Friends and collaborators for more than 30 years, Canadian filmmakers Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge have “always worked well together,” says Cree writer-director Diamond.
And, adds the non-Indigenous Bainbridge, “we’ve always had a conversation back and forth about Indigenous and non-Indigenous people”.
In a way, that conversation continues with Red Fever, the Hot Docs world premiere (May 1) on which Diamond (previously acclaimed for Reel Injun) and Bainbridge (director of Sundance award winner Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World) served as co-writers and co-directors.
This documentary follows Diamond as he travels across North America and Europe, exploring the global fascination with and romance with Native Americans. It also reveals some of the history behind indigenous influences on aspects of Western culture such as fashion, sports, politics, and conservation.
Produced by Lisa M. Ross and executive produced by Bainbridge, Linda Ludwick and Ernest Webb for their Montreal-based company Resolution Pictures, Red Fever was produced by Les Films. du 3 Mars” will be released in Canadian cinemas in June. Taking care of international sales.
Bainbridge and Diamond first came up with the film’s central idea before the pandemic, when a backlash against cultural appropriation included banning the wearing of Native American headdresses at music festivals.
“It’s always been a concern for us because it’s been in the news,” Bainbridge explains. “If you focus the discussion on popular culture, you can get everyone involved.”
The station is “very interested” in Canada’s publicly funded educational television station. Bainbridge recalls that TVO gave the green light to the project. Ontario, dedicated. Significant funding also came from Canada’s Aboriginal Television Network, Societe Radio-Canada, and Germany’s Arte/ZDF.
Other supporters include the Knowledge Network, Indigenous Screen Office, Canada Media Fund, Rogers Group of Funds, Telefilm Canada, and the project received tax credits from Quebec and Canadian incentive programs. I did.
Production began in the summer of 2020 and continued intermittently until 2023. Bainbridge acknowledged that the pandemic made early location filming difficult, and “costs increased significantly” as filming had to be done in some small Native American communities due to stay-at-home orders and quarantines. Regulations were also postponed.
In addition to filming in Canadian locations such as the southern Ojibwa Nation and the Inuit territory of Nunavut, the production also visited the Navajo region of the southwestern United States and the Iroquois Territory of New York State, as well as cities. of New York and Boston.
International filming also took place in Paris and Germany. On the latter trip, a 12-minute sequence (which only appeared in the European version of the film) was born in which Diamond spends a weekend with German lovers inspired by the work of 19th century author Carl His Mai. , I like to dress up and go camping. Indians at that time. Bainbridge said the enthusiasts were “nervous and wondering if they could do what they were doing. They wanted instructions on how to do it.”
The sequence is typical of the measured, often witty approach that the film takes towards sensitive subject matter like the use of stereotypical Native American mascots in US sport and the appropriation of Indigenous art and imagery by fashion designers.
“One of the things we’re known for is not shaming people,” says Bainbridge of how she and Diamond persuaded some non-Indigenous participants to appear in the film or co-operate with the production. “We were able to convince people that we were going to tell them a story about what they were doing that not even they were aware of. We shift away from shame towards the beauty of Indigenous influence. It’s not about wagging your finger at people, it’s more about trying to understand where all of this comes from.”
Diamond, whose narration and easygoing on-screen manner balance out the film’s weightier sections and expert talking heads, puts his attitude down to growing up in the Waskaganish First Nation community of remote Northern Quebec.
“When I was younger,” the Cree filmmaker says, “I was kind of flattered when I’d see sports team logos or people dressing up wanting to be ‘Indian’. And in a way I guess I still am. I’m not angry or anything; I’m more amused by it. And the reason is, where I come from our history is quite different from what happened in, say, the southern part of the continent or in western Canada. Our culture is still really strong.”
He adds, “But I do feel for the native people who’ve lost a lot. I can see why they’re angry when they see their culture being demeaned in that way.”