Vancouver, BC – November 21, 2023: Astrolabe Musik Theatre and Opus 59 Films have announced the upcoming television debut of ‘The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ,’ a TELUS original documentary. After its successful world premiere at the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) in Montreal, this film focuses on the decolonization journey surrounding a 1950s Canadian opera based on the syilx people and early settlers in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
Audiences in Canada can catch the film on TELUS Optik TV Channel 8 and globally on watch.telusoriginals.com starting December 14th, 2023, without charge.
Directed by John Bolton (‘Aim For The Roses’), ‘The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ’ stands as the first Canadian opera intentionally crafted for film. It showcases the remarkable collaboration between Westbank First Nation elder and artist, Delphine Derickson, and Canadian soprano Heather Pawsey. This documentary captures their transformative two-year partnership, reviving ‘The Lake,’ an opera composed in 1952 by Barbara Pentland, while integrating syilx / Okanagan perspectives.
Through a blend of Indigenous and non-Indigenous music, stories, and dance from the original 2014 live-staged production, the film encapsulates the project’s achievements and setbacks. ‘The Lake / nx̌aʔx̌aʔitkʷ’ embodies moments of joy and poignancy, echoing the harmony found in genuine communication.
The documentary features a diverse cast, including individuals from Westbank First Nation, Shuswap/secwépemc Nation, Japanese-Canadian composer Leslie Uyeda, Turning Point Ensemble members, and renowned Canadian opera singers, among others.
Produced and directed by John Bolton, with Heather Pawsey as producer and Delphine Derickson as associate producer, the film is part of TELUS Originals and receives support from various foundations and sponsors.
