‘Casting call’ for First Nations’ documentary shooting next week

PROPHET RIVER, B.C. — A northeast B.C. First Nation is holding a casting call for a documentary tentatively scheduled for a fall release.

Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) is looking for dancers to participate in a powwow regalia for a yet-to-be-named documentary during the first week of March.

Specifically, historical regalia items are sought. They include chest plates, headbands, wrap-around moccasins, blankets, deer or moose hides, or non-beaded older items in the beaver tradition.

In addition, Doig River First Nation drummers will participate in the regalia, doing a drumming ceremony. 

“[The] drummers will be playing while we dance around them,” said PRFN youth coordinator Lisa Wolf.

“Filming will start on March 7th,” said Wolf. “With the intro with [the drummers] it’s going to be cool. Hopefully filming will wrap up by summer.”

The project is an expansion of a video profile released on YouTube last fall, shot by Indigenous film production and advertising company C.I.A. Solutions.

Filmmaker Len Morissette told Energeticcity.ca back in December there was hope for a full-length project. He said he’s been working with PRFN for “a couple of years.”

“It’s such an interesting story,” said Morissette, who is of Cree ancestry and a member of the Mistawasis Band near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. “We’ve had discussions about how we could do it.

“We just started in the interview stages. We’ve filmed a short profile but now let’s get into what traditional land use was and what it was like when colonialization came through the Alaska Highway.

“How did it affect the community? And finally, what are they doing to restore cultural values and make the Nation economically viable.”

Specifically, Morissette will speak to PRFN Elders and expand on the history of the Nation at mile 233 of the Alaska Highway outside of Fort Nelson.

Morissette says the film, tentatively called Dreamers: The Prophet River Story expands upon PRFN’s Dane-zaa culture.

According to PRFN youth coordinator Lisa Wolf, ‘Dreamers’ are the ancestors of the Dane-zaa who dreamt of the future and sang of the trail of heaven.In fact, the First Nation’s name – Prophet – essentially means dreamers. 

The documentary, according to Morissette, is scheduled to be anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes in length.

It is slated to be released in fall 2025. Visit PRFN’s website or Facebook page for further details. Those interested in the casting call can contact Wolf at  250-793-6722.