Five animated films by Indigenous artists — available in Canada on CBC Gem and everywhere on CBC Arts YouTube — inspired by Christa’s book and produced by Christa and Michelle St. John.

How To Lose Everything is a series of Indigenous animated short films that explore personal stories of loss with all five episodes available in English, French, and the Indigenous language of the writer.

From instructions on how to survive tragedy, to parallels between two Scottish and Inuit communities, to a bear named Jesus, the five stories in How To Lose Everything span nations, languages, and perspectives on heartache.

Episodes from the series have been screened at festivals internationally and have garnered the awards Best Animated Short at the American Indian Film Festival and the Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival; honourable mentions from Sommets du cinéma d’animation and Ottawa International Animation Festival; Special mention award, short documentary, from BlackStar Film Festival; and a Best Screenplay nomination at NewFilmmakers Los Angeles. 

The Indigenous team of writers, animators, directors and composers — which includes Christa Couture, Terril Calder, Archer Pechawis, Chief Lady Bird, Tara Williamson, Meky Ottawa, Smokii Sumac, Megan Kyak-Monteith, Cris Derksen, G.R. Gritt, Melody McKiver, and Taqralik Partridge — represent Cree, Ojibwe, Anishinaabe, Ktunaxa, Inuit, Chippewa,
Potawatomi, Atikamekw, and Métis nations.