By Vanessa Balintec
TORONTO (Reuters) -The Toronto International Film Festival featured a record number of films made by Indigenous people in Canada this year, a milestone celebrated by Indigenous artists who say the industry has long sidelined their voices.
Several premieres featuring Indigenous talent were sold out, according to TIFF. Bretten Hannam, a L’nu filmmaker living in Nova Scotia, hopes the audience appetite will continue.
“Our voices have always been there, and people just haven’t been listening. And now there is space for that,” said Hannam.
Hannam is “two-spirit,” a term used by Indigenous people in Canada that encompasses male, female, and non-conforming expressions of gender and sexuality.
Some 15 years ago, Hannam recalls being asked to change the race or sexuality of their Indigenous characters, and to focus on a different area of writing.
“It’s been a long journey, a long struggle,” Hannam said in an interview.
Their film, “Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts),” follows two brothers’ journey to avenge spirits that haunt them from their childhood, while exploring Mi’kmaw culture and the colonial history of Canada’s east coast.
TIFF’s International Programmer of Canadian features, Kelly Boutsalis, said the record lineup that includes two shorts and eight feature films spotlights directors who identify as Indigenous and sets a precedent.
“It feels really good for the state of Indigenous film, that it can be this robust,” said Boutsalis, who is Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. “We tried to take the best, but there’s so many more.”
The Indigenous Screen Office, the main advocacy and funding body for Indigenous screen content in Canada, supported the eight films in the festival.
Dana Solomon, an Anishinaabe member of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, starred in Gail Maurice’s “Blood Lines,” which centers on a lesbian romance and celebration of Métis culture.
Maurice’s language, Michif, is spoken by about 1,100 people globally. Solomon learned to speak it for the role.
“Maybe young Métis people are going to be inspired to learn and speak it,” said Solomon.
Val Vint, a Métis artist based in Manitoba who is known in her community as “Deadly Auntie” features in experimental film “Levers” by Rhayne Vermette. She said the movie expands the range of stories that people see.
“I’m so tired of these films that are all about crying and sadness. Like, we have joy. And I think this expresses more of that,” Vint said.
Vint, 74, said the interest at TIFF finally offered some recognition for Indigenous land and culture. “I think it’s long overdue,” she said.
(Reporting by Vanessa Balintec, Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Rosalba O’Brien)
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