Old Crow day 2 - workshop!
Wow! Busy and exciting! So nice to meet new folks and meet again with old friends!
Sebnem and Lisa g set up with Megan at 8:30am in anticipation of students coming around 9:30am.
New teacher at the Chief Zzeh Gittlit School, Ben, brought students Jonathon and Jack! Jonathon’s voice has been featured in Kayleen’s Our World film so it was nice to see him again! Now he is A LOT taller! ;)
Briana (VGFN Heritage Coordinator), and Jocelyn (local film connoisseur) joined us as well. And of course, alumni Mary Jane Moses!
We first showed the Northwind CBC Interview video then some past OC films. We shared the excitement and process of filmmaking. We also talked about how films can travel for you and tell stories you wish to tell using animation, photography and film (digital, analog and archival)!
Jocelyn knows a lot about film and has fave director Sophia Coppola in particular her first film Virgin Suicides and Marie Antionette. Also Adrien Brody in Detachment. She likes dark subject matter and animation! Jocelyn has made films before and likes older technology, she already has a idea for a fictional film about mental health.
Jack enjoys the Call of Duty video game which I don’t know much about but have since learned that it has serious characters and story telling! The art is gorgeous too. Here is a link to a review which is quite interesting if you know nothing about the game - it IS violent and has swearing …so view at your own risk! That said, I do think it’s important to know what young people are watching and doing. Jack also loves riding his skidoo! I wonder how to combine these interests and googled to see how many Indigenous perspective video games there were and I found a few, in particular Two Falls a game set in 17th-century Quebec, with two perspectives: an Innu hunter and a French settler. Imagine something similar in Gwich’in!
Jonathon likes video games as well, along with hunting ! We learned that he is a drone operator and has his own drone! Also Megan mentioned that Jonathon already has an interview with his grandpa at their camp…So lots of potentials for a film…
Briana has many ideas: using an archival interview of her grandpa Alfred, animating the story of muskrat and beaver, using some of her Ice break up or freeze up media or a video of her daughter in the bush…we shall see what she decides.
Mary Jane’s story is top secret ….but she has a plan…can’t wait to find out!
Lunch was made by local chef Darrell Charlie! Delicious soup (the broth was outstanding) and bannock donuts!
New Chief Lance Nagwan ate lunch with us and told his dream to have young folks make and share videos!
Caleb Charlie (Our World Alumni from 2010) came after lunch to share his amazing drone footage that he was just working on for APTN! It was absolutely stunning and depicted raft making up river. He is an incredible cinematographer and drone operator! Here is his website.
Florence, Kayleen, Ryder and Vernon JR came by in the afternoon. Florence is interested in sharing stories of growing up on the land and how to educate teachers about the Vuntut Gwich’in culture!
Kayleen and JR could make another film together????
Jack learned audio and Jonathon learned camera and practiced interviewing Florence about her memories of growing up in Old Crow!
It was fun to share films made over the years hearing voices of the young people who are now older and friends and Elders who have since passed away.
Most everyone left at 3:30 with Jocelyn staying until 4:30 working on her shot list! Amazing!
Chelsea (who drove the students to the JTC from the school) came back at the end of the day to check in with Jocelyn to potentially be an actor in Jocelyn’s film!
We met Ruth at the end of the day and invited her to make a film too! She will join us tomorrow !
A quick trip to the co-op for groceries and then a walk around town. An amazing first day!
