How to learn what we don’t know? Seek out stories that spark curiosity and deepen knowledge. That’s the recipe for the success of visual storyteller and Indigenous media maker Nikki Sanchez. With a degree in Indigenous governance and visual media as it relates to Indigenous ontology, Nikki helped design the first ever Indigenous Storyteller edition of Telus STORYHIVE – an initiative that supported 30 emerging Indigenous filmmakers. Her ability to act as a mentor stems from her work that started as a teenager, championing youth engagement and environmental conservation. She’s served as the David Suzuki Foundation’s Queen of Green. And Nikki created the VICELAND documentary series RISE, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and won best documentary at the Canadian Screen Awards. She is a part of the BC Women’s Foundation Youth Council, as well as a member of the Photographer’s Without Borders Advisory Council.
So, will visual storytelling teach us what we don’t know if we increasingly only consume media from sources that reflect our own opinions? We caught up with Nikki for coffee in downtown Victoria to find out what she thinks.
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What do you think?
- What did you learn from Nikki’s story?
- Are Nikki’s stories new, youthful and exciting – connecting to new audiences and a new generation? Or is she producing content that will only be consumed by those who share her worldview?
- In trying to help people become more aware of the gaps in their knowledge, is Nikki telling stories with too heavy of a bias?
- To tell a compelling story, do we need to focus on one-side of a debate and allow story consumers to find ways to contextualize it themselves?
- Is the future of good visual storytelling in our hands? And if so, what are our responsibilities?