Young Artist Series: Filmmaker Kennlin Barlow

This video, produced by Woven Cultures Tissées, is made available to NB Media Co-op readers through a collaboration between Woven Cultures and the NB Media Coop. The video, a conversation between Kennlin Barlow and Inda Intiar, was launched on YouTube on May 20, 2020.

An East-Indian cab passenger asks “you are not Canadian, right?” to the Chilean taxi driver while an Indigenous man films.

Mi’kmaq filmmaker Kennlin Barlow has directed at least 10 short films and was recently featured in Saint Thomas University’s inaugural Indigenous Film Festival alongside Canadian icon Alanis Obomsawin.

Barlow, who identifies as two-spirit, hails from Indian Island First Nation, near Richibucto. He credits his older sister, also a filmmaker, for inspiring him to make films.

Barlow’s style is very original, bordering on experimental. His non-narrative films feature innovative soundscapes and textured cinematography.

The film Twelve-Thirty features an opening over two-minute dizzying shot of a wild sea from what appears to be a ship, complete with black noise to make the experience deafening. What continues is a mix of what Barlow calls “B-Roll” as he is filming cityscapes from a moving cab and the beautiful Niagara Falls. Water sound and movement entirely dominate this intriguing piece.

Barlow’s films have also been featured at the ImagiNATIVE and Halifax Independent Film Festivals.

In this video, he talks about the sources of inspiration for his film work and his current projects.

Sophie M. Lavoie writes on arts and culture for the NB Media Co-op and is a member of the Editorial Board.