Canada Film Tip: Je m’appelle humain – Poetry So Words Don’t Waste

Canadian writer Josephine Bacon writes poetry in her ancestral language so that their words are not lost. Je m’appelle humain accompanies the poet on a journey to the elderly. DOK.fest in Munich will be showing the film as a German online premiere until Sunday (23.05.21).

With canes, assistants, and crutches, the little woman seems to be walking around the whole movie. “In the language of my ancestors, there were no words for poetry and poetry,” Josephine Bacon says at first. Elders were associated with nature. Everything was lyrical.

Josephine Bacon was born to the Eno family in northwestern Quebec, Canada. The 74-year-old today lives in Montreal. But she is still a tundra traveler, as she wrote in one of her poems. She came to poetry late. Bacon has worked as a translator, documentary filmmaker, and composer. Josephine Bacon writes in her ancestral language to keep their words alive.

In the film directed by Canadian director and human rights activist Kim Obomsawen, we see Bacon alongside her younger co-worker, Marie-Andre Gill, who is also from Inoue. The two are waiting to appear on stage in Montreal. In 2019, Josephine was awarded the “Prix des libraires du Québec”, the Quebec Libraries Prize for her book “Uiesh / Quelque part”.

Then we walk through Montreal with Josephine Bacon. It is located on the site of a modern, brightly lit gas station. Josephine was homeless when she came to town in 1968, and slept here at what was then a gas station. She visited a trendy bar and got in touch with the art scene.

My name is Insan – Trailer

Josephine always laughs in the movie. But she doesn’t want to tell us much about her 1960s school days. Ino children were separated from their families and sent to a Catholic boarding school for “Indian children”. The nuns subjected the children to strict discipline. There was dancing, but there was also a procession.

Also alongside Marie-Andre Gill and the film crew, Josephine embarks on a journey to the tundra and the land of her ancestors, the Elders. They are looking for Papakassik, the ruler of ibex.

You are sitting at the edge of the lakes, looking at the horizon. As did the older ones.

An atmospheric movie with landscape pictures, great music and Josephine Bacon’s poems in Ainu and French.

The film will premiere in Germany on May 23, 2021, on the Munich Almuzayen staff Shown. One can reach Individually for 6 euros Or as part of the Digital Festival Pass, which gives you access to all 131 films shown from 43 countries.

Canada is the guest country at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. Je m’appelle human / Call me human is part of the Canadian cultural program as guest of honor at Frankfurt Book Fair 2020/21. The film was nominated for a kinokino audience award donated by BR and 3sat. On YouTube is a file A conversation with director Kim Obomsawen To see.

JE M’APPELLE HUMAIN / CALL ME HUMAN | Modern film with Kim Obomsawen | 20 @ home

My name is human / call me human. Author: Kim O’Bomsawin. Camera: Hugo Gendron, Michelle Vallecet. Voice: Lynn Trippanier, Luc Raymond. Reporter: Alexander Lachance. Music: Alain Auger. Production: Terre Innue. Producer: André Ann Frenett. Length: 78 minutes in French, with English subtitles.