Bones of Crows, written and directed by Marie Clements and produced by Marie Clements, Trish Dolman, Christine Haebler, and Sam Grana (with Ayasew Ooskana Pictures, Marie Clements Media, Screen Siren Pictures, and Grana Productions), has been applauded for the way it painstakingly and seamlessly integrates emotionally compelling and honest details to assemble a storyline that left audiences breathless and deeply impacted. Crafting a mosaic of this level of intensity and aligning the pieces of Place, People, and Process in an ethical and responsible production that took care of the story and the people involved was a labour of love, which has been well received on and off-screen. The film has already left a legacy from a filmmaking perspective, but the work that was done was intended to create ripples of representation and shifts in ways of creating that will support the decolonizing of this industry.

In this article, Vancouver-based Leena Minifie (Gitxaala Nation/British), Associate Producer and Indigenous Cultural Liaison for Bones of Crows, takes us through the process she used for her work on the project, outlining steps to create the series and feature film that center responsible practices, community accountability, and thoughtful decision making throughout.

Learn More About the Protocols, Permissions & Processes