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Victoria producer’s docu-drama nominated at Canadian Screen Awards

1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus tells history from Indigneous perspective
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Co-producer Barbara Hager with two of the series’ three 2018 Leo Awards for Best Documentary Series, Best Screenwriting (Barbara Hager) and Best Music Composition (Russell Wallace).

A program by a Victoria-based producer is in the running for a big win at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards on Tuesday.

Barbara Todd Hager, who is Cree and Métis, is one of three producers of the series 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus, a series that explores history from an Indigenous perspective.

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Shot in Peru, Mexico, Canada and the U.S., the series was commissioned by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and features 20 dramatic re-enactments covering 15,000 years of history in the Americas.

It has been nominated along with three other productions for the title of Best History Documentary Series or Program.

“For more than 500 years, non-Indigenous people have been defining our history.” Hager said in a statement. “With 1491, we’ve taken back the authority to tell our own historical narrative. Our eight-hour docu-drama series is produced, written and directed by Indigenous women and features Indigenous scholars, cultural leaders and actors.”

The awards are presented over six days from March 25 to 31 during Canadian Screen Week in Toronto.

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