Home	Urban Nation	Writings	Contact

Collaborators

The Tunguska Project Credits

Directed + Produced by Gisèle Gordon

Creative Collaborator + Associate Producer Kent Monkman

Camera David Best

Editor Roland Schlimme

Russian Production Coordinator
& Interpreter Elena Batygina

Sound & Music Editor Phil Strong

Composer Dustin Peters

Co-Director David Best
Additional Camera + Sound Gisèle Gordon

Executive Producer Jody Shapiro

On screen in order of appearance:
Floyd Favel
James Noon, Floyd's uncle
Monique Mojica, Dramaturge
Olga Alexandrova, Actor/Director
Andrei Ol'khovatov, Scientist, Tunguska Specialist
Karl Catterall, Traveller

Speakers at the Tura Cultural Centre:
Nina Alexeevna Kuleshova, Minister of Culture, Evenkia,
Augustina Prokopievna Oyun, Actor
Evgenia Alexeevna Kureskaya, Singer/Songwriter
Vladimir Khomenko, Singer/Songwriter
Lena Batygina, Interpreter

Vanavara Presentation:
(Grandma) Tatania I. Tarpushonok
Lydia M. Tarpushonok
N.V. Yakushko
Yuliana Ankoul

Reindeer Herding Brigade Number 7:
The Pankagir family, Pavel, Luba, Octavia, Tonia, Seymon, and Vala, Olek, and Anton

Re-Recording Mixer Kevin Tokar
Online Assembly Brian Karn
Colour Correction Colin Moore
Graphic Design Don Monkman
Cree Syllabic Font Design Jamie Monkman
Ekonda Interpreter Natalia Lukianenko
Customs Assistance Vladimir Gabyshev
Russian Translation Alla Itkis
Cree Translation Gail Maurice
Evenki Translation Victor Atknine

Music:
"Tunguska from Space"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters
Remixed by Phil Strong

"Regina"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters

"Home" (Cree)
Improvised and performed by Gail Maurice

"Floyd's Improv"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters

"Mother's Honour" (Cree)
Written and performed by Gail Maurice

"Syr Techno"
Composed and arranged by Phil Strong

"Moscow Metro"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters

"On the Street"
Traditional Russian Dance song
Performed by Tamara Smyslova Theatre of Folk Music
Courtesy of Eugene Karpov

"Train Song"
Cree traditional
Performed by Floyd Favel

"Tura Hymn"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters

"Tura Requiem"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters
Remixed by Phil Strong

"Yegai" (Evenki)
Performed by Evgenia Alexeevna Kureskaya, written by her grandfather

"Love Song"
Cree traditional
Performed by Floyd Favel

"Winter 2000"
Written and performed by Vladimir Khomenko"Flight to Vanavara"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters with improvised
Hamus (mouth harp) by Helena Alexovna
Remixed by Phil Strong

"Syr Techno Reprise"
Composed and arranged by Phil Strong

"Nava" (Uzbek)
by Turgun Alimatov from 'The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan,' Smithsonian Folkways SFW40438, provided courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. © 2002. Used by permission.

"May God Give you Good Health" (Evenki)
Performed by Augustina Prokopievna Oyun, written by her father

"Floyd in Evenkia" (Evenki)
Written and performed by Alexandra (Shura) Udygir and Snezhanna Kombagir
Variation on on Evenki traditional

"Yokorio"
Evenki traditional, performed by Luba Pankagir

"Flight to Epicentre"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters
Remixed by Phil Strong

"Epicentre Improv"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters
Remixed by Phil Strong

"Oksitakan (Evenki)
Written and performed by Evgenia Alexeevna Kureskaya

"Landing"
Composed and performed by Dustin Peters
With Evenki traditional Hamus (mouth harp) by Olessya Espek
Remixed by Phil Strong

Image of Siberia from space (STS099-715-11) courtesy of the Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

Childrens' paintings of the Tunguska explosion used by kind permission of Olga Kostina, Crosna Gallery, Moscow
Archival footage from the 1928 "Soviet Film Magazine," used by kind permission of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences

