Description:
A cinematic observation of Indigenous artist Lana Whiskeyjack as she works to complete a mixed-media sculpture of a tortured face, the face of her uncle. Lana calls the piece "Losing My Talk". This brief study of an artist and her work helps us come to some understanding of the trauma experienced by Canada’s Indigenous people in the Indian residential school system, of its enduring effects on the children of survivors of the IRS, and of one woman’s journey to recover what was lost: dignity, identity, and voice. A story of resilience, Lana’s journey speaks of the power of Indigenous “ways of being” in our time.
Biography:
Beth Wishart MacKenzie is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Using film she seeks to communicate the richness and complexity of cultural-religious life in Canada and to examine the challenges multicultural coexistence presents to Canadians. Her prior experience in the discipline of comparative religious studies allows her to bring an informed and sensitive perspective to her documentary film work and to effectively interpret the symbolic codes and spiritual sensibility of the individuals and communities she engages with. As a socially engaged documentary filmmaker, Beth seeks to use the creative medium of film to build community in Canada.
