November 2006
 Marie-Hélène
Cousineau has been integral to the development of women's
video in Igloolik, Nunavut. In 1991, she founded Tarriaksuk Video
Centre with Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn, and established Arnait
Video Productions with Mary Kunuk and Madeline Ivalu. She still
produces and directs videos for Arnait Video Productions, including
the personal documentary Unakuluk, Dear Little One. She
works closely with Mary Kunuk, and the pair have co-directed the
videos Anaana/Mother and Ningiura/My Grandmother.
Cousineau wrote the screenplay for and is currently directing
Before Tomorrow for Igloolik Isuma Productions, an adaptation
of For Morgendagen by the Danish writer Jorn Riel. She
also coordinated the Nunavut tour of Atanarjuat/The Fast Runner
for Igloolik Isuma, and was the still photographer for the film.
Cousineau served as consultant in the development of the Nunavut
Film Commission. From 2002 - 2004, she was the vice-president
of Ajjitt, the Nunavut Filmmakers Association. She has also sat
on the board of Studio XX, a feminist art organization in Montreal.
Cousineau has taught media courses at the Collège Jean
de Brébeuf and Concordia University in Montreal. Cousineau's
video Women in Black won the Alcan Best Documentary Award
at the Festival international du jeune cinéma de Montréal.
She received an MFA in Communication Studies and Production from
the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and an MA in Art History
from the Université du Québec à Montréal.
She received a BA in Art History from Université Laval
in Québec City, Québec. Cousineau was born in Montreal,
the city where she currently lives. In addition to video production
and teaching, Cousineau works as a freelance journalist for Radio
Canada International and newspapers such as Nunatsiaq News and
La Presse.
"I was in the North, people were really fun to work with
, they were interested, I was curious, we got along and there
you go!"
Screened by NMAI
Image credit:
Marie-Hélène Cousineau - courtesy of the filmmaker
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