Many thanks to:
Kelley Alexander
David Anderson
Roberto Arignello
Cameron Bailey
Tamara Berger
Florence Best
Darin Bird
Dermot Brennan
Valerie Buhagiar
Craig Campbell
Lynne Carter
Karl Catterall
Shirley Cheechoo
Lynne Chichakian
Michael Connolly
Noah Cowan
David Craig
Joseph Doane
Tony Elliott
Charlotte Engel
Ilse Gordon
Marion F. Gordon
Danis Goulet
Keith Goulet
John Greyson
Joachim Otto Habeck
Fernando Hernandez
Rachel Fulford
Daniel Iron
Robin Jackson
Sherrie Johnson
Ali Kazimi
Philippa King
Melanie Klodt
Srinivas Krishna
Vanessa Lam
Dan Lander
Yvette Lang
Eyan Logan
Sheena Macdonald
Laurel MacDonald
Annette Mangaard
Gail Maurice
Margaret (Maggie) Maurice
Pelagie Maurice
Tracey McCorrister
Kristina McLaughlin
Kevin McMahon
Michael McMahon
Lorraine Mejorado
Laura Michalchyshyn
Ruth Miller
Robin Mirsky
Anna Marie Obey
Andrew North
Janet Obey
Alanis Obomsawin
Sergei Ostrenko
Mary Peelen
Sarah Polley
Ian Reid
Angela Rudden
Jason Ryle
Kerri Sakamoto
Julian Siggers
Ruth Smillie
Geeta Sondhi
Peter Starr
Philomene Starr
Angela Stukator
Kerry Swanson
Herrie ten Cate
Wanda vanderStoop
Clement Virgo
Cicely Yalden

Post Audio Mixing Kitchen Sync Digital Audio
Post Video Services Magnetic North
Equipment Rental Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto
Film Processing and Transfer Exclusive Film and Video

Bolshoi Spasiba to:
Administration of Evenkia Autonomous Area
The Governor of Evenki Autonomous Region, Boris Nikolaevich Zolotarev
Head of Representative Office of Evenkia, Elena Batygina
The Canadian Embassy to the Russian Federation
Elena Gaisina, Public and Cultural Affairs
Mark Opgenorth and Alison Grant
Olga Alexandrova
Karl Catterall
Nikta Kaplin, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North
Irina Karapetians
Vadim Kolganov
Yuri Labvin
Ludmila Nikolaevna Logunova, "Tungusky" State Nature Reserve
Mark MacKinnon
Carolynne Wheeler MacKinnon
Sevyan Vainshtein
Aleksei Vakhrushev

BAIKIT
Sturov Vladimir Konstantionovitch, Head of the Baikit Administration
Valery Mironov

EKONDA
Viktoria Petrovna Fedorova, Mayor
Khristina Filippovna Khirogir
Grigory Nikolaevich Khutokogir
Daria Fedorovna Khukochar
Nina Petrovna Zhoiga, Gou Nosh Ekonda Public School
Snezhanna Andreevna Kombagir
Natalia Kupriyanovna Emidak
Alexandra "Shura" Anatol'evna Udygir
Zoya Trofimovna Yalogir

TURA
Andrei Ageev
Vladimir Khomenko
Nina Alexeevna Kuleshova
Evgenia Alexeevna Kureskaya
Lukianenko Family
Svetlana Shurshilova
Tania Shurshilova
Angela Sumakova
Nina Vasilievna
Alexander Yashutkin
Olga Yashutkina
Natalia Yashutkina
Staff of Tura hospital

Produced and Developed in Association with
Bravo! Canada

Produced and Developed
with the financial support of the
Canada Council for the Arts

Produced with the financial participation of
Canadian Television Fund

Rogers Documentary Fund

Ontario Arts Council

Produced in Association with
IFC: The Independent Film Channel Canada

and with the assistance of
The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program
and with the assistance of
the Government of Ontario -
The Ontario Film & Television Tax Credit

Developed with the assistance of
Telefilm Canada

Very special thanks to

Lena Batygina

Kent Monkman

Jody Shapiro

and

Floyd Favel

(c) 2005 Tunguska Productions Inc.

Jody Shapiro
Jody was the Executive Producer on The Tunguska Project. For Rhombus Media, Jody recently produced Guy Maddin’s feature film, The
Saddest Music in the World, starring Mark McKinney and Isabella Rossellini,
and Kevin McMahon’s documentary, An Idea of Canada, featuring The Governor
General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson. Jody also produced the Preludes, ten
short films celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Toronto International
Film Festival. These included the Genie nominated short, Camera, directed by
David Cronenberg and Guy Maddin’s Genie winner, The Heart of the World.

Jody produced and directed three independent documentaries for CBC Newsworld, ICEBREAKER (2005), SCREEF: Treeplanter Friendly (1998) and Collection (2000). His first documentary, Do You Love Me? was nominated for Best Social Issue Documentary at Hot Docs Festival in 1994. His short experimental documentary, 10 Seconds of Protest, screened at the 2002 Images Festival.

Visit Jody's website here.

David Best
Dav shot and co-directed The Tunguska Project. His past creadit include - Bed 23, Do You Love Me, Screef, Collection - which have earned rave reviews and awards across North America.

