Marie-Hélène Cousineau facts for kids

Marie-Hélène Cousineau is a talented Canadian film director and producer. She was born in Quebec, Canada. In 1990, she moved to Igloolik, which is now part of Nunavut.

There, she helped start a filmmaking group called Arnait Video Productions. This group focuses on telling stories through film.

One of her most famous films is Before Tomorrow. She co-directed it with Madeline Ivalu. It came out in 2008. Both Cousineau and Ivalu were nominated for a Genie Award for Best Director. They were also nominated for Best Screenplay with Susan Avingaq.

Later, Marie-Hélène worked with Madeline Ivalu again on the film Uvanga. She also teamed up with Susan Avingaq for the documentary Sol. This film looks into the mysterious death of a young Inuit man named Solomon Uyurasuk. More recently, she worked with Ivalu on Restless River. This movie is based on a book by Gabrielle Roy.

Early Life and Education

Marie-Hélène Cousineau was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She studied art history at university. She earned degrees from Université Lavalle and Université du Québec à Montréal. She also got a master's degree in communication studies from the University of Iowa.

She has taught at different colleges. She also taught at Concordia University in Montreal.

In 1990, Cousineau moved to Igloolik. She went there to work with Zacharias Kunuk. They wanted to set up the Tarriaksuk Video Centre. While in Igloolik, she taught a class. It was about how to make videos. This class was offered through the Arctic College.

Starting Arnait Video Productions

The video class inspired Marie-Hélène. She wanted to create a workshop for women to learn filmmaking. In 1991, a group called Arnait Ikajurtigiit was founded. This name means "women helping each other."

Arnait was first set up as a non-profit group. Susan Avingaq, Madeline Ivalu, and Mathilda Hanniliaq joined Cousineau as founders. All these women were from Igloolik. Later, Arnait became a for-profit company. This allowed them to get more funding. Susan Avingaq, Madeline Ivalu, and Cousineau became partners in the company. It was called Arnait Video Productions Inc. Marie-Hélène Cousineau worked as a writer, director, and producer for Arnait.

Film Projects and Impact

In their early work, Arnait made short videos. These videos told stories about women's lives. For example, in Qulliq (1993), the women showed how to light a traditional seal oil lamp. This lamp is called a qulliq.

In Attagutalak Starvation (1992), an elder named Rose Ukkumaluk shared a story. She told the tale of Attagutaaluk, a woman who survived a harsh winter. With Inuit Midwives (1991), the group recorded many interviews. They wanted to save old Inuit stories and traditions.

Arnait was also quick to use new technology. In 2001, they produced Live from the Tundra. This was streamed online for five days. Around this time, the Arnait members helped create Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner). This experience encouraged them to make longer films. These included Before Tomorrow (2008) and Restless River (2019).

Cousineau also produced two TV series set in the North. These were The Uluit: Champions of the North (2011) and Sivummut: Going Forward (2014). Arnait has also worked on cultural projects in other places. They have gone to Oaxaca, Mexico, and Nuuk, Greenland. This helps them share the voices of Indigenous people from different areas. Arnait also has an online channel. It is on Isuma.tv, a platform for Indigenous filmmakers.

Films Directed or Produced

• Inuit Midwives (1991)
• Attagutalak Starvation (1992)
• Quilliq (1993)
• Anaana (2001)
• Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain) (2008) (writer and co-director with Madeline Ivalu)
• The Uluit: Champions of the North (2011) (producer)
• Uvanga (2013) (writer/director)
• Sol (2014) (co-director with Susan Avingaq and co-writer with Dana Schoel)
• Tia and Piujuq (producer/screenwriter)
• Angelique's Isle (2018) (director)
• Restless River (La rivière sans repos) (2019) (co-directed with Madeline Ivalu)