How to Lose Everything ⁠— the series

Five animated films by Indigenous artists — available now on CBC Gem.

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.

How To Lose Everything is inspired by Christa Couture’s debut memoir of the same name, out now with Douglas & McIntyre.

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.

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.

“A Bear Named Jesus” directed and animated by Terril Calder