Joséphine Bacon likes to talk about love. The Innu Poet – who rolls a 4e Collection of poems in autumn – guest of honor at the Amour evening of the cultural event series optimiston February 11th at the Maison de la Culture in Verdun.
“I describe myself as a human being, that’s enough for me,” says Joséphine Bacon when asked what image she has of herself. Being human is a responsibility, it’s demanding, you have to put values in the right place.
Poet, documentary filmmaker, copywriter and teacher, the 75-year-old Grande Dame is neither used to honors nor to the expression “guest of honour”. Instead, she agrees to be present on evenings like Amour to enrich human encounters.
On February 11, viewers can hear her poetry recited, accompanied by musician, singer and actress Laur Fugère. The questions will be openly asked and the documentary film My name is human – about the work of the artist from Pessamite – will be shown. Several children also take part in the campaign.
“I find the kid audience the hardest, but when they’re with you, they’re not half there,” says the one who attracts audiences of all ages. You don’t need to speak of love for them: you speak of love for them.
Don’t talk to the Innu writer about preparation and evening plans, she likes to tell the founding myths of her nation fluently and spontaneously. “I’ll go with you and trust my memory,” she says.
The love of territory
For Joséphine Bacon, love is inseparable from the land and the territory.
“Love means so many things,” she said. It’s a great verb! I am a great lover of many things, the territory, my children, the elders.
If she can now go on stage – to recite poetry or accept an award – it is because she has worked a lot on herself.
The poet laughs as she recalls the presentation of her film at the Rouyn-Noranda film festival. She hadn’t been able to say a word, her heart was beating like the old woman’s drum.
It was the teaching and the poetry that changed her.
“I’ve always written on scraps of paper, but I never dreamed of poetry,” admits the author, who eventually published three volumes of poetry that received numerous awards.
The designer says she’s proud to still be Innu despite living in an urban environment. As part of the first cohort of sages from the University of Montreal (with Kim Thúy and Nathalie Bondil) and as an officer in the National Order of Quebec, she will not forget her origins.
“I am Innu in my essence,” confides the artist, who will be meeting with friend Gilles Vigneault, 94, next April to discuss a mysterious project together. Like him, I see no good reason to stop. I have everything I need to tell: the form, the memory and the pencil.
The Amour evening will take place on February 11th at 8pm at the Maison de la Culture in Verdun. Tickets: optimistamtl.com/fr/love