Indigenous feature Kayak to Klemtu to screen with B.C. pipeline discussion in Vancouver
by Craig Takeuchi on September 11th, 2018
First Nations won a court victory and helped to protect local waters and lands when the Federal Court of Appeal ruled in their favour on August 30 to halt the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project.
Consequently, a local organization is continuing to raise awareness about pipeline issues in B.C. with an upcoming event that will address topics such as environmentalism, activism, and reconciliation.
Directed by Zoe Leigh Hopkins, the feature film follows 14-year-old Ella as she travels the Inside Passage from Tla'Amin along the shores of the Great Bear Rainforest to go to Klemtu to testify at a community meeting against a proposed pipeline that would bring oil tankers to these waters. Along for the ride are her relatives who add to the adventure.
The cast includes Ta'Kaiya Blainey, Evan Adams (Indian Horse), Lorne Cardinal (Corner Gas), Sonja Bennett (Preggoland), Jared Ager-Foster (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency), Carmel Amit (Ghost Wars), and more.
Reel Causes will screen the film at 7 p.m. on September 20 at SFU Woodward's (149 West Hastings Street).
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion that will include Hopkins, and Reconciliation Canada community engagement lead Shelley Joseph.
"This movie is unfortunately very timely as the threat of new pipelines and increased tanker traffic comes in waves," Hopkins stated in a news release. "I’m happy that we’re sitting on this win [for now] with the quashing of the Kinder Morgan pipeline."
Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.
More information about the screening is available at the Reel Causes website.
In July, Hopkins, who is of Heiltsuk and Mohawk Nations, was one of four Indigenous filmmakers whose forthcoming feature films were chosen for funding from Telefilm Canada. Ontario-based Hopkins' next film will be the magical romcom-drama Running Home.
