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Beat of the 24-Hour Drum to be heard at B.C. film festival

Documentary looks at the powerful Aboriginal Day event in Sea to Sky
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Howe Sound Secondary students and ƵappNation youth at the Howe Sound Secondary gym,at the 24-Hour drum that took place in May.

documentary made locally is getting screen time at the longest-running social justice film festival in the province.

The 24-Hour Drum: Aboriginal Youth in the Sea to Sky will play at the World Community Film Festival in Courtenay in February.

Filmmaker Ed Carswell recorded preparations by the corridor’s Aboriginal Youth Leadership and the 24-Drum event that started at Howe Sound Secondary in Ƶappon May 1, then travelled to Whistler and Pemberton.

The 24-Hour Drum event aims to draw attention to aboriginal issues by focusing on the current generation of young ƵappNation leaders, according to district principal of aboriginal education, Susan Leslie, who organized the event and filming.

“For reconciliation and walking forward together, I thought it would be great if the students’ voices were heard, because they are the future generation,” Leslie said. “And people always say, ‘Well, that happened a long time ago, what does that have to do with us?’ Well, let’s talk to ‘us’ who are here right now and hear what they have to say.” 

In the film, the students are seen in workshops gaining confidence and creating their performances, such as spoken word poems, for the event, as well as performing. There are interviews with the students as well, recounting their experiences in performing throughout the day.

Leslie said the students are excited that the film is going to be screened but don’t really understand what a big deal that is.

“They didn’t really understand that they truly had a voice and that they can have an impact and that they are important and that they are change-makers,” she said.

“They were overwhelmed when they saw the film, and I think that the fact that others are going to see it now is very exciting.” 

This isn’t the first time Leslie has been involved with a film shown at the festival. A previous documentary also with Carswell, Project Heart, about the impact of residential schools, was shown at the festival last year.

The screening of 24-Hour Drum will be a big affair for students in the district, Leslie said. “I will take a whole group with me and they will probably be presenting on stage and they will be opening – it will be a huge event.” 

The entire 34-minute film is also free to watch on the district’s Aboriginal Education webpage at .

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