Second Stories - Deb-we-win Ge-ken-am-aan, Our Place in the Circle

Second Stories follows on the heels of the enormously successful First Stories project, which produced three separate collections of short films from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. First Stories films have gone on to win many awards, both collectively and individually, in national and international festivals and competitions. Second Stories builds on that success by providing a continuum of training for three of the twelve Indigenous filmmakers who delivered such compelling documentary shorts.

Through this unique mentoring and training process, Second Stories filmmakers have a chance to hone their storytelling craft (in a professional production experience), while working with a strong creative team to assist in the realization of their half-hour documentaries. Each of the filmmakers selected were assigned a story consultant/story editor and an NFB producer. As was the case with First Stories, the emphasis is on enabling Indigenous filmmakers to tell the stories that are important to them and their communities.

The partners in this special initiative are CBC, APTN, SCN, SaskFilm and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND.

Deb-we-win Ge-kend-am-aan, Our Place in the Circle

Filmmaker Lorne Olson had a vision of two-spirited people dancing, smiling, laughing; they were moving without shame, at peace with themselves and their place in the world.

Two-spirited people are comprised of a male and female spirit. Historically, they were venerated for their gifts, but such respect isn't necessarily the case today. Lorne's vision sparks him to rediscover the strength of the past to better face the challenges of today. This funny and buoyant film documents his touching journey.