Renowned Indigenous creators Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Lisa Jackson, and Conor McNally are pleased to announce the launch of the short music film, I Pity the Country, at 10 am EST on Sept 29, 2023, to mark this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
የካናዳ ቀደምት ነዋሪ ህዝቦችን ታሪክ በአንድ ያካተተ የሙዚቃ ቪዲዮ ለእይታ በቅቷል፡፡ ሶስት ታዋቂ የ ኢንዲጂነየስ የ አርት ባለሙያዎች የተሰራው ቪዲዮ የ ካናዳ ቀደምት ነዋሪዎች ያለፉበትን አስቸጋሪ ጊዜ ይዳስሳል ከ ታች ካለው ሊንክ ይመልከቱ ፡፡ ሙዚቃው የተሰራው ሴፕተምበር 30 የሚከበረውን የብሄራዊ እውነት እና እርቅ ቀን ጋር ተያይዞ ነው፡፡
The video is available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VBrdurpSMc
Facebook: The film will also be public on facebook via Lisa Jackson’s personal account https://www.facebook.com/nahmabin
Instagram: The film will be shared on Instagram via a joint post from Conor McNally and Lisa Jackson’s personal accounts at 12pm EST on Sept 29. This will be public to anyone on Instagram and we will be encouraging sharing/reposting.
- Lisa Instagram: @flickerbird / https://www.instagram.com/flickerbird/
- Conor Instagram: @conortavismcnally / https://www.instagram.com/conortavismcnally/
I Pity the County is co-directed by Lisa Jackson (Biidaaban: First Light VR, Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier) and Conor McNally (ôtênaw, Very Present, IIKAAKIIMAAT, The Gift of Being Different). It is produced by Lisa Jackson and Jon Montes (nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up) for Door Number 3 Productions and funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.
I Pity the Country is an urgent and joyful remix of archival and contemporary imagery that pays homage to Indigenous sovereignty and resistance, set to Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s inspired version of Willie Dunn’s classic song, I Pity the Country. Mi’kmaq/Scottish filmmaker and singer-songwriter Dunn was part of the National Film Board’s groundbreaking Indian Film Crew. His 1968 debut film The Ballad of Crowfoot was the institution’s first Indigenous-directed film and is considered to be Canada’s first music video. McNally and Jackson pay homage to Dunn’s technique of using archival images, updating it by juxtaposing archival footage from the NFB and CBC with contemporary footage from celebrated Indigenous filmmakers Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk), Caleb Ellison-Dysart (Looking Through Glass), Helen Haig-Brown (Sgaawaay K’uuna: The Edge of the Knife), Conor McNally, and Caroline Monnet (Emptying the Tank, Tshiuetin).
“Leanne Simpson’s cover of the late Willie Dunn’s powerful protest song “I Pity the Country” sent shivers down my spine,” says co-director/co-producer, Lisa Jackson. “It was a privilege to honour these singular creators. Where the Canadian government worked for generations to erase Indigenous cultures and lives, our films are now embraced in Canada and around the world and systemic changes are beginning to recognize Indigenous stories as a core part of this country’s identity.”
Co-Director/editor, Conor McNally adds, “One of the first thoughts when blending film formats – say, 16mm and digital video – is that there could be a clash in the overall look. Surprisingly, these formats came together rather organically. Maybe this is a result of the power of the song, carrying us through the shifts in screen textures. While archival films call back to films by Willie Dunn and the Indian Film Crew, working them alongside footage from contemporary Indigenous filmmakers feels as though this film has become a cover song in and of itself.”
“When I first heard Willie Dunn’s “I Pity the Country”, it resonated in my bones, even though it had been five decades since he wrote it,” concluded scholar, writer, and artist, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. “The first time we played, it was the evening Colten Bushie’s murderer was acquitted, and every single time we’ve played it live, the lyrics speak to whatever colonial disaster our peoples are confronting, whether that is the building of pipelines, searching landfills and schoolyards for our remains, protecting the breathing lands from mining, or coping with wildfires. This beautiful, celebratory short reminds me that Indigenous peoples fought hard to get us to this moment, and it reminds us that we were born into a proud and joyful movement of Indigenous resistance we will pass along to the coming generations.”
ABOUT LISA JACKSON
Lisa Jackson is an Anishinaabe (Aamjiwnaang) award-winning filmmaker and multimedia artist. Her projects have won a Genie and Canadian Screen Award and have screened at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Berlinale, and Hot Docs. In 2020, she launched Door Number 3 Productions and is currently in post-production on the feature hybrid documentary Wilfred Buck. She is a recipient of the 2022 Chicken & Egg Award and the 2021 DOC Vanguard Award and holds an MFA from York University.
ABOUT CONOR MCNALLY
Conor McNally is a filmmaker based in amiskwaciy, also known as Edmonton. Bypassing formal film training, he creates works through a process of instinct and hands-on trial and error, including the films ôtênaw (2017), IIKAAKIIMAAT (2019), Very Present (2020), and The Gift of Being Different (2023),. Additionally, Conor has directed episodes of the series Farm Crime (CBC Gem) and AMPLIFY (APTN). Conor is a proud father and citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta.
ABOUT LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and musician. She is the author of eight books, including the novel Noopiming: A Cure for White Ladies, short-listed for the Dublin Literary Prize and the Governor General’s Award for fiction. Her latest project in collaboration with Robyn Maynard, Rehearsals for Living was also short-listed for the Governor General’s award for non-fiction. Leanne’s latest album, Theory of Ice was released in 2021 by You’ve Changed Records and was short-listed for the Polaris Prize. Leanne was the 2021 winner of the Prism Prize’s Willie Dunn Award and she is a member of Alderville First Nation.
ABOUT DOOR NUMBER 3 PRODUCTIONS
Door Number 3 Productions is an Indigenous-led company that makes innovative media content. Current projects include the feature documentary Wilfred Buck, slated for release in 2024. D3 is helmed by Lisa Jackson, award-winning filmmaker and multimedia artist.
ABOUT CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
The Canada Council for the Arts contributes to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene and supports its presence across Canada and around the world. The Council is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.” The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes, and payments support Canadian artists, authors, and arts groups and organizations. This support allows them to pursue artistic expression, create works of art, and promote and disseminate the arts and literature. Through its arts funding, communications, research, and promotion activities, the Council fosters ever-growing engagement of Canadians and international audiences in the arts. The Council’s Public Lending Right (PLR) program makes annual payments to creators whose works are held in Canadian public libraries. The Council’s Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts through exhibition and outreach activities. The Council is responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO to contribute to a future of peace, reconciliation, equity, and sustainable development.
Source : News release and photo from Roundstone PR.
