Anishinaabemowin

There are two main threads that I connect with in this story: learning a new language and grief. As a child I was often left out of important conversations and shooed out of the room for discussions such as an ill family member or someone who had passed away. In Anishinaabemowin, I want to explore that perspective through Thea – a young girl whose mom is intentionally leaving out details around Thea’s ill grandmother. But instead of being left in the dark, Thea starts to put the pieces together herself, and while continuing to practice her language, she uses what she is learning to explore her first experience with the death of a loved one. In these moments, I want to show how perceptive children are to the world around them.

While I was much older than Thea at the time, I remember the exact moment that my mom told me English was not her first language. Like Thea, I was frustrated at learning that such a strong connection to my cultural identity could have and should have come easily to me but instead would become a lifelong journey of trying to put the pieces of a metaphorical language puzzle back together. For this reason, language is something that I often try to include in my stories – bits and pieces that I have learned through research and from teachers that will hopefully inspire others to create a stronger connection to their traditional language and to of course, instill pride at hearing our languages spoken aloud on screen. To have this come to life through Thea and her mother, Rose, honours my mom for what she was able to teach me when she was alive, and will also serve as a reminder of our duty to pass knowledge onto the next generation, no matter how much or how little we know.

Telling stories through the perspective of children allows me to reflect on my own experiences of growing up – what I remembered in moments of joy and sorrow, and I hope that if only for a little bit, this short film inspires the same in our audience.