Thirza Cuthand
Filmmaker Thirza Cuthand is paving the way for queer Indigenous artists and filmmakers. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and raised in Saskatoon, she is of Plains Cree and Scots descent and a member of Little Pine First Nation who currently lives in Toronto. Since 1995, she has crafted experimental films that highlight topics such as sexuality, race, and mental health. Her work has been screened at international festivals such as Berlinale in Berlin, the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, Mix Brasil Festival of Sexual Diversity in São Paulo, and Outfest in LA. Her art also appears in museums and galleries like the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Remai in Saskatoon, and The National Gallery in Ottawa. Cuthand even dabbles in video game development and created the 2-D game “A Bipolar Journey” based on her own experience with Bipolar Disorder. While she works toward her own creative expression, Cuthand sees her own role as a representative voice in the queer Indigenous community. “I think becoming a filmmaker was inextricably tied with being queer, since I wasn’t seeing representations of myself in the media and created work addressing these gaps,” Cuthand tells GO. “I think the continuing theme of my work is to create representations of my communities as a 2 Spirit/ Indigiqueer person, an Indigenous person, and a Lesbian.” —GP
