Historic tale spans continents
Former commissioner's desire to write book about Swedish roots turns into documentary film with numerous relatives
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, May 2, 2016
KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE
It all started when former Nunavut commissioner Edna Ekhivalak Elias decided she wanted to write a book about her Swedish roots.
Lars Norberg, left, and son Fredrik Norberg observe as elder-in-training Susie Evyagotailak demonstrates the lighting of a qulliq in an iglu for the film Edna's Bloodline. - David Ho photos/DnV Photography |
"I simply wanted to write a book about my grandfather, Johnny Norberg," said Elias. "In Sweden they found out I was writing a book and I found out somebody was writing a book about my great-grandfather Petter Norberg. Then somebody else wanted to do a documentary film about the connections from Sweden to Canada."
Thus was born the documentary film titled Edna's Bloodline.
Swedish filmmaker Eva Wunderman's story echoes what Elias had to say.
"I was contacted by Lennart vonPost, who lives in Harnosand, Sweden, where Petter Norberg was born, and who had written a self-published book about Petter's life. Knowing I was a Swedish filmmaker living in Canada, Lennart wanted me to help him get in touch with Edna, Petter's great-granddaughter," stated Wunderman by e-mail from British Columbia.
"As I found out about Petter's incredible life, and got in touch with Edna, who told me it was on her bucket list to research her Swedish ancestors, I felt this was an interesting story to make a documentary about."
Petter, as it turns out, was of interest to yet another author.
"When Fredrik Norberg later contacted me through Lennart and told me he was the great-grandson of Petter's brother who stayed in Sweden, and that he was working on a novel based on Petter's life, it was a huge inspiration for the structure of the film."
Wunderman was drawn in by the threads of the tale, which spans continents.
"It is fascinating to see the difference and the contrast between Edna's and Fredrik's lifestyles and cultures based on Petter's choice to leave Sweden for Canada back in the late 1800s," she said.
A synopsis of the film states, "The telling of Edna's Bloodline covers residential schools, separation from families, language at risk of being lost and different phases of change. These various subjects are woven into the film and unfold as dramatic story telling. It is a documentary for television, as well as a perfect teaching tool for the educators."
Fredrik and his father Lars flew to Kugluktuk for filming.
"The first few days of filming was an orientation of our lifestyle here. Our lifestyle, our culture, our food. Everything. After they left we started filming the reenactment of Petter Norberg's life in Canada as a fur trader, trapper and hunter. He had come for the gold rush but missed the gold rush," said Elias.
"After he came to this area he drowned on the Coppermine River one summer and his body was never found, only his canoe."
According to records, Petter drowned during the summer of 1934.
Filming took place in August of last year and from April 11 to 18. Elias plans to travel to Sweden in June, where filming is set to continue, with Elias experiencing the lives and customs of her relatives.
Elias says she doesn't have as much creative control as she might have wanted, as associate producer.
"They already had a script, pretty much, when they came to me. But in terms of all the cultural activity that's not in the reenactments, that's totally in my control."
She adds: "The script was based on a book and historical documents, like the Hudson Bay papers, the magazine The Beaver, letters that Petter had written to his family and so on. Records of other explorers and fur traders, and people that encountered Petter Norberg."
All the actors for the reenactments are local to Kugluktuk, all untrained - from children to adults, said Elias, adding she thanks the community for its support, actors and businesses alike. The Hamlet of Kugluktuk did provide some funding, which made the winter filming possible.
"Edna organized all the talent and crew on-site and she is also one of the main characters, so she held it all together and I'm looking forward to screen all the footage and put this film together," stated Wunderman.
The three-year project is scheduled for completion Dec. 31. SVT (Swedish Television) requested a 54-minute documentary, but Wunderman says other versions may be edited later. The film will be made available to schools, as well.
The documentary will be narrated, with audio and subtitles in Inuinnaqtun, Swedish and English.
"It was a very good experience," said Elias about making the documentary.
"For someone like me who can grow impatient, it was a real test of my patience. It's a slow process," she said, adding sometimes up to five takes of a shot were filmed. "To capture the right image and movement and so on."
For Wunderman, the experience has been unforgettable.
"It was a huge challenge to be filming all day every day in minus 30. But I had a fantastic team that made it all happen. I loved it all. The vastness, the people and their hospitality, the food, the water ... it was all fantastic. I understand Petter's attraction to the North. It will stay with me forever."
As for Elias, she still plans to go ahead with her book.
"This documentary focuses on Petter and I want to write about my grandfather Johnny Norberg, his son. I've collected a lot of stories from people. I have to do something with it. I can't keep it to myself. They gave me the blessing to write the book, so I have to do it," she said.
