A Screening and Discussion of Animated Short Films based on Missouri Creole Folk Tales

Presented by Brian Hawkins

The unique dialect and folkways of early 18th-century French settlers endured into the 20th century in isolated corners of Southern Missouri. One such place was the Old Mines community in Washington County. There, over the 300 years since their ancestors settled in the region, French Creoles have developed and nurtured a vast collection of folktales.

Artist and filmmaker Brian Hawkins explores these tales in a series of animated short films narrated in Missouri French with English subtitles. A screening of his films Chasse Galerite, La Vieille Femme Qui Lave, and Les Vouèsins, is followed by a discussion of the culture and language that gave them life.

Hawkins draws inspiration from the music, folklore, and history of his native state of Missouri. His award-winning films have screened at numerous festivals, including the prestigious Annecy International Animation Festival in France. Most recently, Les Vouèsins (The Devil's Neighbor) was named Best Animated Short at the Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Film Festival.

Hawkins is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Art, and Design at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

This event is presented in partnership with Alliance Française de Kansas City.