MUSKEGO Films

“It’s very important for Indigenous culture to be ported in that way, especially the way that I approach it,” says Shane Ghostkeeper.

Along with Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi, Ghostkeeper wrote, adapted and edited Pawàkan into a film script through funding from Calgary Arts Development’s Indigenous Cultural Connections grant. Together with Sarah Houle, they founded the collaborative project MUSKEGO Films.

Ghostkeeper first wrote the prose for Pawàkan in his notebook. Thanks to the grant, he could compensate himself and his colleague Eshraghi-Yazdi to adapt the story into a screenplay. The grant also covered a critique and editing service in order to evaluate and polish the work before beginning plans for shooting.

“It just helps build the whole project when you have funding. The editing, the evaluations, being able to collaborate with a highly experienced filmmaker,” says Ghostkeeper. “It’s helping me build my career and helping me build my experience with film.”

The dream that inspired Pawàkan shaped a large part of Ghostkeeper’s spiritual life, and stemmed from his prayers that he’d one day gain consciousness while he was dreaming and be able to fly away. His prayers were answered when he dreamt of reuniting with his cousin Kira, who passed away when she was three years old. After tossing Kira up in the air like he used to, Ghostkeeper realized he was dreaming and gently flew towards the ceiling. After recalling this dream to a ceremonialist, Ghostkeeper learned that Kira was his dream helper — that understanding inspired the story and title of Pawàkan.

Going forward, MUSKEGO plans to apply for shooting and production funds to turn the polished script for Pawàkan into a short film. Having screened one of his previous short films at film festivals all over the world — including the Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival and the Almeria Western Film Festival in Spain — Ghostkeeper anticipates a festival circuit run for Pawàkan as well.

Ghostkeeper points to film as an ideal medium for capturing the beauty and complexity of his community. “We can really put on display not only the spirituality, but the beauty of Indigenous people. The way they laugh, the way they look, the way they mourn.”

Ghostkeeper has felt frequent support from Calgary Arts Development in his musical and visual art projects as well. “Without the funding and support, it just wouldn’t happen,” he says.

Once Pawàkan is shot and ready to be shared with the world, Ghostkeeper hopes that the short film will shine a light on the contemporary Cree experience.

“I want audiences to walk away going, ‘Oh wow. They are also modern human beings participating and surviving this current modern societal construct that we are all forced to deal with,’” says Ghostkeeper. “Everyone dreams. Maybe some non-Indigenous people might not realize that they have a dream helper, and maybe now they will pray for their dream helper the way I prayed for mine.”