Theo Jean (Thirza) Cuthand

ML: So one film you did recently was Woman Dress, about the traditional Cree myth. What was the experience of trying to visualize that story, especially because you said in the film that your grandpa didn't really like to talk about it? 

TC: Yeah, I mean, basically it was hard because I wanted to do a documentary about this character. But obviously the person who the documentary's about lived so long ago that we don't know who they were, like even what tribe they belong to. And so all we have is a story that my Auntie had. So it was kind of similar to my other experimental work, because my Auntie basically told her story, which was like her own monologue. And then I sort of thought of visuals of this person and how they would go about their life on the prairies. And I sort of did it like gestures this person would be doing on the prairies like eating, and there is one of her drinking, but that didn't make it into the film. The dancing was in the original story that my Auntie had sent that this person kind of danced across the prairie, so there was a lot of dancing in it. And then we also had access to the NFB [National Film Board of Canada] archive. Not all of the background footage was archival footage, some of it was stuff I shot, but a lot of it was archival footage. So we had to go through the archives and pull things that sort of spoke to the film. 

ML: Do you think you'll do more visual indigenous story movies like that? 

TC: I’m thinking about it. There is one story I'm doing that's kind of based on stories that were passed down through my family about members of my family and this medicine bundle we had. I am really interested in oral storytelling traditions and how that relates to me as a filmmaker, cause that's what my grandpa and his grandpa, they all used to do that. So, yeah, I'm kind of interested in marrying the two and seeing how that goes and I would be interested in exploring it more. Yeah. 

ML: So why did you choose film? Why did you decide to use film as your medium? 

TC: I mean, my parents were both artists, like they're both visual artists. My mom, when I was growing up, she was doing a lot of painting and now she does sort of fine art bead work that talks about disease and and disease transmission and colonization.  And then my dad was a sculptor who worked with phones and things. And so I kind of knew I was gonna end up being an artist, but I didn't really know what medium. And then, I don't know... I mean, I think it was probably just the fact that, you know, I used to watch the Oscars all the time, so Hollywood was kind of seductive. But then also, I think when I was a teenager, I realized there wasn't  media representation of lesbian teenagers at the time, which was the mid nineties. And then it was not very good representation of indigenous people in the media. So it was kind of like wanting to push back against that. That led me to film and video, just creating more authentic representations of my communities. 

ML: And [then] you went and you got your bachelors degree and your masters degree in film. So was that a valuable experience for you? 

TC: Yeah, I think so. The undergraduate degree I did was at a film school [Emily Carr University of Art and Design] that was part of an art college that was way more experimental. So I think it sort of challenged me more than if I went to more of an industry-based undergraduate program. But then the program I did my master’s in [Ryerson University] was more industry-based. So it was kind of interesting, having both of those experiences and understanding both sides. Especially because now I'm working not totally in the industry, but I'm doing a little bit more industry projects sometimes. So, yeah, I think they were valuable for different reasons. And I think also it helped me just grow in the way I made my films and the way I thought about films faster than if I'd kept being self-taught. 

ML: So how does the creative process go for you? How do you go from idea to movie? 

TC: Well, basically, I think about something that's bothering me. I don't know. It kind of just comes from, like... I read the news and I talk to friends all the time. And then something will  spark an idea in me. And then I'll just sort of be thinking about it like in the back of my mind for sometimes months or years, and sometimes it won't take very long. And then I usually do a lot of writing around the idea. And then sometimes either the monologue becomes a script or the monologue becomes a story.  So yeah, probably most of it happens during the writing part of it, and the shooting and editing happens really quickly. But the writing seems to take a long time and I'm trying to figure out what I want to say about [the topic]. And sometimes, I'll have an idea, but I'll talk with friends sort of around the topic before I put anything on paper. 

ML: Do you work on more than one thing at once or do you just stick with something until it's done? 

TC: I used to stick with something till it's done, but now I'm working on multiple projects at once. So it's kind of overwhelming me right now. I have some projects that are way overdue and I have to finish them up. But it's been interesting changing from just focusing on one project to working on multiple ones, because they sort of inform each other as I'm working on things. Something that I problem solve for one project sort of helps me problem solve for another project.