Return to top

Floyd Favel

Floyd is one of Canada's most innovative and critically respected theatre artists.

His work incorporates an intuitive traditional approach with his international classical theatre training at such places as the Tukak Teatret of Denmark, and Centro per la Sperimentazione e la Ricerca Teatrale, in Italy. He has worked extensively across Canada for such venues as: The National Theatre School of Canada, The Citadel Theatre, The Catalyst Theatre, The Globe Theatre (mainstage and youth theatre), 25th Street Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Compagnie Pol Pelletier, Fujiwara Dance Inventions, The Canada Dance Festival, The Banff Centre for the Arts, and the Montreal Playwrights Workshop. He wrote and directed the plays, Governor of the Dew and The Sleeping Land.

He has collaborated with Kent on theatre pieces and formed the dance company Tipiskaki Goroh with Kent and Michael. Floyd's research for his play, The Sleeping Land inspired the documentary, The Tunguska Project

Floyd Favel is Plains Cree from the Poundmaker Reserve near North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Visit Floyd's web site

Phillip Djwa

A multimedia artist who lives in Vancouver, Phillip has worked on over one hundred professional and amateur productions of dance and theatre as a composer or artistic collaborator. He composed the music for A Nation is Coming and the soundscape for Creation Wheel, one of Kent's installations.

He has produced a community television show with San Francisco based artist Guillermo Gomez-Pena that was seen by over 3 million people, won numerous awards and is carried by Video Data Bank in Chicago. He is an artistic contributor to Second Decade, a group of artists that has produced 14 PSA's for AIDS education. He currently works as a Creative Director in the expanding world of the web.

Contact Phillip

Michael Greyeyes

Blood River Collaborators

ROSE is played by Jennifer Podemski
Jennifer starred in Dance Me Outside, The Rez and The Diviners. In Blood River, she plays Rose who searches for her Native roots partly so she can distance herself from her embarrassing adoptive mother Claire. More recently Jennifer starred in the film Looking for Lost Bird which will air on CBS later this fall. Other projects include Sarah Polley's short film, Don't Think Twice, a CTV movie Wandering Soul Murders, and a Bulgarian film, SHE, in which she plays the Queen of Darkness. Jennifer is also a director, producer and partner in Big Soul Productions which produces an Aboriginal youth role model television series, The Seventh Generation. Jennifer is of Ojibwe and Jewish heritage.

CLAYTON is played by Gregory "Dominic" Odjig
Gregory Dominic Odjig is an Odawa from  the Unceded Nation of Wikwemikong, Manitoulin Island, Ontario. He has been acting an Dancing across Canada for over the past 10 years. and now living in Toronto.He Graduated from Sudbury Seconday School for Preforming Arts where he majored in Drama and minored in Dance and music. He has worked for De-ba-jeh-meh-jig theatre, Shadowland theatre, Two Planks and a passion, Native Earth INC.Video Cabaret, Dance Arts Vancouver, Centre for Indigennous Theatre, Karen Jamieson Dance Company, Manitoba Theatre for Young Poeple, and Magnus Theatre. He as played the role og Greg in the Television Series "Exibit A Forensics of Science" And is the Drummer for the Toronto-Blues-Rock band Kiiznun. He recently directed the hilarious short drama, Yourra, which premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.To contact Greg, click here.

BEAR is played by Brandon Oakes
Blood River is Brandon's first film role. He spends as much time as possible on the West Coast as one of the world's few Mohawk surfers. To contact Brandon, click here.

TANTOO'S DOUBLE: Cheri Maracle
Cheri is a talented actor who happens to be the same height as Tantoo Cardinal.

ANONYMOUS MAN: David Fowler

HUSTLERS: David Leung, Cliff Caines, Craig Fleming

BASHERS: John Kuisma, David Riding

Director of Photography: Marcus Elliott
Marcus is one of Toronto's best, and best-loved, cinematographers.

Editor: Vesna Svilanovic
Award-winning editor Vesna Svilanovic started her career in the arts as a dancer in before moving to theatre administration. For the past decade she has edited shorts, dramas, and many lyrical dance films. In 1999 she won a Gemini for the Best Picture Editing in a Performing Arts, Comedy & Variety Program or Series category for "Dances for a Small Screen".

Sound Design: Phil Strong
Phil is a musician and composer as well as being an incredible sound designer. For details on his various projects, see his web site.

Composer: Anne Bourne
A reknowned composer, cellist and musicican, Anne has collaborated with musicians from all over the world and scored many films, including Project Grizzly.

