O'Donnell Lecture: Alanis Obomsawin "Waban-Aki People From Where The Sun Rises"

Alanis Obomsawin has become, perhaps, not only Canada's most famous indigenous filmmaker but also one of the more well-known Canadian documentarians.

Her work, like that of the National Film Board's (NFB), is designed to show aspects of Canada not regularly seen. Obomsawin, however, subverts this ideal in the sense that her films are not necessarily made for all Canadians.

That is to say, her films are made primarily, at the levels of both production and reception, with first-nations people in mind. English and French Canadians are, for the most part, reflected only in terms of governmental policies and actions that directly affect the indigenous people presented in her films.

Obomsawin's films are also significant in the sense that they are perfect examples of Third World filmmaking within the First World. They reflect the need for change in how the First World treats its indigenous peoples.

Her films also reflect a rejection of First World film styles and aesthetics in favour of a more reflexive style which compels the viewer not only to actively deconstruct the issues being discussed but also the filmmaking style they are presented in.