Growing up, Echo Henoche loved hearing her grandfather, renowned Inuk artist Gilbert Hay, recount stories and legends passed down through countless generations. Her favourite story was about the white stone atop Mount Sophie, just across the harbour from her home of Nain, Nunatsiavut, on the North Coast of Labrador. The stone is said to be all that remains of a ferocious polar bear that once terrorized the villagers. Legend has it that with the help of a powerful shaman, the community was able to save a young mother and child from the polar bear’s rampage, turning the beast to stone.
Now, in an animated film created in collaboration with the National Film Board, Henoche brings this story to life from her own perspective. Although Shaman is the first film by Henoche, who recently graduated from high school, she has been an active artist since she was a child. At 13, when she sold her first drawing of a seal, her grandfather declared she was a professional artist, and she shed tears of pride and joy. Working with mentor animators and filmmakers at the NFB, including Glenn Gear, Asinnajaq, David Seitz and Elise Simard, Henoche learned new skills and techniques that have transformed her illustrations into a beautiful and personal hand-drawn animation style. Henoche says that her experience will inspire her to create more animations for years to come.
Shaman is a first collaboration between the National Film Board of Canada and Labrador Inuk artist—and first-time animator—Echo Henoche. The short brings to life Henoche’s favourite legend, told to her by her grandfather in her home community of Nain, Nunatsiavut, on Labrador’s North Coast. It is the story of a ferocious polar bear turned to stone by an Inuk shaman. Hand-drawn and painted by Henoche in a style all her own, Shaman shares with the world her perspective on this Labrador Inuit legend.
A Film by
ECHO HENOCHE
Inspired by THE NUNATSIAVUT POLAR BEAR IN THE ROCK LEGEND
With the participation of
ALTHAYA SOLOMON, Throat Singer
KARRIE OBED,Drummer
ECHO HENOCHE, Throat Singer
Hand drawn animation by
ECHO HENOCHE
Mentoring Animators
DAVID SEITZ
ELISE SIMARD
GLENN GEAR
Story and cultural consultant
ASINNAJAQ
Compositors
DAVID SEITZ
GLENN GEAR
Music Supervisor
LUIGI ALLEMANO
Sound Design
LUIGI ALLEMANO
Foley
KARLA BAUMGARDNER
Music
ÂEO – Traditional song
Althaya Solomon and Echo Henoche ©2017
Yâko – Original throat song
Althaya Solomon and Echo Henoche ©2017
Shaman’s Lullaby – Original song
Written and performed by Luigi Allemano with vocals by Echo Henoche ©2017
Production Managers
MYLÈNE AUGUSTIN
DARA JADE MOATS
Reseacher & Cultural Consultation
MICHELLE E. SMITH
On-line Editor
YANNICK CARRIER
Titles
JACQUES BERTRAND SIMARD
Head, Technical Resources
PIERRE FERLATTE
STEVE HALLÉ
JULIE LAPERRIÈRE
Technical Director, Animation / Production
ELOI CHAMPAGNE
Technical Animation Coordinator
RANDALL FINNERTY
Project Technical Coordinators
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LAPRISE
DANIEL LORD
Digital Editing Technicians
PIERRE DUPONT
ISABELLE PAINCHAUD
PATRICK TRAHAN
Recording
GEOFFREY MITCHELL
Re-recording Mixer
JEAN PAUL VIALARD
Mentors and trainers
CLAIRE BLANCHET
FRED CASIA
GLENN GEAR
JONATHAN NG
JIN HYUN PARK
DAVID SEITZ
ELISE SIMARD
ASINNAJAQ
JONATHAN WRIGHT
Inuktitut Translation
JOAN DICKER
Marketing Manager
GENEVIÈVE BÉRARD
Publicist
PATRICIA DILLON-MOORE
Publicity Stills
BARRY POTTLE
Publicity Video
ANGEL TRASGALLO CARPIO
Senior Production Coordinator
ISABELLE LIMOGES
Production Coordinator
CHRISTINE WILLIAMS
Transportation Coordinator
MELINA MESHER
Program Administrators
LESLIE ANNE POYNTZ
CAMILA BLOS
Business Affairs
CHRISTIAN PITCHEN
Producer
KAT BAULU
Executive Producer
ANNETTE CLARKE
Executive Director
MICHELLE VAN BEUSEKOM
With gratitude to the Community of Nain, Labrador who made this film possible:
CHANTELLE ANDERSEN
HEATHER ANGNATOK
GARY BAIKIE
LUCY BRENNAN
MICHELLE DAVIES
JOAN DICKER
HEATHER IGLOLIORTE
JOHANNES LAMPE
JACOB LARKIN
SARAH LEO
DAVE LOUGH
SEAN LYALL
OSSIE MICHELIN
MALVE PETERSMANN
MORRIS PROKOP
JOHN TERRIAK
SOPHIE TREMBLAY-MORISSETTE
FRAN WILLIAMS
BELINDA WEBB
Special Thanks
ANDREW BISSON
EVA CVIJANOVIC
ROSALINA DI SARIO
STÉPHANIE L’ÉCUYER
MELISA FORERO
DOMINIQUE FORGET
MICHAEL FUKUSHIMA
GEOFF GOODYEAR
LINDA GRUSSANI
JULIE HUGUET
ELIZABETH LOGUE
JON MONTES
ALANIS OBOMSAWIN
JANET PERLMAN
PIERRE PLOUFFE
DR. CAROL ROWAN
KATHRYN RUSCITO
MARK DAVID TURNER
JOBIE WEETALUKTUK
REGINALD WINSOR
My Inspiration
My grandfather, artist GILBERT HAY
My mom KATIE HENOCHE
My best friend ALTHAYA SOLOMON
My sisters EMELIA, HAILEY & SHANIA
My father JOHN WINTERS
My friend PERCY PONNIUK
My art teacher, TONY TIBBO
All my family, friends & community members
©2017 The National Film Board of Canada
