Ka Ke Ki Ku
This early work from Pierre Perrault, made in collaboration with René Bonnière, chronicles summer activities in the Innu communities of Unamenshipu (La Romaine) and Pakuashipi. Shot by noted cinematographer Michel Thomas-d’Hoste, it documents the construction of a traditional canoe, fishing along the Coucouchou River, a procession marking the Christian feast of the Assumption, and the departure of children for residential schools—an event presented here in an uncritical light. Perrault’s narration, delivered by an anonymous male voice, underscores the film’s outsider gaze on its Indigenous subjects. The film is from Au Pays de Neufve-France (1960), a series produced by Crawley Films, an important early Canadian producer of documentary films.
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Ka Ke Ki Ku, René Bonnière & Pierre Perrault, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
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directorRené BonnièrePierre Perrault
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textPierre Perrault
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English textJudith Crawley
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photographyMichel Thomas-d'Hoste
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soundTony BettsDavid Howells
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sound editingJohn Knight
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narratorLloyd Bochner
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musicLarry Crosley
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