MONTREAL
- A group of young filmmakers are packing into a mobile studio and
heading out to visit First Nations communities in Quebec to give
young aboriginals a taste of the moviemaking life.
The
Wapikoni Mobile is headed to the Atikamekw communities of Pikogan,
Kitcisakik and Lac Simon, and to the Algonquin communities of Wemotaci,
Manawan and Opitciwan in southwestern Quebec.
Backed
by digital cameras, professional editing equipment and a screening
room, the five participating filmmakers will give the project's
young participants training in everything from screenwriting to
directing to camera operation to film editing.
Funded
by the National Film Board, the Wapikoni Mobile is the brainchild
of filmmaker Manon Barbeau, who named the project after her friend
Wapikoni Awashish, a young aboriginal leader who died in a car accident
in 2002.
Barbeau
hopes that this travelling film school will inspire native youth
and give participants an outlet to explore their creativity.
"I
think they are very talented, but shy because they don't have the
confidence and recognition from our community," Barbeau said.
Wapikoni's
death was tragic because she had been very active in her community,
Barbeau said, adding that she hopes the namesake project will help
keep the young woman's spirit alive.
Benoît
Pelletier, Quebec's minister of aboriginal affairs, who was on hand
at the project launch, said he also hopes the project will give
hope to aboriginal youth and share their work with non-native Canadians.
The
short documentaries and video projects produced by participants
will be screened in the mobile at the end of each two-week visit.
These films will also be posted on the web.
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