Marie Clements brings three-part Reclaim My Skin to VIFF world premiere
Marie Clements brings her three-part musical documentary series Reclaim My Skin to the Vancouver International Film Festival on Oct. 10.
The 168-minute project will have its world premiere at the festival, where it is programmed in the Showcase section, Variety reported. Clements, a Métis/Dene filmmaker, discussed the series in an interview with Variety ahead of the screening.
Clements is no stranger to the festival. She previously won a top prize at VIFF for the feature Where We Stand, Variety reported.
Reclaim My Skin looks at how colonisation stripped Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people of power. Two-Spirit is a term used by many Indigenous communities for people who hold both masculine and feminine spirits. The series follows how they are reclaiming their voices through activism, politics and the arts.
Music carries much of the story. The series features a performance by musician and composer Pura Fé. It also includes an interview with Gloria Steinem, recorded in New York alongside Indigenous activists Louise Wakerahkats:te Herne and Michelle Schenandoah.
VIFF describes the work as challenging stereotypes and authority while celebrating the resilience and resurgence of Indigenous female identity, according to VIFF. The festival lists the title as part of its Indigenous Cinema programme.
What makes this stand out is the form. Clements builds history and testimony around song and performance, with the three parts running as one long evening.
The screening takes place on Oct. 10 at the VIFF Centre and will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A, according to Create a Stir. It lands inside the 45th Vancouver International Film Festival, which runs Oct. 1 to 11 and presents more than 160 films and 85 shorts alongside VIFF Live performances, talks and special events.
