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NWTactorbeatsoutstarsforbestactorawardTheLesserBlessedleadnamedoutstandingactoratL.A.lmfestHistoricalnovelonTulitawasastruggletowriteauthorArtsCultureLiterature19TuesdayNovember192013DearlymissedbyherhusbandAlbertDarrylShirleyGaryKarenGordonMabelDelbertWandaDaveherGrandchildrenGreatGrandchildren.InLovingMemoryMotherFebuleBohnetWethoughtofyouwithlovetodaybutthatisnothingnew.Wethoughtaboutyouyesterdayanddaysbeforethattoo.Wethinkofyouinsilence.Weoftenspeakyourname.Allwehavearememoriesandyourpictureinaframe.Yourmemoryisourkeepsakewithwhichwellneverpart.GodhasyouinHiskeeping.Wehaveyouinourhearts.WethoughtofyouwithlovetodayByMARIACHURCHForCanadiannovelistSusanHaleyherlatestbookbasedonaFrenchOblatepriestwholivedinTulitainthemidtolate1800swasoneofthemostdifcultbookssheseverwritten.ThehistoricalnovelcalledPetitotafteritsmaincharac-terFatherEmilePetitotoneoftherstCatholicmission-ariestoarriveintheMacken-zieValleyin1862wasjustreleasedthisSeptemberafternearly10yearsofresearchandwriting.ThedelayhadalotdowithwhatHaleyuncoveredabouthermaincharactershesaid.IinitiallystartedoutthinkingIwasgoingtobewritingabookaboutahugecharacterwhoIadmiredandthenIdiscoveredIwaswrit-ingabookaboutsomebodyIcouldntadmireshetoldTheJournalinaninterview.TheCanadianauthorcur-rentlybasedinNovaScotiaspent15yearslivinginTu-litainthe1980soperatingasmallairlinewithherlatehusbandMartinHartwell.Ilovedlivingthereshesaid.ThereasonIinitiallygotinterestedinPetitotwasbecausehewasthefirstmissionaryinTulitahesthefounderofthemissionofSt.Theresethere.HaleysinterestinPetitotwasfurtherpiquedwhenshereceivedcopiesofthehistori-caldiariesinthepriestsownhandstilluntranslatedfromtheiroriginalFrenchscript.Ithoughtwhyhaveweneverheardofthisguythisisjustamazingbecausehessortofanexplorer.Hewritesalotofethnicinformationaswell.Hereallylivedwiththepeopleandtraveledwiththemoverthelandshesaid.WiththediariesinhandHaleylaunchedintoresearchforabookonPetitotin2004whileshewasawriter-in-res-idenceatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentreinYellowknife.Ihadanofceintheli-braryandIspenteverymorningintheNorthwestTerritoriesarchivesworkingonthisbookshesaid.AftermovingtoNovaSco-tiashecontinuedresearchonthepriestandhisadventuresuncoveringmoreandmoreabouthispersonallifeandrelationshipswiththepeo-pleofTulita.Eventuallyheropinionofhimbegantosour.Igotaholdofhislet-tersandIfoundouttherealscooponhimshesaid.Hedoesturnouttobeoneofthebadguys.Haleysaidshediscoveredhercharacterwasapedophileandsufferedfromwhatshebelieveswasbipolardisor-derevidentfromwildboutsofinsanity.HesawonderfulwriteraverycompellingwriterveryentertainingfunnycharmingorwhateverbutIdecidedthathewascom-pletelyunreliable.Hejustpaintsagoodpictureofhim-self.SoIdecidedtowritethebookfromthepointofviewofthepeopleheaf-fectedsomeofwhomhetriedtoprotectandsomeofwhomhecertainlydam-agedshesaid.Afterthatpivotaldeci-sionHaleybeganwritingthestoryfromtheeyesofaDeneboyandayoungCree-Mtiswoman.ThebookevolvedintoapictureofanabuseofpowerthataffectedmanyNorthernAboriginalpeopleshesaid.InSeptembershortlyafterPetitotwasreleasedHaleymadeapersonaltripbacktoTulitawithherdaughter.DuringthetripshestoppedinYellowknifeforabookreadingatPrinceofWales.Thatwasfabulousactu-allyitwaswonderful.AlotofpeoplecameandalotofpeoplewholivedinTulitacameshesaid.PetitotisHaleyseighthbook.Herrepertoireofnov-elsincludesGettingMar-riedinBuffaloJumpwhichwasmadeintoaCBCmoviein1990.PhotoJoaneDadsonPhotoGaspereauPressSusanHaleysaidPetitothereighthbookwasdifculttowrite.PetitotcentersonanOblatepriestFatherEmilePetitot.ArtsCultureFilmByMEAGANWOHLBERGBeatingoutsuperstarsJohnnyDeppandBenicioDelTorofirst-timeteenactorJoelEvansfromFortSmithNWTwonthetitleofoutstandingactorinaleadingrolelastweekatthe10thannualRedNationFilmFestivalinLosAn-gelesforhisportrayalofLarrySoleinTheLesserBlessed.Thefilmwasfeaturedinaspecialscreeningatthemonth-longfestivalonNov.8withtheawardsceremonytakingplaceMondayeveninginNorthHollywood.Evanssaidhewasex-citedaboutthenominationandsurprisedatthewinbutcrediteddirectorAnitaDoronsfilmmakingtalentsandRichardVanCampsstorywiththerecognition.ThestorythatRich-ardhadtotellandthatAnitapickedupthewaytheystudiedthecharac-tertransitionfromstorytoscreentheyjustlaiditoutsowellthatLarrywasjustaneasypersonformetojumpinto.HesalsofromtheNorthandjusthadsimilarfeelingsthatyoucanrelatetothatmakeiteasiertojumpin.VanCampwhohelpedproducethefilmthatwasbasedoffhisacclaimedfirstnovelsaidEvanswasabsolutelydeservingoftherecognition.IthinkJoeljustnailseveryscenefromhisvoicetohistimingtothatunforgettablesmiletothatlighthecarrieswithhimVanCampsaid.IalsothinkwemaybegrowingabittiredofseeingthesamefacesinHollywoodmov-iesandwereallrootingfornewtalentthatcomesoutofnowheretoaston-ishusandJoelEvanshasdoneexactlythat.MorerecognitionforlmEvansisnttheonlystarget-tingrecognitionforhisroleinTheLesserBlessed.Co-starsKiowaGordonandTamaraPodemskiwerebothnominatedfortheirsupportingrolesattheRedNationFilmFestalongwithAnitaDoronforbestdirector.Thelmwasalsonominatedforbestpicture.JustadayearlierGordontookhometheawardforbestsupportingactorattheAmer-icanIndianFilmFestivalinSanFranciscowhereEvansalsoreceivedanominationforbestactor.ThelmhasbeenscreenedatanumberoffestivalsoverthelastyearincludingWeav-ingWordsImagiNativeandtheTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalwhereitmadeitspremiere.VanCampsaidthelmwilllikelybereturningtotheNWTnextspringasafundraiserforthePWKaeserhighschoolgradsinFortSmith.