(New York) A documentary about folk artist Buffy Sainte-Marie, made before her Indigenous ancestry was called into question by reporting, has won an International Emmy Award.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, directed by Madison Thomas and narrated by Ms. Sainte-Marie, won in the “arts programming” category.
The award is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The producers describe the film as a retrospective of Ms. Sainte-Marie’s life and career, including interviews with famous friends and colleagues, never-before-seen archival material and cinematic reconstructions.
The singer-songwriter’s Indigenous ancestry was disputed last month as part of a CBC investigation that presented multiple identity documents suggesting she was Italian-American.
Ms. Saint-Marie denied the accusations.
Ms. Sainte-Marie’s story of her birth, childhood and identity has changed throughout her six-decade career. She identified as Algonquin and Mi’kmaq before saying she was Cree, adopted by a mother from Saskatchewan.
The documentary, produced by Eagle Vision, White Pine Pictures and Paquin Entertainment, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and is available on Crave, while the CBC report is available on YouTube.
A joint statement from Eagle Vision and White Pine Pictures on the White Pine website supports Ms. Sainte-Marie.
“We support Buffy and believe it is true that her mother told her she was adopted and that she was of Canadian Native descent. »