Design Consultant: Kei Ng Yoh

Art Director: Kevin Krivel
Kevin is a graphic designer as well as an Art Director.

Line Producer: Brenda Darling
Brenda worked in theatre administration for many years before switching to film.

Production Manager: Craig Fleming
Craig has worked on music videos and independent films in almost every capacity.

First Assistant Director: David Fowler
Dave has produced and first AD'd commercial projects for years. He is currently finishing post production on a short film he wrote and directed, and writing his next project.

Story Editor: Gisele Gordon

2nd Assistant Director: Jo Hall

3rd Assistant Director: Cliff Caines
Cliff is currently enrolled in the multimedia program at the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Script Supervisor: Katherine Laing

Accent Coach: Mira Bank Brockman
Mira is a theatre director in Manhatten and a close friend of Tantoo.

Sound Recordist: Jason Milligan
Jason is a Music Producer and Location Sound Recordist for Film. For more information, see his web site.

Boom Operator: Bill Kole

1st Assistant Camera:Eric Jacobsen

2nd Assistant Camera: Jaclyn Young

Gaffer: Rob Arber

Electrics: Lorne Cardinal, Andrew Sneyd
Lorne is a very talented actor as well as being a great grip.

Swing: Craig Coleman

Key Grips: Manuel Neves, Dan Stephenson

Grips: David Riding, Chris Radway

Daily Grips: Gord Henning, Greg Odjig

Gregory Dominic Odjig is an Odawa from  the Unceded Nation of Wikwemikong, Manitoulin Island, Ontario. He has been acting an Dancing across Canada for over the past 10 years. and now living in Toronto.He Graduated from Sudbury Seconday School for Preforming Arts where he majored in Drama and minored in Dance and music. He has worked for De-ba-jeh-meh-jig theatre, Shadowland theatre, Two Planks and a passion, Native Earth INC.Video Cabaret, Dance Arts Vancouver, Centre for Indigennous Theatre, Karen Jamieson Dance Company, Manitoba Theatre for Young Poeple, and Magnus Theatre. He as played the role og Greg in the Television Series "Exibit A Forensics of Science" And is the Drummer for the Toronto-Blues-Rock band Kiiznun. He recently directed the hilarious short drama, Yourra, which premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

Wardrobe Design: Shannon Pomakov

Rose's Wardrobe by Geek Boutique

Hair & Make-up: Samantha Sutton

Hair & Make Up Assistant: Sita Power

Claire's contact lenses donated by Dr. Upen Kawale

Mattie and Claire's Wigs donated by Hiscott Beauty Supplies and Continental Hair (Toronto)

Assistant Art Director: Brendan McMurray
Brendan has worked in film for about eight years doing set building, set decorating, props, special fx, makeup, animatronics, acting, flirting, and trying to have as much fun as possible without compromising his very high proffesional standards in the process.

Art Department Assistant: Margie Galita

Daily Art Dept. Assistant: Alvin Ang

Set P.A: Ian Morven

Daily Set P.A: Nicole Chung

Drivers: Cliff Canes, Cameron Bailey

Catering: One Hour for Lunch

Craft Service: Javier Dominguez

Production Insurance: Unionville Insurance

Set Photographer: Alexander Plata
As well as being a talented photographer, Alexander is an editor, camera man, and occasional actor for the spectacular and notorius Trailer Vision.

Graphic Design: Don Monkman
Based in Winnipeg, Don is a full time designer for Indian Life. He designed the promotional material and sales sheets for Blood River.

Promotional Items: Proforma Adam Promotions

SECOND UNIT

Additional Photography: Christopher Mills

Gaffer: Daniel Paquette

Key Grip: David Riding

Grips: Craig Coleman, John Kuisma

Set Security: Tony Manco

Set P.A.s: Cliff Caines, Jamie Partington

Make Up: Sita Power

POST PRODUCTION

Assistant Editor: Kelly Proctor

F/X Editor Christopher Mills
Christopher works full time at Partners, shooting, directing and editing music videos, but can sometimes be coaxed to put his impressive talents to use for unusual film projects. His remixing of the dream sequences gave them the essential disturbing, nightmarish edge.

On-line Editor: Vipin Sharma
As well as being an editor for short films and television, Vipin is also an accomplished filmmaker.

