Powell River Film Festival brings a selection of compelling international films to our community this week, but in addition to seeing contributions from places such as Haida Gwaii, Yukon and New Zealand, cinephiles will have the chance to watch shorts created by prominent community filmmakers.
Local filmmaker Jeremy Williams has been been involved in the film festival in previous years, and while he normally helps mentor young filmmakers as part of the youth program, this year he will have one of his short films presented on the big screen.
“I’m excited,” said Williams about the upcoming screening of his film Dasiqox Tribal Park. “I always really enjoy our film fest. I have been to several others, but Powell River is unique. We have a lot of great local filmmakers.”
Over the past three years, Williams has made about 16 expeditions in the Chilcotin. He said he’s developed a connection to the environment and the Tsilhqot’in First Nation in the area.
“I was really drawn to the area because of the amazing wildlife and wilderness values there,” he said. “I was also drawn there because of the strong stance that the Tsilhqot’in have been taking to protect their land, and they actually have been fighting on a few fronts. There is encroachment from logging, and the gold mine. They fought in court for almost 25 years to protect some of their area from logging.”
Dasiqox Tribal Park, which will be shown on Saturday, February 20, at 3:30 pm with New Zealand documentary Ever the Land, tells the story of how the Tsilhqot’in fought the creation of a gold mine in their region.
According to Williams, the Tsilhqot’in went through two different environmental-assessment panels due to a proposed gold mine in their area.
“This mine would be Canada’s largest open-pit mine, if it were to be built,” he said. “They have been trying to stop that mine from being built, and protect the area and the wildlife, and for their cultural values as well.”
Despite the Tsilhqot’in’s efforts, Williams said the mining company kept coming back with new proposals before the community declared the area a tribal park.
“The Tsilhqot’in declared it a tribal park as a way to basically not just say ‘no’ to this project, but to say this is their vision for what they want,” he said. “They’ve expressed their vision for the land to try and have economic development in a conservation economy, rather than in resource extraction.”
In addition to Williams telling the regional story of the Tsilhqot’in, fellow local filmmaker Claudia Medina will be screening Carving Reconciliation, a story that has Powell River connections.
The film tells the story of a carving done by artist Ivan Rosypskye for the Sycamore Commons community garden at St. David and St. Paul Anglican Church in Townsite.
“The story became much more than the carving,” said Medina. “It became a centre point for conversation around residential schools, and the key point in the film was the decision [Rosypskye] made to put a brick [in the carving] from his mother’s residential school, which was in Alert Bay and was demolished last year.”
Medina said the brick, which was taken from the site by Rosypskye’s sister, is likely one of the only things left from the school. Everything else was taken when the building was demolished, she said.
“He placed the brick in the middle of the pole as a way to remember what happened, but also to show that it didn’t achieve its goal,” said Median, “and there was an interruption in culture, but the culture continues.”
Carving Reconciliation will be show on Saturday, February 20, at 1 pm with BC documentary Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World.
Powell River Film Festival, now in its 15th year, runs from Wednesday, February 17, to Sunday, February 21. For more information go to prfilmfestival.ca.
