Moving through grief with How to Lose Everything

When it comes to loss and moving gracefully through grief, Christa Couture knows a thing or two. The multi-talented writer, singer and now filmmaker has lived through more than her fair share of loss.

At 11 years old, she received a cancer diagnosis. She lost her first son when he was just a day old due to complications during childbirth. Her second son died at 14 months old due to complications with his heart. Soon after, her marriage ended. And just as some new beginnings emerged, cancer returned.

To work through her loss and grief, Christa turned to music – creating seven albums and a memoir called How to Lose Everything.

These were important projects in helping her deal with her own grief. Now she’s looking to help others with their experiences with grief and loss.

Christa and producer Michelle St. John have teamed up with 5 pairs of Indigenous writers, artists and animators to create a series of short films.

Each one – a personal story of loss.

Each voice – sharing wisdom to help others through the darkness.

“Grape Soda in the Parking Lot” is the name of Taqralik Partridge’s short film animated by Megan Kyak-Monteith. In it, Taqralik recalls her Scottish grandmother who spoke Gaelic and her Inuk father who spoke Inuktitut and poses an important question about language.

Archer Pechawis, an artist and member of Mistawasis First Nation, is the storyteller behind “A Bear Named Jesus.” The short film, stop-motion animated by Terril Calder, explores what happened after his mom became a born-again Christian.