Lesson 4: So You Wanna Be an Actor (Anna Lambe)
CREATE TO LEARN
Video Clips:
Examples of Indigenous Misrepresentation in Children's Movies (tip: stop to discuss after each
example)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmqI6Sz_TR4
A Look at Bugs Bunny's Racist Past
The Simpsons
Family Guy
Native American Actors Walk Off Film Set
ACQUIRE: "SO YOU WANNA BE AN ACTOR" BY ANNA LAMBE
Have students read "So You Wanna Be an Actor" by Anna Lambe, found on pages 142- 156 of
the Create to Learn textbook. Alternatively, students can watch her lessons here: https://www.
createtolearn.ca/tutorial/be-an-actor
To debrief the reading, ask the class the following questions:
1. What tips does Anna give for getting involved in the film industry?
2. What are Anna's audition tips?
3. Why does Anna say self-care is important in the film industry? How does this relate to
the video clips we watched?
4. What questions does Anna ask herself relating to self-care?
5. What is an agent and what are the benefits of having one?
APPLY: SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Divide students into small groups. Inform them that they are going to watch a couple more
video clips of tv and movies about Indigenous people, acted by Indigenous people. They will
then engage in small group discussions comparing these clips to the clips previously watched
at the beginning of the lesson.
Remind students of the importance of discussion etiquette, including being respectful to all
group members, ensuring that all members have a chance to speak, and staying on topic.
Remind them that the goal is to engage in high-level discussions about Indigenous represen-
tation in media and that they will be self-assessing their participation at the end.
Video Clips:
The Grizzlies Trailer (Anna Lambe plays Spring)
After showing the class the clip, read the background information below.
Background: "The filmmakers included Inuit people in every aspect of the making of The Griz-
zlies. That way, the film would not only represent the Inuit experience, but it could provide a
training ground for Inuit and Indigenous filmmakers who could go on to make their own films.
A paid mentorship program invited Inuit actors, crew, musicians and other creative collabora-
tors to participate, and in the end, more than 91 percent of the cast and more than 33 percent
of the crew were Inuit or Indigenous"
Source: "The Grizzlies Trivia". IMDB. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6365796/
trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv
1. What is your overall reaction to the clip?
2. Who do you think the target audience is for this film?
3. How are the Inuit portrayed? Is it stereotypical? Complex? Both?
4. How is the relationship between the non-Indigenous teacher and the Inuit population
portrayed?