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Added screenings of Steve Patry’s Waseskun (NFB) at the Cinémathèque québécoise, October 18 to 20

PRESS RELEASE
13/10/2016

Waseskun

October 13, 2016 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Steve Patry’s new documentary feature Waseskun, produced by Nathalie Cloutier and Denis McCready at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), will have additional screenings at the Cinémathèque québécoise on October 18, 19 and 20 at 8:30 p.m., with Patry or producer Denis McCready at each one. The film will be shown in its original version, with French and English dialogue and French subtitles.

After its world premiere at the Festival de cinéma de la Ville de Québec, Waseskun had its theatrical release at the Cinémathèque from September 30 to October 5, winning over critics and audiences alike.

Schedule for three additional screenings at Cinémathèque québécoise:

Tuesday, October 18, at 8:30 p.m.
Director Steve Patry will take questions from the audience after the screening.

Wednesday, October 19, at 8:30 p.m.
Producer Denis McCready will take questions from the audience after the screening.

Thursday, October 20, at 8:30 p.m.
Director Steve Patry will take questions from the audience after the screening.

About the film

While shooting his previous film, De prisons en prisons (nominated for a Jutra award for best feature documentary in 2015), Steve Patry learned about the Waseskun* Healing Center, an alternative detention centre run by Indigenous people for members of Indigenous communities.
In keeping with his filmmaking philosophy, Patry settled in at the centre for an extended period of time. Filming on location three days a month over the course of a year, he took part in the rhythms and regulations of daily life for those incarcerated as well as for the attentive staff. This approach allowed Patry to earn the confidence of the men, who freely and directly shared their thoughts with him. The result of this unprecedented intimacy is a remarkable film in the true tradition of cinéma vérité. Each scene draws us into the unvarnished daily realities of life for these men, as they struggle to overcome their own suffering and history and find balance.

*Waseskun is a Cree word that can be translated as “just after a storm, when the dark clouds begin to part, the blue sky appears, and the first rays of sunlight shine through.”

–30–

Associated Links

Cinémathèque québécoise

Waseskun

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  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.