About a month ago, I had the privilege of joining Solid Screen Festival at the invitation of arts curator and media artist Jenny Fraser. I have featured Jenny on this blog a while ago and since then she has been spending her time promoting films made by indigenous women across the world through Solid Screen Festival; running for the third time this year. In September Gold Coast and Numinbah Valley (QLD) retreat where the 2016 films were screened, women directors including Jules Koostachin (PLACEnta) from Canada showed their films and shared their stories.

Placenta is a short documentary about Koostachin’s life in contemporary Canada where a woman gives birth away from her people and customs. Much is lost in terms of her tribal rituals, with journeys her own mother and grandmother took, but the woman feels that it is really important to follow the traditional rituals embedded in her. However, in contemporary Canada, she finds that what she wishes for the most is not as easy as she thought.

Placenta is one of many stories told by indigenous filmmakers about connecting to their indigenous roots and intangible cultures. Having an opportunity like Solid Screening helps bring these stories out. Recently, the work of Solid Screening was acknowledged by Barbara Ann O’Leary, Directed by Women. In an interview with Jenny Fraser, O’ Leary  explores the work Fraser does in promoting and helping indigenous women filmmakers.

“We aim to deliver Indigenous specific screen components to allow opportunities for Indigenous screen artists and artsworkers to develop professionally, develop greater understanding of new media and inter-disciplinary practices, and gain critical feedback on personal projects”.

Read more on the interview here. Directed By Women