100% Regions & Indigenous Perspectives
Host: Jess Murwin, Isuma Distribution et Vincent Careau, programmateur

For this Q&A, we are honoured to welcome Aïcha Bastien-N’Diaye and Jonathan Gaudreau (Oushata’), Sioui One (On Postindian Survivance), and Mélanie St-Germain (Au Cœur du Remous). Their films converge in the importance they place on recognizing identity and lived experience as tools of empowerment, through reclamation, acceptance, and affirmation. Beyond their shared themes, this discussion brings together deeply committed artists for whom art is a true catalyst for change.

On the pow-wow trail, Aïcha Bastien-N’Diaye, of Wendat, Guinean, and Québécois heritage, dances to reconnect with herself and her identity. Masterfully filmed, Oushata’ is an invitation to sharing, growth, and self-acceptance. Because some truths must be spoken plainly and unapologetically, the tone sharpens in On Postindian Survivance, a musical and experimental work that directly confronts colonial policies and Indigenous representation. In Au Cœur du Remous, we witness a deeply moving father-daughter reconnection, shaped through a long process of letting go and mutual acceptance.

An author, dancer, and content creator, Aïcha uses her intersectional voice to inspire her communities. For Jonathan, cinema is a way to document, connect, feel, and experiment. Sioui One, also a Wendat from Wendake, is developing a committed cinematic approach that rejects colonialist policies. Meanwhile, Mélanie, first recognized in ELLES (2021), carries a strong feminist voice and addresses issues still too often left unspoken with sensitivity and boldness.