Nin Kamashitshet : The Fighter

I had the privilege of witnessing the birth of this film during a Wapikoni Mobile's creative stopover in the Innu community of Nutashkuan in 2022. I still remember this young man, André-Charles, who came to our team one summer morning with a story to tell.

"Boxing saved my life," he told us. Lost and uncertain about his future, like so many young people like himself, he quickly clung to this sport as a means of expression, an outlet—one that allowed him to overcome the many obstacles, both personal and systemic, that stood in the way of his self-determination.

Years passed, and André-Charles grew in confidence, even encouraging the youth in his community to follow in his footsteps. But then grief struck. "The gym where I trained just closed its doors," he said. "I no longer have a coach, and I don’t put on my gloves anymore. After all these years, boxing has left me."

It’s important to remember that Minganie, Nitassinan—the vast northern region home to several Innu communities—spans over 50,000 square kilometres, yet has a population of barely 6,500 people. A gym shuts its doors, and the closest one is more than five hours away.

I admire the courage André-Charles showed in coming to us, complete strangers. But even more, I admire his intelligence—because although he considered himself a novice in artistic creation, he already understood that cinema could be a powerful tool to soothe his struggles and help him weather this emotional storm.

Following his intuition and his burning desire to capture his passion for boxing on screen, we followed him, filming him in his environment, where he felt safe. We watched him transform as he opened up to us, sharing his story with remarkable generosity. The result, very much like this sensitive young man, turned out to be a love letter—to the sport, but even more so: to his people, his community, and his parents, who together formed the foundation that supported him and allowed him to bounce back and pursue his dream.

André-Charles has put his gloves back on. He is boxing again.

Jason Todd
Artistic Director
Tënk