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Steve Patry’s NFB doc Waseskun screening in Rivière-du-Loup on March 27. More screenings to come in other regions of Quebec

PRESS RELEASE
20/03/2017

March 20, 2017 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Steve Patry’s new feature-length documentary Waseskun, produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), will be presented at a Cinédit screening at the Cinéma Princesse in Rivière-du-Loup on Monday, March 27. The screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. with the director in attendance. Shot in an alternative detention centre run by Indigenous people for members of Indigenous communities, the film has received two Canadian Screen Award nominations: the Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary award and Best Editing in a Feature Length Documentary (for editor Nathalie Lamoureux). Waseskun is produced by Nathalie Cloutier and Denis McCready with executive producer Colette Loumède.

Part of a series of planned screenings in various regions of Quebec, the Rivière-du-Loup event follows on presentations in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, the Côte-Nord and Rimouski. The film had its world premiere at the Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec and its theatrical release in Montreal, where screenings were added. For full details on the tour, click on this link.

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 discovered the Waseskun* Healing Center, an alternative detention centre that welcomed men from different Indigenous communities in Eastern Canada. In keeping with his filmmaking philosophy, Patry settled in at the centre for an extended period of time. Over the course of a year, he filmed three days per month on location, sharing the rhythms and regulations of day-to-day life for both those incarcerated and the attentive staff. This approach allowed Patry to earn the trust of the men, who—determined to overcome their challenges—freely and directly shared their thoughts with him. This closeness to his subjects has resulted in a remarkable film made in true cinéma vérité tradition. Each scene draws us into the unvarnished daily realities of life for these men as they struggle to overcome their own suffering and their pasts, to break the cycle of violence and achieve balance in their lives. As Waseskun staff member Glenda Mayo points out, those who hurt others have been hurt themselves.

*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.”

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Associated Links

Cinéma Princesse
Blogue ONF – Waseskun Projections

Waseskun

Media Relations

  • Nadine Viau
    NFB Publicist – Montreal
    C.: 514-458-9745
    n.viau@nfb.ca

  • Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

  • 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.