A Cup of Cold Water
Long before the unmarked grave sites at former residential schools became International news, there was a relentless effort by one man to bring dignity and respect to the final resting place of former students.
A Cup of Cold Water highlights how Alfred Kirkness advocated to expose the unkept condition of the cemeteries at the Brandon Residential School site.
A team of archivists stumbled upon letters written by Kirkness in the 1950s and 60s to advocate for the maintenance and care of the grave sites before they washed away into obscurity. Kirkness’ strategic and persistent letters to various levels of government spoke for the children who died at the residential school.
Due to Kirkness’ advocacy, we know the location of the cemeteries. And due to a team of archivists who discovered Kirkness’ correspondence, we now know the name of a man with a strong belief in humanity who understood the importance of “a cup of cold water given in love.”
-
Rachel BeaulieuDirector
-
Rachel BeaulieuProducer
-
Project Type:Documentary, Short
-
Runtime:16 minutes 49 seconds
-
Completion Date:October 4, 2023
-
Production Budget:10,000 USD
-
Country of Origin:Canada
-
Country of Filming:Canada
-
Language:English
-
Shooting Format:Digital
-
Aspect Ratio:16:9
-
Film Color:Color
-
First-time Filmmaker:No
-
Student Project:No
Distribution Information
-
Manitoba First Nation Education Resource Centre Inc.DistributorCountry: CanadaRights: All Rights
Rachel Beaulieu is an Anishinaabekwe from Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in southern Manitoba Canada. She graduated in 2010 from Assiniboine Community College with a Media Production diploma, winning two awards for her recognized talent.
Rachel's professional experience ranges from commercial/brand, promotion, narrative, documentary, broadcast, and educational. Her work is influenced by her unique perspective as a First Nations woman and aims to make space for creators with a diverse vision.
As an eager young person in the industry, Rachel has received various professional mentorship and gained opportunities to hone her skills. She worked on short biographies and documentary films for the National Screen Institute, National Film Board of Canada, and produced documentaries and narrative films for her own company, Can Dream Productions. She has had her audio and video production work on CBC, CTV, FOX, Al Jazeera, NBC, APTN, SHAW TV, Bell MTS, as well as in international film festivals such as American Indian Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, LA Skins Fest, and the Gimli International Film Festival.
Rachel has written, produced and directed all of her films, Red River Roots, Hunger, Crush and Children of the Stars. Rachel won the Gimli International Film Festival’s RBC $10,000 Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition and premiered Mèmére July 2023. She also is currently in post-production for her mid-length thriller film, "Ojichaak - Spirit Within" set to be completed in 2024.
Rachel holds membership to DOC Manitoba and Canada, Winnipeg Film Group. She is an alumni of the National Screen Institute, Women in the Director's Chair Short Works Program and Story and Leadership program and recently the Tricksters & Writers program with Women in Film and Television Vancouver. She is also assistant director for the Winnipeg Indigenous Filmmaker Collective.
Rachel currently works as the Audio Video Producer at the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. She creates original content for cultural and educational purposes; the majority is shared online as viral videos.
Although she has a full-time career as a video producer, Rachel is active in the local filmmaking community. She is currently the Assistant Director for the Winnipeg Indigenous Filmmakers Collective, which provides monthly meeting events and training opportunities to Indigenous participants.