NFB Collection
Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises
20061 h 44 min 2 secFilm: Documentary
Direction: Alanis Obomsawin
Production: Alanis ObomsawinSally Bochner
Script: Alanis Obomsawin
Yvonne M'Sadoques rocks forward in her chair. She's lived in the Abenaki community of Odanak for over a century - and has no shortage of stories to tell.
"The priest would march into our home and order us to stop dancing. We were going to the devil, he said." She pauses, a humorous glint in her eye. "But you know - I don't really believe in the devil. Do you?"
M'Sadoques is in conversation with Alanis Obomsawin, another of Odanak's proud daughters - and one of Canada's leading documentary filmmakers.
Obomsawin's illustrious career comes full circle with Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises. Having dedicated nearly four decades to chronicling the lives of Canada's First Nations, she returns to the village where she was raised to craft a lyric account of her own people.
Availability
Other versions
Subject categories
- Crafts > BoatbuildingFirst Nations Crafts
- Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) > HistoryQuébec and Ontario
- Women > Indigenous Women
- Indigenous Studies > ArtsHistory/PoliticsIdentity/Society
- Geography > Territory: Indigenous
- Indigenous Peoples: Canada > Abenaki (Alnôbak)
- Tangible & Material Culture > Basketry
- Intangible Culture & Literature > Biographies, Autobiographies
Credits
- writer
- Alanis Obomsawin
- director
- Alanis Obomsawin
- editor
- Alison Burns
- camera
- Philippe Amiguet
- camera assistant
- Sébastien Cassou
- Denis Fortier
- Yvan Gekoff
- location sound
- Raymond Marcoux
- Ismaël Cordeiro
- original music
- Francis Grandmont
- musician
- Francis Grandmont
- Normand Guilbeault
- Christine Molnor
- Claude Vendette
- traditional song
- Alanis Obomsawin
- Ambroise Obomsawin
- infographics
- Louise Overy
- voice
- Anthony Robinow
- Keith Ravenheart
- artist
- Georgette Obomsawin
- Christine Sioui Wawanoloath
- map design
- Katy Silverstone
- stills photographer
- André Gill
- etchings
- Alanis Obomsawin
- sound editing
- Don Ayer
- technical support - editing
- Danielle Raymond
- Chaz Oliver
- online editing
- Denis Pilon
- digital input of archival images
- Jean-Marc Brosseau
- digital imaging assistant
- Pierre Landry
- Ochelle Greenidge
- subtitles
- Zoé Major
- Frances Beames
- production assistant
- Nicole Bibeau
- Frederick Wiseman
- Watie Akins
- Rodrigo Brinckhaus
- Gail Nicholas
- Miigam'agan
- re-recording
- Shelley Craig
- music recording
- Geoffrey Mitchell
- Sylvain Cajelais
- technician sound operation centre
- Daniel Trépanier
- Sylvain Cajelais
- administration
- Marie Tonto-Donati
- Nickie Merulla
- production administration assistant
- Christine Williams
- post-production coordinator
- Claude Cardinal
- Linda Payette
- producer
- Alanis Obomsawin
- executive producer
- Sally Bochner
Awards
- Best Documentary AwardimagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival