April 11, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Photographers Without Borders produces timely feature documentary called “Reckoning with the Wendigo.” What is the Wendigo? According to Cree and other Indigenous nations, it is a human that became a dark spirit after consuming everything around it. And it is coming for us. How do we change course? This documentary presents a warning and an opportunity: what will we choose?

OFFICIAL TRAILER

synopsis

Featuring Edmund Metatawabin—a residential school survivor who was the Chief of Fort Albany and recently received the Order of Canada—this timely feature documentary takes us to the birthplace of Canada’s fur trade to explore the ironic and deadly problem of food insecurity that exists there today. The chaotic times we are experiencing now have been prophecied by many Indigenous communities; one legend in particular forewarns us about the dangers of consumption and greed: that of the Wendigo/Wiindigo/Witiko. In Cree and other Indigenous nations, the Wendigo is a human that turns into a dark, insatiable spirit after consuming everything around it—even its own children. This suspenseful/heartwrenching, yet intimate/heartwarming documentary offers a glimpse into the lives of Moose Cree people living in Canada’s North, exploring the allegory of the Wendigo and consumption. Shocking footage reveals exploitation on levels that are unacceptable. In a region where outsiders are looked upon with suspicion, our team was fortunate to gain access to reservations in this region to talk to community members not only about the crises they are facing—but how they are getting out of them. This documentary is a must-see emotional ride for Canadians and people around the world and runs 55 minutes.

CREDITS

Director: Danielle Da Silva

For media inquiries please contact Danielle Da Silva

danielle@photographerswithoutborders.org

FILM stills