While attending the 2024 TIFF Black Excellence Brunch we spoke with Film Director Karen Chapman about her film The Village Keeper and the journey to get it made while dealing with life’s unexpected situations.
About The Village Keeper
After a massive loss, an overwhelmed Toronto mother discovers a very unusual way to process her grief. Jean is the provider and (over)protector of her two teen children, Tamika and Tristin, and begrudgingly lives with her mother in a crowded Lawrence Heights apartment complex. Despite the kids learning to become more self-sufficient, Jean’s vision is too clouded by the past to see that they’re growing. She is haunted by violence in both their past and their present and must help her children cope. Expertly using sound and flashbacks to construct a layered and full portrait of this woman’s life, Chapman reveals the trials and tribulations that women in Jean’s family carry with them.
About Karen Chapman Born to a Guyanese family that nurtured her instinctive creative problem-solving skills, award-winning artist Karen Chapman has always been acquainted with versatility. Her steep background in documentary storytelling developed a voice and style that is compassionate, compelling and brave. Preparing her for an expansive repertoire of films that includes documentaries, narratives, animation, interactive-virtual reality and installation. At the service of every story, Chapman always strives to centre work that is grounded in impact.
Season 21
