The Indigenous Voice, Part 2

Produced and directed by Jeff Bear and Marianne Jones
Urban Rez Productions
24 minutes per part • 2008
Available on VHS and DVD

This final episode of Series two of Storytellers in motion further examines the Indigenous voice. Each of the talented storytellers profiled in the second series reflect on their perceptions of the Indigenous voice in film and television.

While they agree that stories told from within the culture has primary importance, a variety of opinions exist on the nature of barriers within the industry. For talented young women like Podemski, being young and female present as many challenges in dealing with the entertainment industry as being Aboriginal. Jordan Wheeler is cognizant of systematic barriers created by economics, and reminds us that because of role advertising plays in broadcast revenues, the audience reigns supreme as something to target advertisers. For northern news anchor Carla Robinson, Canadian media reflects that our country remains a nation of solitudes and the only way to break that down is for there to be more native journalists working in mainstream media. As they talk, one thing becomes evident- the Indigenous voice is in its early stages and, though eluding definition, it shows great promise for years to come.

Subject(s): Artists, Filmmaking, Indigenous people