Alexandra Lazarowich: Documentary Trailblazer
Alexandra started her career as a child actor, but then made the switch to producing and directing documentary films when she discovered that the real change for what’s shown on the screen is made from behind the camera.
Alexandra produced the documentary short Cree Code Talker. It tells the story of the elite unit during the second World War that was tasked with developing a coded system using the Cree language to disguise military intelligence for allied forces.
Alexandra also directed the documentary short Fast Horse, that follows the Siksika Nation Indian Relay team as they make their debut at the Calgary Stampede. Fast Horse was screened at Sundance, won numerous awards, and it is nominated for a Canadian Screen Award.
She’s also a founding member of the COUSIN Collective, a group that supports Indigenous artists through film.
In this episode:
We hear about how Alexandra got started in film as a child actor, how she made the switch to documentaries, and the challenges she faced as a director. Then, we hear about Cree Code Talker and Fast Horse, the reasons behind the production of these documentary shorts, and why indigenous representation is important in film. Next, Alexandra tells us about the opportunities for women and indigenous people in film, the COUSIN Collective, and some of Alexandra’s upcoming projects. Finally, we hear Alexandra’s three tips for starting out in the industry.
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Credits:
Executive Producers: Elise Graham, Ava Karvonen, Samantha Quantz, Theresa Wynnyk; Senior Producer: Sheena Rossiter; Associate Producer: Shayna Giles; Host: Sheena Rossiter; Audio Technician: Sheena Rossiter; Social Media Coordinator: Shayna Giles; Original Storylines theme composed by Aaron Macri and Laura Raboud. Produced with support from Alberta’s Ministry of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women. Special thanks to FAVA for it’s support in this production.
This episode sponsored by:
1844 Studios Inc. is a film production company situated in Edmonton, Alberta. 1844 Studios produces content in a variety of genres which tells us about the universality of human emotion despite diversity of human experience. For more information visit www.1844studios.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.