KUGLUKTUK
Alice Ayalik's head is crowned by a wispy silver mop, set over a kind, crinkled face, and framed by the fur hood of her pansy print parka.

More than 250 Kugluktuk residents attended a youth-led film festival in the hamlet on Jan. 14. Films at the festival were created in October during a two-week film-making workshop by Moving Forward Together and Reel Youth. Back from left are Iris Inuktaluk, Sam Aviligak, Jordan Kukilukak and Marcus Kokak with interpreter Susie Evyagotailak, front left, and elder Alice Ayalik. - photo courtesy of Reel Youth

"Traditional knowledge is not written down. If you want to learn it, you must ask, for it lives in our heads," the 79-year-old Kugluktuk elder says.

Youth in the hamlet did ask, in October during a youth-elder film-making initiative by the community mentorship program Moving Forward Together (Hivumut Aulaniq Atauttimut) and the Vancouver-based media empowerment company Reel Youth.

"My advice is to live a good life," Ayalik said in her soft, guttural Inuinnaqtun, during her video interview. "To be respectful, to treat others with kindness and share."

Ayalik's story was shared at a community film festival on Jan. 14, along with 15 other films created by 74 youth from the hamlet.

Film training for the project took place over a two-week span, which included a video poetry project for children under 12 and a series of claymation short films, in addition to the youth-elder project.

More than 250 people attended the weekend launch, along with a performance by the community youth square dancing group and a debut performance by a budding band from Kugluktuk High School.

"It was a really empowering opportunity for youth. It went well and we had a good reception," said Moving Forward Together coordinator Jodi Alderson.

Video had been identified at a previous community forum as a good way to document traditional knowledge and current community experiences. Since youth in the hamlet were keen on the idea of learning film-making skills, she said the project seemed like a perfect fit.

"It's an effective medium to engage youth and learn skills and we also hope that the youth will mentor other youth in some of the film-making as we do more projects."

The younger children in the hamlet were itching to get involved after watching the film screening, she said.

Reel Youth has worked on over 2,000 films across Canada and internationally over the last 12 years, including in many NWT communities, but this was the organization's first time in Nunavut.

"The youth learn film-making 101, how to shoot, how to set up a camera, how to frame a shot, how to do interviews, how to do visual storytelling and get a diversity of shots," said Reel Youth director Mark Vonesch.

After filming, teens created the framework for the videos, and editors in Vancouver wrapped up the movies by mixing sound and giving the films a final polish.

"It's their film. We bring the equipment and facilitate the process, but the youth take the lead," he said.

The key to the program is community development, through intergenerational connections, building leadership skills and story production.

"About a third of our work is intergenerational youth and senior projects," said Vonesch.

"The young people are so interested in the elders. Based on the feedback that they gave us after the program, that was the highlight, which I think might surprise people, that spending time with and learning from elders was something (youth) loved to do."

In addition to Ayalik, youth interviewed Kugluktuk elders Tom Norberg and Laura Kohotok, who talked about hunting, sewing and carving.

"The people have changed. The art of storytelling is not used like we used it," said Kohotok in her interview. "The environment is changing the people as the people are changing the land and the kinship in families is not as strong as it used to be."

She believes this can be restored through education and knowledge-sharing.

"Always give your knowledge forward, to others who don't know," Kohotok told the youth. "Share anything that you learn that is good learning so that others can have good information and learning."

The video project is helping youth do just that.

Reel Youth is returning to the hamlet in May to continue training with students at the high school.

The films will also be aired on the community television network, Channel 51.