Dialogue Editor: Laurel MacDonald

After Effects Editor: Jason Romilly

Sound Mixer: John Hazen

Negative Cut: Catherine Rankin

Digital Video to film transfer: - Matthew Duncan at Globale Vision

Film Timer: Peter Korsitzke at Medallion PFA

Optical Track: Ray Cook at McClear Pathe

Original Music by:

Ken Myhr:
Ken Myhr has been a professional musician for over 20 years working with a diverse group of peers including Cowboy Junkies, Jane Siberry, Carol Pope, Duke Ellington alumnae Fred Stone and many more too numerous to mention. He has been a guest on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brian, Much Music, etc. He can be heard on over 40 CDís and has written music for more than 35 films including the title theme music for the Nature of Things, Project Grizzly, The Herd and of course Blood River, for which he wrote music for the dream sequences. To create what he calls pow wow boom box he sampled the Stoney Park Singers and combined them with block rockin' beats. He continues his collaboration with Urban Nation creating hybrid music to be made available in CD form. For information on availability, contact Ken by clicking on his name above.

jackson 2 bears:
Jackson is a young Mohawk visual, video and sound artist from Six Nations, Ontario. He combines a background in fine arts from University of Toronto and Sheridan College with electronic music and video installations at Toronto dance clubs. His musical palette includes drum 'n' bass, traditional powwow music, and haunting soundscapes. To see what he's been up to recently, check out his web site.

Gloria May Eshkibok:
Gloria May is well known for her rich, powerful singing both alone and with her group, The Unceded Band. She has also acted in countless theatre and film productions, including Dance Me Outside. She recently received an Aboriginal Storytellers grant from the Canada Council to write an autobiographical piece, "Cyclops Beauty." She will be starring in the upcoming must-see Marie Humber Clemments play "Unnnatural and Accidental Women" at the Fire Hall Arts Center in Vancouver from Nov 4th - Nov 25th. This play is a true story about a barber in the Hasting street strip who seduced street women, mainly Native, into his barber shop, convinced them to drink down a bottle of whisky for 20 bucks, then he raped them, braided their hair, cut the braid and dumped them in alleys in Vancouver for the police to find. The police then labelled the deaths as "unnatural and accidental." Gloria is Odawa from the 3 Fires Confederacy in Wikwemikong UNCEDED Territory on Manitoulin Island.

Stoney Park:
The Stoney Park singers have many cds available from their label, Sweetgrass Records in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Powow Singer/Drummer: Andrew Bainbridge "Red Fox Child"
Andrew is Salteaux from the Sturgeon Clan of Sakgeeng, Manitoba. He is a stone sculptor who has artwork all over the world.

Vocals: Gloria May Eshkibok, Laurel MacDonald
Laurel sang "What a Friend we Have in Jesus" for Blood River. Her own singing is on the other end of the creative spectrum and can be heard on her web site.

Scratcher: Nik Szymanis

An Extra Special Thank You to:
Tantoo Cardinal (& Riel and Cliff), Marcus Elliott, Kishwar Iqbal, Alexander Plata & John Marshall

Special Thanks to: Christine Alexander, Kelley Alexander, Luis & Suzie Anselmon, Cameron Bailey, maxine bailey, Alex Bystram, Anya Bystram, Celia Cassels, Lynne Chichakian, Kathleen Climie, Shirley Cheechoo, Andrew Cullen, Sandra Cunningham, Audrey Debassige, Luis De Braga, Stacey DeWolfe, Tanya Doody, Scott Drewery, James Dunnison, Robert Fantinato, Melanie Ferandez, James Fiege, Sari Friedland, Jason Fudge, Andy Gordon, Bruce Gordon, Colin Gordon, Ilse Gordon, Carol Greyeyes, Michael Greyeyes, Carolynne Hew, Sheila Hunter, I Mother Earth, Peter Joseph, Kevin Kelly, Srinivas Krishna, Greg Klimkew, Sylvain Lavigne, Helen Lee, Zack Marquardt, Mary Jane MacCallum, Pam Matthews, McBride Cycle, Lynda McCormack, Bruce McDonald, Kei Ng, Gerald Packer, Manuel Rego, Dan Sadler, McBride Cycle, Melissa Schlegel, Fiona Smyth, Sweetgrass Gallery, Richard Switzer, James Weyman, Alex & Felix Wittholz, Justine Whyte, Steve Wright, Sweetgras Gallery, brian wright-mcleod, Clement Virgo,

A.C.T.R.A - Richard Todd, Cathy Wendt
Charles Street Video - Greg Woodbury, Ross Turnbull, Konrad
Future Bakery
Kodak - Wendy Kofler
The Lab - Ed Higginson
Medallion PFA - Brian White
P.S Production Services - John Feeney
Starbucks Coffee - David Dolejsi
Theatre D Digital - John Hazen, Dan Peale

and every cast and crew member.

Produced with the assistance of: The Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, The City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, The National Film Board (The Filmmaker Assistance Program) and the Mulitculturalism Program, Department of Canadian Heritage

Return to top