Gilbert Joseph "Gil" Cardinal (July 19, 1950 – November 21, 2015) was a Canadian filmmaker of

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

descent. Born in Edmonton in 1950, and placed in a

foster home Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family mem ...

at the age of two, Cardinal only discovered his Métis roots while making his documentary '' Foster Child''. This 1987 National Film Board of Canada (NFB) film received over 10 international film awards, including a

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

for best direction for a documentary program, following its broadcast on CBC's '' Man Alive'' series.

Background

After graduating from the radio and TV arts program of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 1971, he worked as a studio cameraman at Alberta's Access network, where he made his first film, a documentary about the pianist

Mark Jablonski Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

. In 1975 he became director and associate producer of the series ''Come Alive''. He also '' Shadow Puppets: Indian Myths and Legends'', a series on Cree and Blackfoot legends. Cardinal left Access in 1980 to work with the NFB as a freelance director, researcher, writer and editor. His first film he directed for the Film Board was ''Children of Alcohol'' (1983), produced by

Anne Wheeler Anne Wheeler, OC, (born September 23, 1946) is a Canadian film and television writer, producer, and director. Biography Graduating in Mathematics from the University of Alberta she was a computer programmer before traveling abroad. Her years o ...

, a documentary about the effects of parental alcoholism on children. He also shot a series of short documentaries and dramas, notably ''Hotwalker ''(1985), before making ''Foster Child''. In 1987, Cardinal made '' Keyanaw Tatuskhatamak'', about the struggle for Native self-government in northern Alberta. Other NFB credits include ''The Spirit Within'' (1990), on Native spiritual programs in prisons, and ''David with F.A.S. ''(1997), about fetal alcohol syndrome. In 1998, he directed the CBC miniseries ''

Big Bear Big Bear, also known as ( cr, ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃᒪᐢᑿ; – 17 January 1888Mistahimaskwa
...

'', for which Cardinal was nominated for a second Gemini. In 2006, he made the CBC drama '' Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis'', about the 1990 Oka Crisis. Cardinal also directed numerous episodes of ''

North of 60 ''North of 60'' is a 1990s Canadian television drama depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest (north of 60° north latitude, hence the title). It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is s ...

'' and ''

The Rez ''The Rez'' is a Canadian drama television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1996 to 1998. Bruce McDonald and Norman Jewison were executive producers of the series, which chronicled life in an Ojibway community. The series is based o ...

'', and an episode of the drama anthology series ''

Four Directions The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, E, S, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are at ...

''. He directed two NFB documentaries about the ultimately successful efforts of the Haisla Nation to repatriate their g'psgolox pole, a mortuary pole taken from them in 1929. His 2003 film ''Totem: The'' ''Return of the'' ''G’psgolox Pole,'' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Death and legacy

In 1997, Cardinal was recognized with a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, now the Indspire Awards, for Film and Television. On November 7, 2015, the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) announced at its 27th David Billington Award ceremony that he was the recipient of the 2015 award, which honours contributions to the province's audiovisual industry. Too ill to attend, Cardinal had been presented with the award at a private ceremony. AMPIA also announced the creation of the Gil Cardinal Legacy Fund, which was founded by close friends, to provide funding for emerging Aboriginal filmmakers to kickstart their careers. Cardinal died of cirrhosis on November 21, 2015 in Edmonton at the age of 65. He had been hospitalized in his final months as he experienced a serious health decline complicated by diabetes.

References

External links

*
Watch Gil Cardinal's films at NFB.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardinal, Gil 1950 births 2015 deaths Canadian television directors Canadian people of Métis descent Canadian Screen Award winners Métis filmmakers Film directors from Edmonton Northern Alberta Institute of Technology alumni Canadian adoptees Deaths from cirrhosis Indspire Awards