Lights, Camera, Inclusion S3E5: Simon Villeneuve and Francis Papillon
The pair discusses the importance of passing on Indigenous culture to younger generations, the challenges of bringing these stories to a wider audience, and the creation of bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
To wrap up this third season, Gaëlle Essoo, Lead Editor of Now & Next, speaks with Simon Villeneuve, founder of Andicha Média, a member of the Huron-Wendat Nation, and the creator of the youth program Savoirs légendaires, as well as with Francis Papillon, the show’s creative director. Together, they explore how media can serve as a platform to highlight the diversity of Indigenous cultures and how listening and humility are essential to fruitful creative partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals.
Simon Villeneuve observes that the demand for diverse stories, especially Indigenous content, is growing in Quebec, but the movement is still in its early stages. “If it’s only niche, it will remain niche. So, for it to go mainstream, it needs to air during prime time,” he explains. He believes the industry needs to dare and adopt new and unconventional formats for children’s content to foster curiosity among younger audiences.
In the second part of the interview, Francis Papillon joins Simon Villeneuve to discuss their collaboration on Savoirs légendaires (Legends Keepers), a show produced by Andicha Média for APTN, that explores Indigenous legends from various Nations in Quebec and Canada. As the creative director of the program, Francis speaks to the unique and rewarding experience of tackling new narrative and aesthetic challenges while respecting the authenticity of Indigenous stories: “It's very inspiring... it's a whole different way of telling stories.”
Together, the two guests demonstrate that paving the way to genuine representation of Indigenous stories requires adequate resources to train the next generation of Indigenous storytellers, and a sustained commitment from broadcasters.
