Making documentary series Telling Our Story was 'a personal quest' says director Kim O'Bomsawin

By Kim O'Bomsawin, director and president, Terre Innue

As an Indigenous director, the documentary series Telling Our Story presented an exceptional opportunity for me: to share with the world who we are, to participate in the decolonization of our history and even to write an inclusive, collective history. On a personal level, as an Abenaki, I did not get the opportunity to discover these stories growing up. So making this series was a personal quest as much as it was a professional one, and I wanted to take a specific approach when directing it. 

History is often thought of as something very distant, but our goal was to show it in a more contemporary light by talking about history through a modern voice. Indigenous youth are at the very heart of the documentary series, establishing a concrete link between the past and present, between generations, and between people of all origins. There are a number of inspiring role models emerging from this new generation, and I think we absolutely need to put them in the spotlight; these young people represent our greatest strength and our hope for the future.

Orality, an ancient communication system based on myths and legends, also informed our approach. Storytelling is the cornerstone of First Peoples education and culture. In our contemporary Western world, knowledge is objective. But among Indigenous people, oral tradition opens the door to a different understanding, with knowledge that is organized and woven around individual and collective experiences. This knowledge reflects our subjectivity and allows us to understand our environment and open up to others. This way of telling history did not make it into our textbooks.

Contrary to the classic Western narrative scheme, based on linear "introduction, events, conclusion, moral" models, the First Peoples also tell their stories in a circular way, describing the past, living the present and preserving the future. We wanted to reflect this in how Telling Our Story is structured, with the narrative freely moving between the past, present and future.

The series's tone is never moralizing or victimizing, but it also does not avoid the most difficult times in our history. With humour, backed by wit and insight, we were able to tackle the darkest moments. I see this series as a great mosaic in which documentary moments intersect with more cinematic scenes that evoke our spirituality and worldview. The cinematography and musical score are modern and bold while remaining timeless and deeply rooted. In addition to motion design and visual archives, 2D animation plays an important role in establishing the aesthetic signature. 

Furthermore, the series — and more broadly, the major transmedia project Laissez-nous raconter/Telling Our Story —is a real training and mentoring ground. Since the objective was to tell our story, it goes without saying that the team is made up of members of the First Peoples in all key positions, from writing and directing to technical positions in post-production and in the field. But building this team was a major challenge because, especially in Quebec, the Indigenous workforce is still lacking. 

Our strategy in this regard was to hire all those who already had the skills and the caliber to join this ambitious project. Then, in key positions for which we did not have qualified candidates, we established a mentorship and companionship between an Indigenous person and a non-Indigenous professional who was already aware of Indigenous realities. Beginning with the field research stage, we trained 12 Indigenous people who went on to conduct research in more than 30 communities. The experience turned out to be a huge success! 

It was important for us to see Telling Our Story as a process. Because when it comes to this project, the work process, ethics and training were all just as important as the end result.

With Telling Our Story, we wish to reach a broad audience: Indigenous people within the country, peoples across the world that were colonized and that are now looking to tell their own story, and all the descendants of the first colonizers who are unaware of our history and with whom we wish to create a dialogue and start a new relationship.

We hope to offer the viewers an unforgettable experience that is both emotional and thought-provoking.