The Storyteller

  'Indian Horse' Director Partners on Richard Wagamese Documentary 'The Storyteller' (Exclusive)

The creative team behind Indian Horse, the 2017 feature adaptation of the late Richard Wagamese's novel of the same name, are partnering for a documentary, The Storyteller, on the legendary Canadian indigenous writer.

Stephen Campanelli, Clint Eastwood's go-to cameraman, directed Indian Horse after it was adapted by Dennis Foon.  In a deal to be unveiled at the Banff World Media Festival, Campanelli will serve as the cinematographer and Foon as a story consultant on the feature documentary about Wagamese and his Ojibway heritage to be directed by Jules Arita Koostachin (WaaPaKe, Broken Angel).

The indigenous creatives behind The Storyteller include Jim Compton as principal producer, while also serving as a writer and executive producer alongside Koostachin.  The partners behind The Storyteller are also involved in the adaptation of Wagamese's novel Ragged Company and are developing a feature film adaptation.

A TV series based on the tale about four homeless people who seek refuge in a movie theatre when a severe arctic front falls on their city is also in development, with Campanelli and Koostanchin on board as co-directors of a pilot.

The Storyteller is produced by Wabung Anung Films Ltd. and Sea to Sky Entertainment.  Sea to Sky has also partnered with Grinding Halt Films on the Ragged Company adaptation.  

The Storyteller will look at the life of Wagamese, who was born in Wabasseemoong First Nation in Ontario and became a leading Canadian writer over a 35-year career that ended with his death in 2017 at age 61 years. The doc will address the impact of Canada's infamous residential schools and the Sixties Scoop atrocities on the country's indigenous people, experiences that took their personal toll on Wagamese.

The Canadian-Indian residential schools removed aboriginal children from their families, culture and heritage to be raised as Christians by the Catholic Church.

Campanelli first started working with Eastwood on the 1995 romance movie Bridges Of Madison County. He also became the preferred cameraman for other Eastwood titles like Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima and Gran Torino.