Michelle Latimer is a Métis/Algonquin filmmaker based in Toronto, as well as a programmer, actor, and activist. Her previous directorial efforts include “Choke,” a Sundance Special Jury Honorable Mention in International Short Filmmaking, “The Underground,” “Nimmikaage,” and the feature documentary “Alias.” Latimer is currently adapting the bestselling novel “The Inconvenient Indian” for the screen, directing a short doc for Field of Vision, and showrunning “Rise” for Viceland. She helps program the Hot Docs Festival and the Dawson City International Short Film Festival.
“Rise” will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 21.
W&H: Describe the film/TV series/project for us in your own words.
ML: “Rise” is a documentary series about Indigenous resistance. The films we’re showing at Sundance look at how corporations and extractive resource industries are taking advantage of Indigenous people — forcing them off their land, desecrating sacred sites, and engaging in violence against Indigenous Peoples who are standing up in defense of their lands and their human rights.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
ML: Our water is at stake. Our lives are at stake. There is nothing more to say. It is real and it’s not slowing down. It’s at our door. Extractive industries such as the fossil fuel industry, mining — they are waging war on our land and our people: our women, our children, all of us, Indigenous and non.
I spent time filming over months at the Standing Rock Sioux occupation against the Dakota Access Pipeline. And the scary thing that I saw during my time there was how in collusion the state is with these corporate entities. I mean there were literally hundreds of police in riot gear, armed to protect the corporate interests of a pipeline.
As I say in my film, “These are some of the poorest people in the world, fighting against some of the wealthiest people on the planet.” It’s going to take a lot more willpower, resolve, and commitment to live differently on this Earth.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
ML: I want people to make connections. And I hope to achieve understanding. It’s never just one pipeline protest or one lawsuit — these things are tied to a much longer and larger history that Indigenous people have had — and continue to have — with the corporate state, the military/police, and the other pervasive forces that have served to take land in the name of colonization and capitalism.
To get to say these things out loud, in the mainstream — wow — I mean that in itself feels revolutionary to me. These are conversations I have with my friends around dinner tables and now I’m having those same conversations with my friends and millions of viewers around the world. That’s what film offers — dissemination of story, voice, political willpower. And hopefully that will help lead to understanding, compassion, and ultimately, decolonization and liberation for all Indigenous people.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
ML: The most important aspect of working inside Indigenous communities is to make sure that cultural protocols are observed and followed. It was important to me to make sure that we respected these traditions and approached the process of filmmaking through an Indigenous perspective. So we took a lot of time to consult with community members, meet with Elders, and partake in meaningful dialogue before we turned our cameras on.
For centuries people have come into our Indigenous communities and taken without giving back. I did not want to repeat those mistakes and put a lot of effort into making sure that we respected and honored the people whose stories we were being entrusted with. I hope we achieved that, as it was foremost in my mind throughout the process of making “Rise.”
W&H: How did you get your project funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
ML: This film was funded through Vice as part of their new cable channel, Viceland. They came to me with the idea and asked me to direct. It was a dream come true. Basically, they gave me the resources to direct and produce nine films focused on Indigenous resistance over the course of a year and a half. I don’t know anyone else that would do that and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to get our stories out to the world.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your project play at Sundance?
ML: Indigenous people have spent a long time being silenced. So when our work is championed, especially on an international stage, it helps raise our voice not only as individual artists, but more importantly, as a collective.
Our stories need to be told and they need to be told by us. I’m tired of seeing other people come into our communities to take stories that our own people should be telling. To quote Winona LaDuke, who appears in my second film on Standing Rock, “This is 2017. It’s not the 1800s — you can’t just come in here and mow us down. Now we have some rights.” And these rights extend to the right to tell our stories as Indigenous people through our specific point of view, in our voice, informed by our experience.
So, if I had to say one thing about Sundance: It’s that I think they value the voice behind the telling. Who is telling the story and what perspective do they bring to that? There is value in that.
By supporting female filmmakers, Indigenous filmmakers, filmmakers of color, they are saying, “The power of this point of view cannot and should not be underestimated.”
How we tell our stories, as Indigenous people, is a way for us all to take one step closer towards decolonization. And there’s no better time to do that than now, when our planet is literally screaming for help.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
ML: The worst advice I ever received was a tie between “If you want to be taken seriously, don’t look too beautiful,” and “If you want to be taken seriously, you should consider getting a boob job.” Seriously, true story!
The best advice came from a seasoned female showrunner who told me that as a showrunner, you need to keep the momentum going. You can’t be immobilized by fear over making the “right decision” because often your first decision is not the “right” one.
Often the “right” decision is a few decisions in, but you need to make the first decision to get to that point. It’s about momentum: Keep the energy moving forward. Don’t stagnate. As you get further into a project, you’ll see that the “right” decision will present itself only when you move forward.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
ML: Speak your truth, and you will find your comrades. And have a place where you can go to refill your solitude — this is very important.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed project (TV or film) and why.
ML: I really love the Greek film “Attenberg,” written and directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari. It’s original and quirky, and I love the physicality of the performances.
Lately, I’ve also been frequently referencing “The Arbor,” the first feature by UK director Clio Barnard. The narrative structure is exceptional, and I love the experimental approach. The film embraces a hybridity between doc and drama where the actors actually lip-synch documentary interview. Whenever I get scared of failing, I watch this film and am reminded how important it is to push boundaries and not to fear the unknown.
W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?
ML: I have not seen opportunities increase. That has not been my experience. I’ve quite literally had to fight for every opportunity I’ve ever been given.
The best thing I could have done early on in my career was to invest in my own independent work. I thought, “If nobody will hire me, I will make my own films.” And, in doing so, this is how I forged forward and made my own path.
Now that I am actually in a position as showrunner, I can create my own team and hire more women. It takes women to support women. We need to mentor each other, collaborate more, and foster these creative relationships so that we can create our own space within this industry.
