Jessie Anthony celebrates as first film reels in multiple awards

By Charlene Papasodaro

The Haldimand Press

SIX NATIONS—Jessie Anthony has turned a dream she had one night into a multi-award-winning film named Brother, I Cry.

Anthony is a Haudenosaunee woman from the Onondaga Nation, a member of Beaver Clan, raised in Six Nations, and currently living in Vancouver, BC. The origins of this particular story came from a dream Anthony had of her own brother and is further inspired by her own experiences. The storyline was developed first as part of a short script she had to write for her Indigenous filmmaking program. She explained, “I followed the feeling I got from the dream.”

“It’s full of levels of human interaction,” said Anthony of her film.  “I absolutely love my brother; there are things I see about him that I wish he could (see).”

Her first 18-page script had to be cut down to six pages for her program. From that she made it into a trailer, which won Telefilm’s Talent to Watch Program in 2017. This awarded Anthony $125,000 to create the feature film. It took three years to finish, starting with finishing the script. She was in the Pacific Screenwriting Program at that time, and the instructor said if you’re having trouble, think of five ways to tell the story and then just pick one out of a hat to get that story written. This idea allowed Anthony push forward in writing. She was able to make a first draft very easily – after which came several more.