EYE-OPENING ATTAWAPISKAT
Nearly eight years ago, Ottawa-raised documentary filmmaker Vicki Lean immersed herself into Attawapiskat First Nation. Three states of emergency later, she came away with a documentary film that exposes the reality of living downstream from an open-pit diamond mine. After the Last River, which begins a three-day run at the By Towne Cinema Sunday, provides an intimate glimpse into the complex issues that underpin systemic poverty and crisis in the remote northern community, situated on the edge of James Bay. The Citizen’s Evelyn Harford spoke recently with Lean and producer Jade Blair about the project. The following are answers given by Lean.
Q What led you to create this film?
A Both my parents are environmental scientists at the University of Ottawa and my dad studies toxins in the environment, specifically how mercury is released into wetlands. My mom and dad have both worked with First Nations communities on environmental issues. I joined them on a trip to Attawapiskat about a week after the mine first opened in 2008 to share information about what the potential environmental concerns were.
Q How did you approach this project?
A When I first went to visit the community, I approached it from the environmental side, but realized that there were just so many other issues — and having the arrival of the De Beers mine just complicated an already complicated place.
Q When did you start the project?
A This started out as my Master’s in Fine Arts thesis film. I went up in May 2010 and Jade Blair, the film’s producer, helped a lot with pre-production and getting up there. It was so eye opening.
Q What happened when you started filming?
A Shannen Koostachin, the youth activist from Attawapiskat who pushed for equitable education for indigenous people, passed away a week into my trip. Her parents lived in the house behind me. So I arrived in the community with a lot of tragedy; she was the fourth young person to pass away that spring. That tragedy really informed my approach.
Q Does this film go beyond the headlines?
A There’s a little bit more of an intimate connection with people in the film. When I was filming, it was just me and them. There was a trust for me. So I think there was an openness that you feel when it’s just every other day in Attawapiskat, rather than just a crisis when there’s lots of reporters.
Q What do you hope will come from this film?
A Lots of things. I think we need to rethink how mining development happens on indigenous territories and how communities are involved and how benefits from those developments are constructed. What I hope happens is there is a balancing of the environmental cost with economic development. I hope that communities decide for themselves whether or not the environmental cost outweighs the economic development that comes from mineral extraction and communities are properly informed. Right now, the information about the environmental impact is quite spotty. These are issues that are going to take a long time to figure out, but what I hope is that people understand that investing in youth and education is fundamental. These kids are the future and they want to make their community a better place, but they need to have access to the basic things that people need.
Q What happens next for you and your relationship with Attawapiskat?
A The film was as much about the community teaching me and me learning from them and it’s still an ongoing process; knowing how to be an ally is a lifelong thing. Just making a film and walking away is something a lot of other filmmakers do, but my commitment to the community is ongoing and there are a few issues I’m trying to support and connect people to, including video workshops.