The Woman Who Came Back
dir. Adolfo Ruiz
Edmonton 2013
8:40
The Woman Who Came Back is based on an oral narrative shared by elders from the Tlicho region of the Northwest Territories. The story follows the historic journey of the first Tlicho to make contact with Europeans in the 18th Century. After being subjugated and forced to travel with a neighbouring tribe, the protagonist escapes to a trading post where she learns of new knowledge that she brings back to her region.
The film is the result of an 18-month research collaboration between youth and elders in the community of Behchoko, and filmmaker Adolfo Ruiz.
Bio
Growing up in both Spain and Canada, storytelling and intercultural experiences were an important part of Adolfo’s formative years. Born to parents whose own life stories were entangled in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Adolfo is interested in how narratives create meaning and coherence in individual and intergenerational contexts. For over 10 years he has worked as a graphic designer, practiced independent filmmaking, and taught illustration. In 2012, while completing a Master of Design at the University of Alberta, Adolfo began collaborating with the Tlicho community of Behchoko in the Northwest Territories. This partnership resulted in the interpretation of a historic oral story through animation (The Woman Who Came Back), and involved a participatory approach to image-making that continues to inform his work. With projects mostly situated in the Tlicho region, Adolfo’s current research emerges through the practice of art, design, and animation – his interests are centred on storytelling as a form of cultural continuity and revitalization.
