Totem Talk

199722 minFilm: Animation, Experimental

Direction: Annie Fraziér Henry

Production: George Johnson

Co-produced by Full Regalia Productions and the NFB.

Traditional Northwestern Indigenous spiritual images combine with cutting-edge computer animation in this surreal story about the power of tradition. Three urban Indigenous teens are whisked away to an imaginary land by a magical raven. Here, the young people meet a totem pole whose characters (a raven, a frog and a bear) come to life, becoming their teachers, guides and friends--demonstrating their significance to Northwest First Nation cultures and allowing the teens to understand the strength of their own traditions. Featuring a special interview segment with J. Bradley Hunt, the celebrated Heiltsuk artist on whose work the computer-animated characters in Totem Talk are based.

Subject categories


  • Literature and Language - Canada > Indigenous Traditional Stories
  • Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) > Legends and LiteraturePortraitsVisual Arts and Architecture

Credits


director
Annie Fraziér Henry
producer
George Johnson
participation
Bradley Hunt

Awards


  • Award - Category: Best Children's FilmHot Docs