1. Media Space

  2. Press Kit

Upstairs with David Amram

Alanis Obomsawin
2022 | 16 min
Documentary
English

Awards and Festivals

  • Official SelectionFirst Peoples’ Festival, Montreal (2022)

Clip


Poster

Images



Alanis Obomsawin

Normand Guilbeault and Pierre Tanguay     

Michael Wilderman / Jazz Visions
Photo: Michael Wilderman / Jazz Visions

David Amram, Percy Heath, and Dizzy Gillespie at the Thelonious Monk Tribute, DAR Constitution Hall, 10/6/86

Still from Our Dear Sisters, a short film by Kathleen Shannon produced by the NFB in 1975

Team


Alanis Obomsawin
Director | Writer | Producer


Photo
Photo : Julie Artacho




Annette Clarke
Executive Producer


Photo
Photo : Dave Howells



Credits

Director and Writer
Alanis Obomsawin

Editor
Alison Burns

Director of Photography
Martin Duckworth

Location Sound
Glenn Hodgins

Camera Assistant
Giulia Frati

Sound Editor
Don Ayer

Musicians

Piano, penny whistle, congo drum, recorder
David Amram       

Bass
Normand Guilbeault       

Drums
Pierre Tanguay     

Music

“Splendor in the Grass”
Composed and arranged by
David Amram
Performed by
David Amram
Normand Guilbeault
Pierre Tanguay

“Take The “A” Train”
Written by
Billy Strayhorn
Performed by
David Amram
Normand Guilbeault
Pierre Tanguay
Published by Reservoir Media Music (ASCAP)
on behalf of itself and Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc.
Published by Music Sales Corporation (ASCAP)
on behalf of itself and Tempo Music, Inc. (ASCAP).
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“Lakota Honour Song” – (Traditional)
Performed by
David Amram and Alanis Obomsawin

Re-recording
Jean Paul Vialard

Research
Alanis Obomsawin

Archival Research & Rights Clearance
Katherine Kasirer
Elizabeth Klinck

On-line Editor
Denis Pilon

Graphic Design & Titles
Jacques Bertrand Simard   

Digital Editing Technicians
Pierre Dupont
Marie-Josée Gourde
Isabelle Painchaud
Patrick Trahan

Sound Technician
Bernard Belley

Technical Coordinator
Daniel Lord

Marketing Manager
François Jacques

Marketing Coordinator
Jolène Lessard

Publicist
Nadine Viau

Transcription
Amanda Roy

Assistant to Alanis Obomsawin
Michael Shu 

Archives

Alanis Obomsawin
David Amram
Michael Wilderman / jazzvisionsphotos.com
Frederick Eberstadt
Mariposa Folk Foundation
Philadelphia Folksong Society / Howard Brunner
Econosmith.com
Getty Images
Burt Glinn / Magnum Photos
Majestic Films International / Ronald Grant Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

NFB ARCHIVES, including excerpts from
OUR DEAR SISTERS (1975)
AMISK (1977)

And outtakes from
PROFESSOR NORMAN CORNETT – “SINCE WHEN DO WE DIVORCE THE RIGHT ANSWER FROM AN HONEST ANSWER?” (2009)

Special Thanks
Joel Giberovitch, Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill
Michelle van Beusekom
Dr. Norman Cornett & students

Legal Counsel
Dominique Aubry

Production Coordinator
Christine Williams

Senior Production Coordinator
Cheryl Murgatroyd

Studio Administrator
Leslie Anne Poyntz

Producer
Alanis Obomsawin

Executive Producer
Annette Clarke

a National Film Board of Canada production



Media Relations

  • 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.