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Tantoo and Coyes team up for movies

Article Origin

Author

Terry Lusty, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

Volume

5

Issue

10

Year

1998

Page 17

Actress Tantoo Cardinal and film-maker Greg Coyes, both Metis, have joined forces with Edmonton's Gerri Cook and Ava Karvonen to produce two films that are sure to help return some Aboriginal culture to Aboriginal people. By transferring stories and legends, like that of Wesakechak (the trickster), onto film, Cardinal who is associate producer, and Coyes, the producer, are nearing completion of two short animated films that are based on the oral traditions of Aboriginal people.

The characters in the film are being created by one of Canada's most renowned Native artists, Norval Morrisseau. The other player in the animation is Bioware Inc. from Alberta and Bardel Animation in British Columbia.

"We've got 17 animators working on it right now," explained Coyes who claims the animation company is "young, exciting, and very respectful of working with the Wesakechak story and Norval's art." This same company, boasts Coyes, "just finished working on Prince of Egypt," an endeavor produced by Hollywood's Steven Spielberg.

One of the animators on the project, Alex Greychuk, a Metis from Timmins, Ont., has worked with Warner Brothers and Paragon film studios.

The working titles for the two films are Why the Rabbit Turned White, and Legend of the Spirit Bear.

The story of the white rabbit centres around that mischievous and legendary character known as Wesakechak whose voice is provided by John Waniandy of Edmonton. Wesakechak is known for his ability to change himself into anything he wishes. He is also a healer, a peacemaker and a trickster. Being the usual trickster that he is, Wesakechak relies on the assistance of a little brown rabbit to help mankind which is in a terrible way due to extreme drought and starvation. To extend his gratitude, Wesakechak presents the rabbit with a gift.

The animated characters created by Morrisseau are exceptional, according to Coyes.

"Norval delivers paintings as only Norval can," he said. "He has created remarkable designs."

Legend of the Spirit Bear, the second film, is about a Kermode bear who is quite a rarity. It seems that the color of this black bear is really white. This, of course, is all thanks to the goodness of the Creator who has altered the situation so that every 10th bear turns out white. The anomaly is meant to remind people of the time when much of North America was covered by white glaciers. And rumor has it that, if ever the Spirit Bear disappears, the glaciers will reappear.

Tantoo Cardinal provides the voice-overs of Mother Wolf who tells a story about the Spirit Bear to her young cubs. Additional voice-overs are provided by several Aboriginal people who live in and around the Edmonton area.

Live action film footage by wildlife photographer Albert Karvonen contributes to the film.

According to Coyes, the two short films are also being adapted for television, likely in half-hour segments. "We see the potential for these films to possibly serve as the first of an on-going series aimed at children aged 3 to 8 and their families," he said.

Work on the two films is expected to wrap up by November and the television broadcast is scheduled for sometime in the new year.