Ninan Auassat: We, the Children

20241 h 31 min 15 secFilm: Documentary

Direction: Kim O'Bomsawin

Production: Mélanie Brière (National Film Board of Canada)Nathalie Cloutier (National Film Board of Canada)Colette Loumède (National Film Board of Canada)

Script: Kim O'Bomsawin

A National Film Board of Canada production.

Known for her intimate and riveting films, director Kim O’Bomsawin now invites us to experience the vibrant universe of Ninan Auassat: We the Children. Shot over more than six years, the film brings us the moving stories of three groups of children from three different Indigenous nations: Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu. 

 In following these young people through the crucial milestones of childhood, right to the threshold of adulthood, we witness their daily lives and aspirations, along with the challenges they face. 

Filmed from “a child’s eye-view” and presenting a groundbreaking vision of contemporary Indigenous youth, this documentary is notable for the complete absence of adult voices and “experts on young people”—holding space instead for a new generation with a burning desire to be heard. 

 The result is a captivating journey that becomes a call to action, at a time when the voices of young people echo, demanding the right to be recognized and an opportunity to blossom. 

Subject categories


  • Children and Youth > Child Rearing and DevelopmentIndigenous YouthPeer Relationships
  • Families > ChildrenIndigenous Families
  • Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) > ChildrenLifestylesQuébec and Ontario
  • Indigenous Peoples: Canada > AtikamekwInnu: Montagnais & Naskapi James Bay Cree
  • Worldview, Belief, Spirituality Philosophy & Ideology > Ceremonies, Rites, Traditions
  • Roles & Relationships > Children & Youth Family Life & Parenting

Credits


participation
Monique Benjamin Hervieux
Legend Iserhoff
Rain Iserhoff
Jade Mukash
Saige Mukash
Matapew Ottawa
Zachary Ottawa
Alyssa Pitcoutlaigan
Isaac Verreault Lambert
Jessica Vollant
Maïka Vollant
Laurence Bacon Morissette
Raphaël Bernadette
Andy Canapé
Yanissa Chilton
Kellya Échaquan
Jérôme Flamand
Jerrycko Flamand
Jimmy Flamand-Black
Camille Goubil
Sam Ivan Nequado
Jouan Ottawa
Layannah Ottawa
Maggie Ottawa
Lyvia Ottawa Dubé
Steffi Ottawa Dubé
Guyane Quitich
Izaak Quitich
Evanne Quitich Boivin
Dana Vollant
Molika Iana Vollant
Zachary Vollant-Vachon
research
Kim O'Bomsawin
writing
Kim O'Bomsawin
direction
Kim O'Bomsawin
producer
Mélanie Brière
Nathalie Cloutier
Colette Loumède
editing
Alexandre Lachance
cinematography
Hugo Gendron
location sound
Lynne Trépanier
sound design
Luc Raymond
original music
Wyler Wolf
supplementary footage
Michel Valiquette
additional sound recording
Alain Auger
Andrés Solis Barrios
camera assistant
Louis-Philippe Michaud
production assistant
Nina Bouchard
Saige Mukash
Maggie Ottawa
Annick Picoutlaigan
Julie Verreault
editing assistant
Mathieu Quintal
technical support - editing
Pierre Dupont
Marie-Josée Gourde
Patrick Trahan
transcripts
Alice Faucher
translation
Joséphine Bacon
Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush
Isabelle Kanapé
Alexandre Nequado
Katherine Nequado
Gabrielle Vachon Laurent
Trans & Sub Coop
subtitling
Trans & Sub Coop
titles
Mélanie Bouchard
online editing
Yannick Carrier
colourization
Yannick Carrier
foley
Lise Wedlock
foley recording
Geoffrey Mitchell
re-recording
Shelley Craig
legal advisor
Julie Patry
media relations
Nadine Viau
marketing manager
Karine Sévigny
marketing coordinator
Julie Fortin
administrator
Sia Koukoulas
senior production coordinator - administration
Brenda Nixon
senior production coordinator
Joëlle Lapointe
Chinda Phommarinh
production coordinator
Alexandra Bourque
Lucia Corak
Coralie Dumoulin
Alexandra Levert
studio coordinator
Gabrielle Dupont
Stéphanie Lazure
Pascale Savoie-Brideau
technical coordinator
Julien Archambault
Daniel Claveau
Jean-François Laprise
line production
Mélanie Lasnier
executive producer
Colette Loumède
Nathalie Cloutier

Awards


  • TIDES Award for Best Canadian DocumentaryInternational Film Festival