A child named Nimkii follows a mysterious blue butterfly away from his mother deep into the thick of the forest. Once caught Nimkii quickly realizes the butterfly is something not from our world..
STORY:
Passing it onto the next generation
Brent Beauchamp, an animator from Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, says he was shaped by the women in his family — particularly his older sister Emmaline, who had a hand in raising him.
He created the short film Follow that's toured film festivals worldwide to honour Emmaline's own motherhood, and to share the importance of matriarchs in Indigenous families.
"Women in our communities play a huge role, especially being from Six Nations and the Haudenosaunee people.… Historically, women not only raised and taught children, but they also controlled lands," said Beauchamp, who is Onondaga/Haudenosaunee on his mother's side and Algonquin/Anishinaabe on his father's side.
"They had so much power in our communities."
Follow tells the story of Nimkii, a young child who is lured away from their mother by a shape-shifting spirit.
Emmaline, who translated Brent's script into Anishinaabemowin and voiced Nimkii's mother, says the work was deeply meaningful.
