Seeking Bimaadiziiwin Shines

Wawatay News

September 6, 2007: Volume 34 #18

The uneasiness came from the oh-so-realistic portrayal of First Nation youth dealing with depression and suicide.

But for the film Seeking Bimaadiziiwin to succeed, that’s the way it had to be.

The story follows Kaitlyn, played by Bearskin Lake’s Brittany Angeconeb, as she struggles through depression caused by grief. Ultimately, she decides to try and take her life.

It’s an uncomfortable subject. I sat watching the scene with a cold shiver running down my spine.

The attempt was unsuccessful and Kaitlyn reluctantly lands in group therapy to help continue her recovery to good physical, mental and emotional health after a lengthy hospital stay.

The film’s best scenes involve the dynamic between a handful of youth in group therapy.

Brent Achneepineskum played James, an urban Aboriginal struggling to find his identity. Much like many Aboriginal youth you see at the mall, James wore loose, baggy street clothes and was heavily influenced by African-American culture and mannerisms.

Also occupying a seat in group therapy was Shyla, played by Candace Twance. Shyla was a lighter-skinned Aboriginal. As such, she faced discrimination among her peers for being too light.

That set up one of the most memorable lines in the film. When group therapy began, James was running his mouth about how it was supposed to be just for Aboriginals.

He questioned why Shyla, with her pale complexion, was in the “Nish” therapy, calling her Snowflake.

Her response was she knew more about her culture – including traditional dancing – than he did despite their respective skin colours.

I asked both the film’s writer Michelle Derosier and executive producer Dr. Paul Mulzer about the scene.

Mulzer said comments and exchanges similar to that in the film are typical in group therapy at Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital.

Derosier said the scene was one of the few which was, in-part, adlibbed.

“Most of the script had to stay exactly the way it was written to make sure we covered all the key points,” she said. “We knew what we had in mind for every character during casting and there was always going to be a scene like that one. But that was Brent doing a little extra. We left it in because we thought it worked in this case.”

Achneepineskum stole many of the scenes he appeared in. His presence – larger than life – offered a brief escape from some of the darker elements of the film – the funeral, suicide attempts and family problems which were filmed over nine days in late-May and early May in Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation.

The film had many poignant moments. In one scene, James presents Kaitlyn with a painting he started before he met her. He told her it was her, with her children years later.

In another, Kaitlyn phones home to talk to her mother but slams the payphone down after realizing her mother was drunk.

Kelly Saxberg, the film’s co-director and co-producer, said the film’s story came about from a mandate from local First Nations people and a steering committee after they conducted a survey about what is lacking where educational tools are concerned.

The film – a co-production of Shebandowin Films and Thunderstone Pictures – will be used as an education tool, she said.

It will be sent to First Nations and she hopes to organize screenings on the First Nations as well.

The film will have its world premiere Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Thunder Bay’s Bay Street Film Festival.

The festival is online at
baystreetfilmfestival.ca