Les Filles du Roi
paired with
Oshki-aya'aa
Oct 27, 11am
Programmer's Notes
Adapting his original musical of the same name, Corey Payette’s Les Filles du Roi weaves a story told in English, French, and Kanien´kéha (Mohawk) about the settlement of the Les Filles du Roi (single or orphaned French women brought over to populate the new world) and the Mohawk People. Centered on Kateri, a young Kanien´kehá girl, and her brother Jean-Baptiste, the musical follows their interactions with the new settlers, and one in particular, Marie-Jeanne Lespérance. With a dynamic score by Payette that blends traditional rhythms and contemporary melodies, the musical celebrates resilience, connection, and finding home in unimaginable circumstances.
Accompanying the feature is short film Oshki-aya’aa, directed by Jordan Wanakamik. An Anishinaabe teenager, Daniel, is caught stealing after struggling with no food at home. Picked up by his uncle Bernie, he’s given a meal and learns about his uncle's relationship with traditional dance. Steadily paced, Wanakamik creates a meditative atmosphere as Daniel connects with his culture through art, and finds healing along the way.
–Safia Abdigir
Co-presented by
Les Filles du Roi
Directed by
Corey Payette
102 Minutes
Kaitlyn Yott - "Kateri"
Julie McIsaac - "Marie-Jeanne"
Raes Calvert - "Jean-Baptiste"
Chelsea Rose - "Clan Mother"
Corey Payette is an interdisciplinary storyteller, writer, composer, producer, and director in film and theatre. He is a member of the Mattagami First Nations, with Oji-Cree, French Canadian and Irish ancestry. His next project is a musical titled Starwalker, which began development as a TV series under the WBD Access x Canadian Academy Writers Program and is currently in post-production as a feature film, to be released in 2025.
Feature directed by
Corey Payette
Cast
Kaitlyn Yott - "Kateri"
Julie McIsaac - "Marie-Jeanne"
Raes Calvert - "Jean-Baptiste"
Chelsea Rose - "Clan Mother"
Running Time
Toronto Premiere
102 Minutes
Language
Country
Producers
Corey Payette
Julie McIsaac
English, French
Canada
Oshki-aya'aa
Directed by
Jordan Wanakamik
21 Minutes
Jordan Fiddler - "Daniel"
Thurston Kwissiwa - "Bernie"
Crystal Harrison Collin - "Emma"
Birdie Cantin - "Anne"
Sean Morriseau - "Store Manager"
Jordan Wanakamik is an Anishinaabe, Cree and Vietnamese filmmaker and photographer based in Toronto. Jordan was selected for the LIFT and imagineNATIVE mentorship program, and wrote and directed a short film named Burned, which premiered at the 2023 imagineNATIVE Film Festival. Jordan is currently the Program Facilitator at POV Film.