PRESS KIT
MIXED MEMORIES
a film by Katherine Adams
Documentary | 15 minutes | 2024
Mixed Memories
language: french with STE
format 4k
ratio 16:9 | sound 5.1 | color
DCP - ProRes - H264
country of action: Canada (Quebec) & Haïti
country of filming: Canada (Quebec) & Haïti
visa no 2123613 - Quebec - General
#racism #firstfilm #mixedrace #women #colonization #systemicracism #whitewashing
Specs
Synopsis
MIXED MEMORIES reveals the accounts of three luminous women of mixed origin from Black and Indigenous communities as they try to come to terms with their complex identities. Their touching and intimate stories shed light on the trials and tribulations of being of mixed origin and hold out a mirror for us to contemplate our common humanity.
Cast
Catherine Dagenais Savard
Kattia Thony
Katherine Adams
Mireille Métellus
Tyron Benskin
Brandyn Lewis
Franklin Boumda
Sabina Rony
Sarah Judith Kayiri
Zebulon Simoneau
Aly Keita
FESTIVALS: Awards and official selections
6th REALE Film Festival - Milano, Italy / december 2023 - Honorable Mention
19th CINEMA ON THE BAYOU Film Festival - Louisiana, USA / january 2024 - Documentary Short Special Jury Award
8th HALIFAX Black Film Festival - Halifax, Nova Scotia / february 2024
11th JUSTICE Film Festival - New York, USA / february 2024
9th BLACKBIRD Film Festival - Cortland, USA / february 2024 - Honorable Mention
25th DAWSON CITY International Short Film Festival - Dawson, Canada / march 2024
40th VUES D’AFRIQUE Festival - Montreal, Canada / april 2024
3rd FESTIVAL DE FILMS D’AUTEUR de Val-Morin - Val-Morin, Canada / may 2024
13th DIVERSITY IN CANNES Short Film & Webseries Showcase - Cannes, France / may 2024 - Best Cinematography
16th PERCÉIDES International Cinema and Art Festival - Gaspé, Canada / august 2024 - Honorable mention
18th FESTIFILM de la Beauce - Saint-Séverin, Canada / august 2024
15th FINIFA Agadir International Film Festival - Agadir, Morocco / september 2024 - Best short film
20th FIFBM in the Neighborhoods - Montreal International Black Film Festival - Montreal, Canada / september 2024
33rd CINEMENTAL Festival de films francophones - Manitoba, Canada / october 2024
4th Vancouver Black Independent Film Festival - Vancouver, Canada / november 2024
3rd Ouaga Côté Court - Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso / november 2024
13th Toronto Black Film Festival - Toronto, Canada / february 2025
DIRECTOR - BIO
Actress, producer and writer, Katherine Adams graduated from several schools in theater and law. Always walking on the edge of creativity and social impact, she has worked for the United Nations, the Olympic Committee, Cirque du Soleil, and ATFC cinema, among others. She co-founded Associated Actors, Global Goodness, and White Wash Productions. African-Canadian and Quebecker, she is part of a large family from Halifax, the first and most significant black community in Canada. Katherine Adams signs her very first film with Mixed Memories. Although as an actress, she has been involved in movies and television for many years and has worked in different productions as a writer and producer, directing Mixed Memories allows her to express her talent in a totally different way. A challenging adventure full of promises.
Team
Director Katherine Adams
Writer Katherine Adams
Script collaborators Catherine Dagenais-Savard, Kattia Thony
Editors Isabelle Desmarais, Mathieu Bélanger, Michel Arcand, Yves Arsenault
Cinematographer Alexandre De Bellefeuille
Artistic director Alex Guèvremont
Sound Paskal Perreault, Dominique Chartrand
Musical director Pierre Benoit
Music Sandrine Masse, Benoit Sarrasin, Kayiri
Animation Youlia Rainous
Choreographers Catherine Dagenais-Savard, Aly Keita
Director's mentor Yves Simoneau
Executive producer Laurent Imbault
ProducerKatherine Adams
Collective White Wash Productions
Questions for Katherine Adams
What inspired you to create this project?
I am mixed. My father is black but I'm white appearing. Being mixed is definitely an asset but when your skin doesn't show it, it can add a layer of complexity. I would often find myself between a rock and a hard place.
Do you feel you have yourself experienced racism?
Of course. I've experienced the violence and discrimination coming from racism in a different way than if my skin had been darker because it was directed at the most important man in my life, my father. I have often said ''I am you as well as the other one''.
Were you then planning to make a movie?
Not at all. The idea was to write and produce a play.
How did that turn into a movie?
After the public reading, we received support from various Art Councils to produce a digital broadcast of the play. We pushed the exploration and mixed our different cultural backgrounds by working with dramaturgy, dance, and music. We produce creative and documentary videos. Slowly, a story emerged in a cinematographic format.
Thus was born Mixed Memories?
Yes. A short docu-drama about Céleste, Clara, and Cassandre, three women who each endorse their cultural heritage. By telling their personal story, they hope it will be embedded in the bigger story, the one that can't be found in books to make sure it will never be silenced again.
What is being silenced?
Damages from colonization, slavery, everyday individual or systemic racism, and so on….
What did you learn by directing this film?
Everything!!! I didn't know anything about directing a movie. I had the immense privilege of being mentored by Yves Simoneau, as well as being surrounded by an incredibly talented and experienced team of cast and crew and also being advised by Item 7.
News & Reviews
Global Goodness - Dec. 22, 2022 - Katherine Adams: An Inspiring Life Journey - Article
Who's Doing What - January 23, 2024 - "Mixed Memories" is selected in three film festivals - Article
Global News - February 20, 2024 - Mixed Memories at the Halifax Black Film Festival - TV Interview
Radio-Canada - February 21, 2024 - The film "Mémoires Métissées" will be presented at the Halifax Black Film Festival - Radio interview
Radio-Canada - February 23, 2024 - Katherine Adams is in Halifax to present her film Mémoires métissées - Radio interview
Radio Centre-ville - February 23, 2024 - Around the question with Katherine Adams - Radio interview
CTVM - May 1, 2024 - Mixed Memories by Katherine Adams, at the Diversity in Cannes Showcase - Article
Who's Doing What - May 2, 2024 - Katherine Adams' "Mixed Memories" is selected for the Diversity in Cannes Showcase - Article
CBC - May 20, 2024 - Mixed Memories at the Cannes International Festival - Radio Interview
Canal M - August 23, 2024 - Views and Voices: Director Katherine Adams presents her short film Mixed Memories - Radio interview
Al Bayane - September 22, 2024 - A vividly lavish closing - Article