(New York) A documentary about folk artist Buffy Sainte-Marie, made before her Native ancestry was called into question by a news report, has won an International Emmy Award.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It Ondirected by Madison Thomas and narrated by Mme Sainte-Marie, won in the “artistic programming” category.
The award is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The producers describe the film as a retrospective of M’s life and careerme Sainte-Marie, including interviews with famous friends and colleagues, previously unpublished archival materials and cinematic reconstructions.
The singer-songwriter’s Indigenous ancestry was disputed last month in a CBC investigation that presented multiple identity documents suggesting she was Italian-American.
Mme Saint-Marie denied these accusations.
The story of Mme Sainte-Marie’s concerns about her birth, childhood and identity have changed throughout her six-decade career. She identified as Algonquin and Mi’kmaq before saying she was Cree, adopted by a mother from Saskatchewan.
The documentary, produced by Eagle Vision, White Pine Pictures and Paquin Entertainment, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and is available on Crave, while the CBC report is available on YouTube.
A joint statement from Eagle Vision and White Pine Pictures on the White Pine website supports Mme Sainte Marie.
“We support Buffy and believe it is true that her mother told her she was adopted and that she was of Canadian Native descent. »