BIG Small Talk with Collective Co-Conspirator: Howard Adler
by Sasha Kucas
BIG small talk is a chance to introduce people that Harbour Collective work with behind the scenes. Sasha Kucas speaks with Howard Adler for a fun conversation of BIG small talk.
Like a hummingbird, Howard zips around Ottawa with a ton of energy for all things Art. The idea and smell of coffee get Howard out of bed to attend to his numerous responsibilities and aspirations, but only after a healthy breakfast of Cheerios and a banana. Over a phone call from his parent’s stained glass shop, Howard fills me in on the film he and his brother are working on, memes, and more.
Tell me about your role at Harbour.
I am involved with Harbour as an Artist and have worked for them as an Instructor. Harbour programmed an Indigenous film retreat for filmmakers at Meech Lake. I taught video editing and technical camera stuff and helped artists make their films.
What does a typical day look like in your life?
I have a Bohemian-artsy lifestyle, which means I could be doing any number of things. I could be making a film, working on video editing, having a shoot, working for someone else or on my film project, or going to the Asinabka Film Festival office to do programming, communication, or all things that need to happen for the festival. I started doing Indian taco pop-up events. So, I could be catering, shopping, picking up groceries, and cooking all night for the catering the next day. I could be making memes. My day is not consistent whatsoever.
How do you approach your art practice?
Storytelling is the core of my art practice. I am passionate about personal stories that I have a connection to. I could make a meme or work on a short documentary or experimental film. My art practice consists of stories that I can relate to in some way. I tell things from my perspective.
What medium do you love to work with and why?
My medium of choice would be film and video. I love the process of shooting and editing videos. In high school, I remember shooting on VHS tape format. I would mark the ins and outs on the original and drop it onto a blank tape. Editing this way was done on a beast of a machine from the 80s. My high school had a darkroom. I remember shooting photography and doing chemical baths. I loved it, but when technology changed to digital was when I could make films. The democratized medium was made more accessible and affordable. When that happened, I took off with video editing and video production. It is my favourite medium, but I also do other things like making stained glass. I paint and draw and love doing beadwork. I dabble in porcupine quill work and make memes. I have an alter ego named ‘Corey Sleeps With Bears,’ who is a gender-non-conforming drag persona. As Corey, I have starred in a film and hosted 2-spirit bingos. I also love to veejay. I enjoy all mediums and try not to limit myself to one kind of art form.
What are you working on right now?
My dad is Jewish, from Poland, and a holocaust survivor. My sister did a DNA genetic test and, with the magic of technology and the internet, was contacted by Thomas Algins. He was looking for family members or relatives of someone that lived in his small town of Vaudreuille, France, during WW2 and the Holocaust. Algins’ grandfather or great-grandfather protected Jews in Vaudreuille. My sister confirmed that our Bubi, our grandmother’s uncle, our great uncle Emmanuel, his wife, and his daughter Gerta was people protected by his family. Vaudreuille was doing a ceremony to honour the victims of the holocaust and the memory of certain Jewish people that had lived in the town. My brother Nathan, my sister Irene and I decided to go to France for the ceremony and visit sites. As filmmakers, Nathan and I decided to make a historical holocaust film about our journey as we learned about our great uncle.
If you could re-live a moment in your life, what moment would it be?
I do not have a specific moment that I would want to re-live. Some things are meant for that moment in time only. We need to live in the moment, be conscious of the temporariness of things, and try to live our best life and enjoy the now.
If you could possess a superpower, what would it be and why?
There are so many good superpowers that I need to pull up all the stats of superheroes and compare them. Wolverine has the superpower of regeneration, which makes him invincible. He is ageless. What a great superpower; I could go snowboarding and skiing recklessly and be fine.
What animal do you identify with?
I identify with bears, foxes, and fur-bearing animals like lynx, muskrats, and martens. Small fur-bearing animals can be strong, vicious, and beautiful. Martens would be my clan on my Anishinaabe side. One time I saw a fox do that stereotypical jump where it dives into the snow to catch something. It was beautiful.
What would you do if you won 30 million?
I would still be an artist, make art, and tell stories, but probably work less. I would go on a trip with all my closest family and friends for months and build a house on our reserve for family. There is a history of damming and flooding on my mothers’ reserve. The community got money through a federal claim settlement, built a road, and development is now happening. It would be cool to build a house there for our family.
Howard could be anywhere in Ottawa at any time. If you see him at any of his favourite places eating pho, pupusas, or spicy African chicken on McArthurs, challenge him to a chess game or join him as a karaoke viewer. Who knows where the day will take you? You might end up in the VIP section of a Janet Jackson concert or stranded on an island with booze and books. What a great life you live, Howard Adler!
