the ferries. 

“Your identity derives from the place where you have roots, where your origin stories are. Everything comes from the land,” says Jessie Hemphill, a young aboriginal woman who joined filmmaker Lisa Jackson and her crew on a boat trip to the homelands of her nation, the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw.

Movies for Activists

Film is such a powerful medium with which to communicate a message or raise awareness about an issue or problem. Subtle details and nuances can prove to be highly provocative statements, and allegorical films can be powerful critiques against a given regime or system. Attending a film festival such as the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival is activism in itself–it is only one of three festivals in Canada dedicated to films made by women.  As has been discussed on this blog before, the gender disparities in the Canadian film in television are still a huge issue, with Canadian women fare behind their male counterparts in both annual earnings and opportunities, period. Supporting festivals such as ours is therefore especially important if you care about missing voices, overlooked stories, and challenging the status quo. If you’re an activist or a free thinker, these films should be at the top of your watchlist.

El Regreso

El Regreso (The Return) by Patricia Ortega is a narrative fiction that explores the tragic and true events of April 16, 2004 in the Wayuu community of Bahía Portete, at the Colombian Guajira, a territory split between Colombia and Venezuela.  Given that it focuses on this painfully recent history, it is no doubt one of the most powerful films of the festival. Ortega will be present following the film for a panel discussion. The story is told from the perspective of Shuliwala (Daniela González), a 10-year-old girl who is forced to flee her home for an unknown city. The film is a bold contribution to the fight against racism while portraying little-known images of the Wayuu indigenous community. By focusing on a specific ethnic group, Ortega proposes a universal approach that vindicates the struggle for the rights of indigenous people.

Spotlight on Students: Political Science & International Relations

Our “Spotlight on Students” series focuses on movies that might appeal to students (of all ages, and who are currently attending college/university or not) of certain specialties. Whether you want to get extra credit on a paper by referring to one of the films below, or if you want to see the film and spread the word to your peers (sounding extra cultured and sophisticated, of course), you can’t go wrong with these picks.

Movies for Political Science & International Relations

How People Live by Lisa Jackson

This exceptionally well-crafted documentary by Lisa Jackson focuses on the forced relocation of the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations. The documentary delves into the most recent 100 years of history of these Nations, to their forced relocation in 1964, to present. Personal interviews, recollections, and archival footage provide an important reminder that we are not in fact in a post-colonial world, and offer a fresh perspective on histories deadened by Canadian high school textbooks. A timely, must-see for those interested in the Idle No More movements, and those who need to be shaken from the idea that Canada is a highly peaceful and tolerant nation state.

Sunday, March 9th at 1:00