Film finally sees television time

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The feature film Bearwalker is the story of four Cree sisters, a murder, the abuse suffered by the women at the hands of men, and a fantastic creature of ancient legend. It is also the first full-length feature by Shirley Cheechoo, and partners Phyllis Ellis and Christine Kunewa Walker.

Until recently, Bearwalker existed only as a work in progress and had bounced between Canadian and American interests. Distributors failed to buy it following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000 where it screened under its original title, Backroads. The U.S. owners of the film seized creative control, editing it into what producer Phyllis Ellis called, "an MTV music video." There was only a small possibility of an eventual video release. Independent films just weren't selling.

"I came to a place where my spirit was broken," said Cheechoo, who wrote, directed and acted in the film. "I felt I had failed my people. I didn't want to be a film-maker any more." But the women were not willing to call it quits completely.

"The only reason that we went to the States for funding was because we were turned down by Canadian film industry players and by government film agencies," said Ellis. "Canadian film distributors showed even less interest than American ones."

But the women kept up pressure on distribution houses and finally The Movie Network based in Toronto picked up Bearwalker for broadcast. TMN provided enough advance money to enable the trio to buy back the rights to the film and, along with financing from the seven First Nations on Manitoulin Island where the movie was filmed, and much of their own money, the women brought the film back to Canada where they re-cut it and made a 35mm print.

This past April, Bearwalker was the first film to be screened at the inaugural ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto, a new five-day festival that showcased 17 feature-length and 62 short, racially diverse movies from Canada and abroad. Cheechoo went on to capture Best Female Director award at the festival.

Ellis hopes that the TMN broadcast will be followed by a "theatrical release in Europe, and maybe in Canada too. Things have come full circle. Now Bearwalker will have a little life," she said.