Josephine Bacon, an award-winning Innu poet, writer, filmmaker, translator, and community researcher is the subject of this biographical documentary. Filmed in Canada in the places Josephine Bacon has lived and worked, Kim O’Bomsawin’s impactful film portrays a talented woman who has dedicated her life’s work to preserving the indigenous languages, history, and culture of the First Nation people.
The cinematography is superior and the film contrasts the pristine Canadian forests, waterways, and tundra with the concrete and bustle of Montreal. While the film only touches briefly on residential schools the native children were forced to attend, Call Me Human also reflects an anti-colonialist viewpoint.
Now, in her seventies, Josephine Bacon describes her life and dedication to preserving the culture and language of her people. As Bacon notes, when the elders pass away, Indian culture will be lost unless steps are taken to keep the culture and language alive. Bacon appears on a radio broadcast along with her filmmaker to talk about her work. Flashbacks show Bacon discussing her poetry at an event, as well as her collaboration with another individual. In 2019, Bacon accepts a prize for her book Uiesh - Quelque Part: Prix des Libraires.
Born in Pessamit, Canada, in 1947, Josephine Bacon leaves her family at age five to attend a Catholic residential school. Bacon describes how the boat picked up all the children and took them away from their families. Bacon remains at the school for fourteen years. As an adult, Bacon begins to write poetry in Innu, incorporating important words and concepts from the Innu language. While there is no word for poetry in Innu, Bacon describes how all Innu elders are poets just by the way they live in tune with nature.
Inspired by the elders, Bacon tries to incorporate their stories into her poetry and publishes her first book of bilingual poems in 2009, followed by three other books. Listening to Bacon reading her wonderful poems, it is clear her experiences are reflected in her poetry as well. She reads a number of poems in this film.
Bacon walks through Montreal, pointing out the buildings where she lived after she moved there in 1968, and mentions the changes to the city over time. Bacon locates the place where she attended residential school and visits Pessamit, the Innu community in Quebec where she was born. Traveling by small plane, Bacon and her granddaughter fly to the tundra and explore the area. Bacon describes some of the indigenous ways and teaches her granddaughter to find meaning in caribou hunting and trout fishing.
As the principal narrator in this outstanding documentary, Josephine Bacon communicates with good humor and displays her sincere commitment to the Innu people and culture; she is a wonderful inspiration for indigenous writers, filmmakers, and artists. Highly recommended.
What kind of film series would this documentary fit in?
Film programmers should include the educational documentary Call Me Human in a series on indigenous cultures. Community organizations that serve the Innu people should consider hosting a public screening of this film.
What academic library shelves would this title be on?
Call Me Human fits in with biographical documentary films in the arts, culture, or communication.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
Call Me Human is suitable for poetry, indigenous languages and culture, and communication.