s-yéwyáw / AWAKEN

Stories of hope and homecoming intersect as Indigenous multimedia changemakers learn and document the teachings of their Elders.

Ecko Aleck of the Nlaka'pamux Nation (Lytton, BC,) Alfonso Salinas of the shíshálh Nation (Sunshine Coast, BC,) and Charlene SanJenko of Splatsin of the Secwépemc Nation (Shuswap, BC,) are learning and documenting the traditional cultural teachings and legacies of their Elders, including the impacts of genocide resulting from Canada’s Indian Residential School (IRS) system. Calling the audience’s attention to the filmmaking process of narrative collaboration between an Indigenous and settler team, this character-driven documentary connects the transformative stories of three Indigenous multimedia changemakers and their four Elders. Infused by Indigenous ceremony, s-yéwyáw: Awaken walks alongside the process of intergenerational healing.

  • Liz Marshall
    Director
    Meat the Future; The Ghosts In Our Machine; Midian Farm; Water On The Table
  • Ecko Aleck
    Writer
  • Liz Marshall
    Writer
  • Alfonso Salinas
    Writer
  • Charlene SanJenko
    Writer
  • Ecko Aleck
    Producer
  • Liz Marshall
    Producer
  • Alfonso Salinas
    Producer
  • Charlene SanJenko
    Producer
  • Ecko Aleck
    Key Cast
  • Alfonso Salinas
    Key Cast
  • Charlene SanJenko
    Key Cast
  • hiwus Calvin Craigan
    Key Cast
  • x wu’ p’ a’ lich Barbara Higgins
    Key Cast
  • Wenecwtsin, Wayne Christian
    Key Cast
  • Terry Coyote Aleck
    Key Cast
  • Eddie O
    Editor
  • Patti Poskitt
    Line Producer
  • Özgün Gündüz
    Associate Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 32 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 21, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    422,550 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Liz Marshall

Working with diverse teams and communities, funders and influencers, Canadian filmmaker Liz Marshall has written, directed, produced and filmed multiple impactful documentary projects around the globe since the 1990s. Motivated by the transformative language of film and television, her award-winning work is exhibited and reviewed widely. Born and raised in Toronto, Liz is a settler of mixed European descent grateful to be living by the sea on the unceded homelands of the shíshálh and sḵwx̱wú7mesh Peoples. Dedicated to truth seeking and bridge building, Liz’s feature-length work includes Meat the Future (2020) Midian Farm (2018) The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013) Water on the Table (2010.)

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Director Statement

Relationships are central to our project. We acknowledge the importance of Indigenous peoples sharing Indigenous stories, and that their stories remain sovereign with the original keepers of those stories.

CO-PRODUCER'S - CO-WRITER'S STATEMENT

"As parents and as Indigenous multimedia creators, we are deeply committed to healing, finding our voice and speaking our truth. We are sharing the stories of our Indigenous Elders with the world to amplify their knowledge and wisdom in collaboration with non-Indigenous allies. The teachings of our Indigenous Elders are needed now more than ever to navigate a changing world."

— Ecko Aleck, Alfonso Salinas, Charlene SanJenko

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

"I humbly walk with this film as a settler director at the request of Indigenous friends, filmmakers and the communities who invited me to bear witness to their truths and healing journeys. Guided by Indigenous teachings to bring our whole selves to the work, this film has initiated a profound process of decolonization. I hope it will serve as a model for other Indigenous and non-Indigenous teams working together, toward personal and systemic change."

- Liz Marshall