Inendi. The documentary, which is available to stream on CBC Gem, chronicles the life of her great-aunt Mary Bell, a knowledge-keeper and the oldest remaining matriarch in her family. Mary survived nearly a decade in a residential school and worked on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, recording the stories of other survivors. We spoke with Sarain about making her documentary, motherhood and the importance of elders. Photography: Ratul Debnath
Canadian Living (CL): In making your documentary, what motivated you to say, I’m going to do this now? What made your directorial debut possible in that moment? Sarain Fox (SF): Telling my auntie’s story was something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time. I’ve had the privilege of being able to document so many incredible and important stories, but I’d never had the time to tell my auntie’s. I think urgency, like now or never, was the real motivator. Although the pandemic has been really hard, it also created the time I didn’t realize I needed. The moment I had time was also the moment that I thought, I’m not going to let this pass me by.