The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more
Skip to content Accessibility

Picturing a People: George Johnston, Tlingit Photographer

This documentary, by filmmaker Carol Geddes, is a unique portrait of George Johnston, a photographer who was himself a creator of portraits and a keeper of his culture. Johnston cared deeply about the traditions of the Tlingit people, and he recorded a critical period in the history of the Tlingit nation. As Geddes says, his legacy was "to help us dream the future as much as to remember the past."
Your rental expires on
None
You've already purchased this film.
Download it from My purchases.

Details

This documentary, by filmmaker Carol Geddes, is a unique portrait of George Johnston, a photographer who was himself a creator of portraits and a keeper of his culture. Johnston cared deeply about the traditions of the Tlingit people, and he recorded a critical period in the history of the Tlingit nation. As Geddes says, his legacy was "to help us dream the future as much as to remember the past."

Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) Visual Arts All subjects
Indigenous Cinema
  • director
    Carol Geddes
  • script
    Carol Geddes
  • narrator
    Carol Geddes
  • producer
    Sally Bochner
    George Hargrave
  • executive producer
    Don Haig
  • cinematography
    James Jeffrey
    Joan Hutton
  • animation camera
    Dominique Parizeau
    Daniel Villeneuve
  • sound
    Rick Gustavsen
    Garrell Clark
  • editing
    Annie Ilkow
  • sound editing
    Eric Lemoyne
  • sound mix
    Eric Lemoyne
  • music
    Charles Morrow
  • cast
    Keith Wolf Smarch
    Mark Porter

Education

Ages 16 to 18

Notes

This documentary can inspire research, discussion, projects and deeper learning about the Tlingit and photography. How have advancements in digital photography and social media brought about by First Nations people contributed to education, truth telling and the dismantling of negative stereotypes? What are traditional laws and how did colonization and policies, such as the Indian Act, disregard First Nations laws that governed lives for tens of thousands of years? What has been the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual impact on First Nations when it came to settler notions of progress? What were the impacts on families who were forcibly removed with no sense of compassion for their way of life and inherent land use? What can be said about the attitudes, beliefs and ethics of the soldiers and wives who desecrated burial houses and hibernating bears? What is self-government and why do First Nations have the right to self-govern? How did illness projected upon First Nations extend beyond the physical to include fractured spiritual, emotional, and mental health and well-being?  

More educational content

Picturing a People: George Johnston, Tlingit Photographer
Purchase options
Licence Information
Already paid to see this film?
Licence Information
Download licence details
Personal & Single-Classroom Use

Who it’s for:

Individuals watching for personal use, and parents or teachers wishing to screen a film for a single class in Canada.

What it allows:

  • Private, personal viewing in Canada and worldwide.
  • Screening the film for a single class in Canada.
  • Downloading and watching offline.

What it does not allow:

  • Screenings or events for multiple classes, school boards, or campus-wide events.
  • Community, public or institutional screenings or events.

Bonus materials are not included with the downloaded film.

Institutional Use

Who it's for:

Organizations, government departments, businesses and non-profits. For other institutions seeking licensing options, please contact info@nfb.ca .

What it allows:

  • Internal screenings for employees, members or patrons.
  • Screenings open to the public on the organization’s premises, with no admission fee and outside the commercial cinema circuit.
Looking to host a one-time public screening instead?

Who it's for:

Public libraries, community groups, NGOs and other organizations wishing to host a one-time public screening in Canada with no admission fee.

How to request a screening:

Complete the “Request to screen an NFB film” form.

For any questions, email communityscreenings@nfb.ca.

Streaming restrictions

Films purchased as downloads (DTO) cannot be hosted on a streaming server without prior authorization.

To request permission to add these films to an institutional or educational streaming server, contact info@nfb.ca.