Peter Gabriel has boarded the documentary New Blood — about the historical trauma and current challenges faced by Canada’s indigenous people — as an executive producer.
The British rock icon first allowed music from New Blood, his ninth studio album, to be used in an original live high school dance show inspired by the true story of Siksika First Nation chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman. Writer and director Adam Solway then produced a documentary for the CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, based on the dance show that brings together an Alberta community for healing and reconciliation.
“When we approached Peter Gabriel about the documentary, he graciously granted us permission to use his entire New Blood album in kind, citing his great respect for indigenous people,” New Blood producer Austin Ladouceur explained in a statement. “The album includes some of his greatest hits with an accompanying orchestral instrumental, and we’re thrilled to be able to use songs such as “San Jacinto”, “In Your Eyes” and “Wallflower” to bring Chief Vincent’s story to life beyond Strathmore High School,” Ladouceur added.
New Blood
The New Blood doc, to premiere on Nov. 22 on CBC Gem in Canada, chronicles the life and legacy of Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman and the New Blood Dance Show. The original theatre production was inspired by a poem written about the Chief’s life and experiences in an infamous residential school, which led to his addiction as a young man, before he eventually became Chief of Siksika Nation.
New Blood follows in the wake of a national reckoning in Canada about historical residential schools for native Canadians run by the Catholic Church until the 1990s and funded by the Canadian state. That debate only grew after the discovery of unmarked graves for indigenous children across the country forced to attend the former residential schools after they were removed from their families to erase their indigenous roots.
The New Blood doc was shot in Calgary, Alberta and features Chief Vincent’s grandchildren and the next generation of Blackfoot youth bringing his story to life through the dance show, conversations with Blackfoot elders and Peter Gabriel’s music. “It’s a story about our elders, our youth and how we’re trying to move forward against what we experienced in residential school,” director Solway added in his own statement.
“As a young Blackfoot man, I immediately connected to this and knew that I could bring a sensitivity and understanding from my own experiences. Ultimately, this story is part of our Blackfoot history, and I couldn’t be more honored and humbled to help tell it,” he added.
The CBC documentary features newcomer Trinity Pretty Youngman, Vincent Yellow Old Woman, Hayden Yellow Old Woman, the first actor to portray his grandfather in the show and co-creators Deanne Bertsch and Eulalia Running Rabbit. The documentary also features Na’tehya Curly Rider and Mirabel Goodstriker, Vincent’s two granddaughters who currently perform in the show.
Ladouceur also co-wrote New Blood with Solway and edited the project. Josh Boak serves as director of photography for the project also shot on the traditional Blackfoot territory of Siksika Nation.
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