STORYHIVE: Black Creators Edition grants opportunity to two Red Deer women

READ MORE

“I’m doing this to promote the dangers of swallowing lithium coin batteries, but also to take up space as a Black woman. Typically, with health-related things, the faces of people like me are not shown. As a female, as a mom, and all the titles I hold, it’s important to be seen and heard,” says Bangamba, whose family has Congolese and Haitian heritage.

“People like to talk about how much more diverse and inclusive the world is, but it really still mostly shows up just in February. This is a vehicle for us to have a more prominent presence in everyone’s day-to-day life.”

She applauds Telus also for putting action behind its words, the latter of which was offered by many large corporations over the last few years, particularly in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, she notes.

“I don’t enjoy talking about what happened to Amélie because it forces me to relive the emotions of that day and those months. And as a Black woman, it’s nerve-wracking because I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure the story is told properly, and that I evoke emotions from people,” she says.

“What unfortunately happened to Amélie, can happen to anyone, no matter their race, socioeconomic status or education. If you have a young child or know one, the story this documentary will tell is one everyone should know.”

Bangamba shares that little Amélie, who is now three, still makes regular visits to the Stollery, but has vastly improved since a scary stretch in hospital in the incident’s aftermath.

Her film is called ‘Amélie’s Second Chance.’

Also chosen for the grant was Love Nwigwe, whose film entitled ‘I Can’t Breathe’ — George Floyd’s last words — will tackle the issue of racial discrimination in North America.

“It doesn’t matter your profession, your age, anywhere you go, you’re going to find racism and racial discrimination. My movie will be a true life story and different people will be telling their stories,” says Nwigwe, who is originally from Nigeria.

“The Black Creators Edition of STORYHIVE is very important for me. Nobody has given me a platform before to share mystory or share the stories of people who are Black. Black voices are not properly represented on Canadian film screens.”

Love Nwigwe, who lives in Red Deer, is the recipient of a Telus STORYHIVE grant this year. (Supplied)

A mother of four, Nwigwe says Black folks getting the chance to utilize these grants can bring hope to all.

“When we look at the screen, it’s always mostly white people that we see. And when people are discriminated against, they are also more likely to do the same to others. I want my film to therefore bring healing to people. I hope my film and others will make a difference in reducing racial discrimination,” she says.

“But also, it should show that as Black people, we are Canadians. We live here, we’re trained here, we’re adding to the economy and to society, and we are building. I’d like the film to be something that helps people feel accepted and be given more liberty to create in the land we call home.”

This year’s STORYHIVE films must be submitted by late 2022, and will premiere in early 2023.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

STORYHIVE: Black Creators Edition grants opportunity to two Red Deer women

What's Trending