Alanis Obomsawin Biography (1932-)

Born August 31, 1932, in Lebanon, NH; raised on the Odonak Reservation, Quebec, Canada; daughter of Herman and Maria (maiden name, Benedict) Obomsawin; children: Kisos. Addresses: Office: National Film Board of Canada, Box 6100, Station A, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5, Canada.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Documentary director, screenwriter, producer, actress, singer
Birth Details: August 31, 1932; Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Director
Documentaries
Christmas at Moose Factory (short film), National Film Board of Canada, 1971
Mother of Many Children, National Film Board of Canada, 1977
Amisk, National Film Board of Canada, 1977
Gabriel Goes to the City, National Film Board of Canada, 1979
Canada Vignettes: Wild Rice Harvest Kenora (short film, also knownas Canada vignettes: Le riz sauvage), 1979
Canada Vignettes: June in Povungnituk--Quebec Arctic (short film),1979
Incident at Restigouche, National Film Board of Canada, 1984
Richard Cardinal: Cry from the Diary of a Metis Child (short film), National Film Board of Canada, 1986
Poundmaker's Lodge--A Healing Place (short film), National Film Board of Canada, 1988
No Address (also known as Sans adresse), National Film Board of Canada, 1988
A Way of Learning, 1988
Le patro le prevost: 80 Years Later, National Film Board of Canada, 1991
Walker (short film), 1992
Voices of Experience, Voices for Change, Part 1 (compilation; includes Richard Cardinal), 1993
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, National Film Board of Canada, 1993
My Name Is Kahentiiosta (short film; also known as Je m'appelleKahentiiosta), National Film Board of Canada, 1995
Referendum--Take 2/Prise deux, 1996
Spudwrench (also know as Spudwrench: Kahnawake Man), National Film Board of Canada, 1997
Rocks at Whiskey Trench (also known as Pluie de pierres a Whiskey Trench), National Film Board of Canada, 2000
Is the Crown at War with Us?, National Film Board of Canada, 2002
Our Nationhood, National Film Board of Canada, 2004
Film Work
Documentaries
Coproducer, Mother of Many Children, National Film Board of Canada, 1977
Coproducer, Amisk, National Film Board of Canada, 1977
Coproducer, Incident at Restigouche, National Film Board of Canada, 1984
Coproducer, Richard Cardinal: Cry from the Diary of a Metis Child,National Film Board of Canada, 1986
Coproducer, Poundmaker's Lodge--A Healing Place, National Film Board of Canada, 1988
Coproducer, No Address (also known as Sans adresse), National Film Board of Canada, 1988
Coproducer, A Way of Learning, 1988

Coproducer, Le patro le prevost: 80 Years Later, National Film Board of Canada, 1991
Coproducer, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, National Film Board of Canada, 1993
Coproducer, My Name Is Kahentiiosta (short film; also known as Je m'appelle Kahentiiosta), National Film Board of Canada, 1995
Producer, Spudwrench (also know as Spudwrench: Kahnawake Man), National Film Board of Canada, 1997
Rocks at Whiskey Trench (also known as Pluie de pierres a Whiskey Trench), National Film Board of Canada, 2000
Is the Crown at War with Us?, National Film Board of Canada, 2002
Our Nationhood, National Film Board of Canada, 2004
Film Appearances
Documentaries
Indian maiden, Eliza's Horoscope, 1975
Narrator, Mother of Many Children, National Film Board of Canada,1977
Narrator, Canada Vignettes: June in Povungnituk--Quebec Arctic (short film), 1979
Narrator, Incident at Restigouche, 1984
Narrator, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, National Film Board of Canada, 1993
Television Director
Episodic
"Old Crow," Sounds from Our People, 1979
"Gabriel Goes to the City," Sounds from Our People, 1979
Television Appearances
Series
Regular guest performer for Sesame Street, Canada.
RECORDINGS
Albums
Bush Lady (album of traditional Abenaki and original songs), 1988
Multimedia Education Packages
Manowan, 1973
L'ilawat, 1976
WRITINGS
Documentary Screenplays
Christmas at Moose Factory (short film), National Film Board of Canada, 1971
Mother of Many Children, National Film Board of Canada, 1977
Canada Vignettes: Wild Rice Harvest Kenora (short film; also knownas Canada vignettes: Le riz sauvage), 1979
Canada Vignettes: June in Povungnituk--Quebec Arctic (short film),1979
Incident at Restigouche, National Film Board of Canada, 1984
Richard Cardinal: Cry from the Diary of a Metis Child (short film), National Film Board of Canada, 1986
Poundmaker's Lodge--A Healing Place (short film), National Film Board of Canada, 1988
No Address (also known as Sans adresse), National Film Board of Canada, 1988
A Way of Learning, 1988
Le patro le prevost: 80 Years Later, National Film Board of Canada, 1991
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, National Film Board of Canada, 1993
My Name Is Kahentiiosta (short film; also known as Je m'appelleKahentiiosta), National Film Board of Canada, 1995
Rocks at Whiskey Trench (also known as Pluie de pierres a Whiskey Trench), National Film Board of Canada, 2000
Is the Crown at War with Us?, National Film Board of Canada, 2002
Our Nationhood, National Film Board of Canada, 2004
Film Scores
Charley Squash Goes to Town, 1969
Luna, Luna, Luna, 1981

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Kuhn, Annette, and Susannah Radstone, editors, The Women's Companion to International Film, 1990
Pallister, Janis L., The Cinema of Quebec: Masters in Their Own House, 1995
Steven, Peter, Brink of Reality: New Canadian Documentary Film and Video, 1993
Women Filmmakers & Their Films, St. James Press, 1998

Periodicals

Cinema Canada, May, 1987
International Documentary, December, 1993

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