It’s Time to Read book club to host special Indigenous documentary series

Director Holly Fortier to share award-winning film Ayoungman

All are welcome to join us for a special It’s Time to Read documentary. First up is two-time Alberta Film & Television (Rosie) Award winning documentary, Ayoungman on Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Keyano Recital Theatre.

The screening will be followed by a special conversation with the film’s director, Fort McKay First Nation member Holly Fortier.

This free event is offered through the It’s Time to Read book club, a collaboration between the municipality and the Wood Buffalo Regional Library. It’s Time to Read features the works and voices of Indigenous authors to increase understanding and awareness of Indigenous culture, history, and current issues.

The other two documentaries featured will be Treaty Talk – Sharing the River of Life by Dr. Patricia Makokis on September 6 and nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, a documentary following the fatal 2016 shooting of a young Cree man, Colten Boushie, in Saskatchewan on September 20.

Doors will open to the recital theatre 15 minutes before the film starts. While all are welcome, please note, the documentary contains mature themes.

Racially motivated murder focus of first documentary

In March 2019, 24-year-old Kristian Ayoungman was fatally shot in a murder that shocked the Siksika Nation. In two Alberta communities, a movement arose demanding his murderers be brought to justice. Holly Fortier and Larry Day’s candid documentary depicts the unity and resilience of the Siksika Nation and the town of Strathmore, Alberta, while also underlining the sobering reality that a high percentage of Canadian homicide victims are Indigenous people.

About the director

Holly Fortier is an actor, as well as a director, writer, and producer, who has appeared in such productions as Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). She is also an expert on Indigenous treaties and law, history, and cultural traditions, and she facilitates culture awareness training across Alberta, Canada, and beyond. Her previous film, A Mother’s Voice, told the story about her mother Lina Gallup’s experience as a child and teen separated from her family and forced to attend a residential school.