Kat Harlton
Nadia George is an award-winning Nahua-Canadian Actor, Public Speaker, and Indigenous Rights and Youth Advocate. Her big break would come in 2018 when she was cast as Jolene in the compelling short film Her Water Drum which sheds light on the issues surrounding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The film screened at multiple film festivals around the world and garnered Nadia an award for “Best Achievement in Acting” at the 2018 Los Angeles Skins Film Festival. Her Water Drum has since been used as an essential educational tool to open discussions about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Nadia can be seen starring in the new short film Along The Water’s Edge which addresses the water crises being faced by countless Indigenous communities across Canada. The film is set to make its world premiere at the 2020 Canadian Film Fest on Saturday, June 6th at 2:00 PM exclusively on Super Channel Fuse.
We had the opportunity to chat with Nadia and talk about her role in Along The Water’s Edge, what she hopes the audience takes away from the film, and how we can be better allies to indigenous communities.
Kat: You star as “Face Mask Woman” whose health has been greatly affected by the contaminated water in the upcoming new compelling short film “Along the Water’s Edge”. How did you prepare for your role? Did you find any commonalities between yourself and “Face Mask Woman”?
Nadia: Preparing was interesting (laughs). In one scene, I have to make a choice about taking a drink. It was really important for me to get into character, so I actually didn’t drink any water on the way to set, and lied out in the sun until I was called to set. Being thirsty really reminds us of how precious water is, and I wanted that to be captured. One of the commonalities Is having a feeling of despair, there have been times in my life when, much like the role, I felt like I was forced to make decisions and had no control of the outcome.
Kat: Was there anything about your role that was particularly challenging?
Nadia: Working with props is something one should never take lightly (laughs). Having to make sure that everything works when it should, or your hand lands in the same spot every time.
Kat: What do you hope the audience takes away from the film?
Nadia: The seriousness of the issue presented, and hopefully encouraging them to support the very necessary changes that needs to happen.
Kat: Is there a type of character that you’d like to portray, that you haven’t had the chance to yet?
Nadia: I’ve always wanted to be a badass sniper (laughs) … but I’d also love to play a comedic role!
Kat: Outside of acting, You are an Indigenous Rights and Youth Advocate and work closely with organizations such as The Child Welfare Political Action Committee of Canada; a not-for-profit which advocates for positive outcomes for youth aging out of care and MotiV8 Canada which works collaboratively with Public Figures and Influencers, to shed light around Mental Health and Wellbeing in Indigenous Communities, through the use of various Art forms and Workshops. How can others get involved? What would be the best first step for those who want to actively support Indigenous communities?
Nadia: I always recommend reaching out to Native Friendship Centres for volunteer opportunities. With that being said, It is crucially important to do educational workshops and training about indigenous issues and people. It’s great for people to want to be allies, but if you don’t take the time to know the communities you are helping, you could do more harm. Many Friendship centres can help guide individuals to these training sessions.
For more on Nadia, check out her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiageorgeofficial