Bill Reid Remembers

Directed by Alanis Obomsawin

Canada, 2021 (documentary, 24 minutes, colour / black and white, English)

Also known as "Bill Reid se souvient"

Image: © National Film Board of Canada

Video (National Film Board of Canada)
Video (National Film Board of Canada) [French]

Film Description:
"Bill Reid Remembers is a beautiful tribute from Alanis Obomsawin to her friend's remarkable life and rich legacy. Despite spending his early life away from his nation's culture, renowned Haida artist Bill Reid always kept Haida Gwaii close to his heart. While working for CBC Radio, he started learning how to make jewelry, then later sculpture, using Haida techniques and images, a move that would forever change his life and the Canadian artistic landscape. Reid's powerful narration in the film—interspersed with Obomsawin's own—recounts his complex childhood, his emergence as an accomplished artist, and his profound connection to his homeland. Decades after his passing, Bill Reid remains an enduring force and one of Canada's greatest artists."
-- National Film Board of Canada (source)

Film Credits (partial):
Written by:	Alanis Obomsawin
Produced by:	Alanis Obomsawin, Annette Clarke, John Christou
Narrator:	Alanis Obomsawin
Film Editing:	Alison Burns
Music:	Lauren Bélec, Michel Dubeau
Production Company:	National Film Board of Canada / Office national du film du Canada

(sources)

Quote by the Director

"At the beginning of the pandemic, I was thinking that it's going to be boring if I work at home. But, no, it has been quite the contrary. [...] I'm very lucky because every time I do a film, I record just the sound by myself, conversations with some of the people I meet. So, I had a lot of recordings to go through, and I discovered things that I had completely forgotten about. For instance, I had forgotten that I had done an interview with Bill Reid in 1986. We are finishing the film. It's so much fun to hear his voice."
-- Alanis Obomsawin (source)

Web Sites about Bill Reid Remembers

National Film Board of Canada. "NFB -- Bill Reid Remembers." National Film Board of Canada. https://www.nfb.ca/film/bill-reid-remembers/.
Office national du film du Canada. "ONF -- Bill Reid se souvient." Office national du film du Canada. https://www.onf.ca/film/bill-reid-se-souvient/. [in French]