Our Collection

First Stories - Volume II features The Power of a Horse, Life Givers: Honouring Our Elders and Children, O Mother, Where Art Thou? and ati-wîcahsin (It's Getting Easier), four new short films from four emerging Saskatchewan filmmakers - Tessa Desnomie, Cory Generoux, Jainine Windolph and Paul John Swiderski.

All participated in First Stories: Saskatchewan, an Aboriginal filmmakers program presented by the NFB Prairie Centre, CBC, SCN and SakFilm. After taking part in a series of documentary workshops with experienced film and television professionals, Desnomie, Generoux, Windolph and Swiderski were chosen from a group of fifteen participants to write and direct short documentaries under the guidance of NFB producer Joe MacDonald and NFB associate producer Stephanie Scott. This series of films follows the extremely successful First Stories - Volume I, a compilation that won awards and screened throughout Canada and the U.S.

THE FILMS

The Power of a Horse is the moving account of filmmaker Cory Generoux dealing with the scars that racism left on his life - both as its recipient and perpetrator. This potent, short film reveals a simple and beautiful lesson that changed his life.

Running time: 5 minutes
Writer/Director: Cory Generoux

"Some say when a child dies, you lose your future, and when an elder dies, you lose your past." Life Givers: Honouring Our Elders and Children is a poignant short film that testifies to the need to grieve and honour the memory of loved ones.

Running time: 5 minutes
Writer/Director: Janine Windolph

O Mother, Where Art Thou? finds Paul John Swiderski taking stock of his adoptive family and all that they've provided for him: security and well-being. The people who've raised him are his family and that seems like enough, but when a cousin asks about his birth mother, Paul begins to wonder about his other family.

Running time: 5 minutes
Writer/Director: Paul John Swiderski

In ati-wîcahsin (It's Getting Easier), filmmaker Tessa Desnomie celebrates the life and times of her grandmother, Jane Merasty. Born and raised on the trapline, this Woodlands Cree woman has witnessed significant changes throughout her vigorous 80 years.

Running time: 5 minutes
Writer/Director: Tessa Desnomie

2007, 21 min 38 s

First Stories - 3-Part Series

First Stories: Volume I & II

First Stories - ati-wîcahsin (It's Getting Easier)

First Stories - Life Givers: Honouring Our Elders and Children

First Stories - O Mother, Where Art Thou?

First Stories - The Power of a Horse

Best: Cultural Diversity
Saskatchewan Showcase
April 3 2008, Regina - Canada

Jury Award
Yorkton Film Festival
May 24 to 27 2007, Yorkton - Canada