Kwi’ah: The Girl Who Heals

  • Target Audience: K - Grade 5
    Run Time: 34 minutes

  • Written by Joseph A. Dandurand
    Directed & Dramaturged by Chris McGregor
    Director of Photography & Film Editor Angelica Perez Anzures
    Sound Design and Editing by Noah Valentine Meyer and Stephen Bulat
    Set, Prop, Puppet, Mask & Costume Design by Jay Havens
    Original Composition by Joseph A. Dandurand, Michael Kelly-Gabriel, and Kevin Kelly
    Artwork (above) by Jay Havens and Ion Design

  • Kwi’ah Chelsea Rose
    Sasq’ets (Sasquatch) Sam Bob
    Sqeweqs (Raven) Joel Montgrand
    Sp’oq’es (Eagles) Oddessa Shuquaya

  • The study guide will help prepare your students for the live theatre performance and use the performance to enhance your art curriculum in the classroom. DOWNLOAD [PDF]

  • This document outlines what you will need to make the virtual performance the best it can be for your classroom/theatre! DOWNLOAD [PDF]

  • Media Downloads

    Get high-resolution photos for promotional usages or to elevate discussions after viewing. DROPBOX FOLDER

Summary

Journey to a time long ago on the Kwantlen lands and meet Kwi’ah, a young woman who ventures across a river and into a great cedar forest to seek understanding on how to heal her people from a terrible sickness. The ancient healer Sasq’ets (Sasquatch) may have the wisdom Kwi’ah seeks. Her travels reveal that there are others that urgently require Sasq’ets healing secrets. She crosses paths with Sqeweqs (Raven) and Sp’oq’es (Eagle) who hope to gain the wisdom to save their own communities from fire and famine. Together, they learn and share healing dances and songs to save their people, the fish, and the earth.

Inspired by Kwantlen First Nation tales and molded through the creative genius of Joseph A. Dandurand, Kwi’ah: The Girl Who Heals explores the issues around health and uncertainty, encouraging us to uplift our communities during dark times.

Launch Stream

Film stills taken from “Kwi’ah: The Girl Who Heals”, Director of Photography Angelica Perez-Anzures.

“I think the outdoor setting was so beautiful…”

“I think the outdoor setting was so beautiful, the special effects well done, the shadow puppets for the story in the story very helpful for the students to catch that the storyteller was now sharing.”

- Jennifer Felker, Laura Secord Elementary

“The shadow puppetry was something that we continued into our own studies...lots of fun with them!”

“They loved it. They were happy to see familiar characters but a bit shocked to see different actors. Eventually, the new actors grew on them. Sqeweqs and his worms is very funny, Sasq’ets big feet were stunning, the forest fires were frightening...lots of questions if this was really happening during the film shoot. They loved see the drone shots flying over the Fraser Valley. The shadow puppetry was something that we continued into our own studies...lots of fun with them!”

- Rosa, Ecole Elsie Mironuck Comm School

“They loved the beautiful costumes and how the creatures were represented.”

“They loved that it was filmed outdoors. They loved the beautiful costumes and how the creatures were represented. As they spoke about the story, many of them began to use the Indigenous language names for the creatures as introduced in the performance.”

- Dana Mulder, Tecumseh Elementary