NFB Collection
Heartbeat of a Nation
202220 min 22 secFilm: Documentary
Direction: Eric Janvier
Production: David Christensen (National Film Board of Canada)Coty Savard (National Film Board of Canada)
Script: Eric Janvier
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
On a beautiful sunny day in Northern Alberta, a river surrounded by green trees runs gently through the traditional lands of the Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation.
As birds softly chirp, a father makes a tobacco offering to the river and reaches his hands below the water’s surface to pull out a caribou hide. Nearby, his young child watches. Today they will learn from their father how to make a caribou drum.
Heartbeat of a Nation is an evocative short documentary by Eric Janvier. It celebrates the healing of a community and a nation through the reclamation and passing down of traditional teachings within a Dene family.
Availability
Other versions
Subject categories
- Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) > Cultural IdentityPrairies
- Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism > Customs and Traditions
- Children and Youth > Indigenous Youth
- Music > Musical Instruments
- Worldview, Belief, Spirituality Philosophy & Ideology > Ceremonies, Rites, Traditions
- Indigenous Peoples: Canada > Dené
- Intangible Culture & Literature > Music & Dance
Credits
- writing
- Eric Janvier
- director
- Eric Janvier
- featuring
- Brant Janvier
- August Janvier
- Agnes Duke
- executive producer
- David Christensen
- producer
- Coty Savard
- associate producer
- Devon Supeene
- director of photography
- Holly Mazur
- second camera
- Tamarra Lessard
- picture editor
- Sarah Taylor
- sound recordist
- Dmitri Bandet
- Ariana Brophy
- sound design
- Dmitri Bandet
- mix
- Dmitri Bandet
- production supervisor studio
- Esther Viragh
- operation manager
- Darin Clausen
- studio administrator
- Bree Beach
- Devon Supeene
- production coordinator
- Janet Kwan
- technical coordination
- Luc Binette
- legal counsel
- Christian Pitchen
- picture finishing services
- Elemental Post
- finishing supervisor
- Matt Drake
- colourist
- David Tomiak
- finishing artist
- Ryan Mance
- recording
- Dmitri Bandet
- re-recording
- Dmitri Bandet
- still photographer
- Devon Supeene
- marketing manager
- Kelly Fox
- marketing coordinator
- Michelle Rozon
- publicist
- Katja De Bock
- transcription
- Multi-Media Transcripts Inc.
Awards
- Best Screenwriter (Documentary Under 30 minutes)Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association - AMPIA
- Special Mention from the VIFF Short Forum competitionInternational Film Festival
- Documentary Shorts- Jurors ChoiceCentre Film Festival