The O Show traces Orene Askew's journey to an Afro-Indigenous Two-Spirit DJ and civil rights activist
Streaming at the online Vancouver Short Film Festival, the new doc shows spotlights an artist inspired to represent her communities
The Vancouver Short Film Festival streams The O Show online until February 6
VANCOUVER ICON Orene Askew, also known as DJ O Show, is the subject of a 20-minute documentary by a videographer who strives to tell the stories of deeply inspiring people. Premiering online at the Vancouver Short Film Festival, The O Show gives the audience a glimpse into Askew’s life and work as an Afro-Indigenous Two-Spirit musician and civil rights activist.
Sharad Kharé, the director of The O Show, describes Askew as “a remarkable human.” Kharé is the co-founder of Human Biography, a video biography company that tells the stories of the world’s most fascinating people. Kharé has documented the lives of people such as Meryl Streep and the Dalai Lama. He says that the goal of Human Biography is to “look at who people are and what makes them show up in the world the way that fascinates us.”
Kharé first met DJ O Show in early 2019 at a talk she was hosting at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He said he was fascinated by Askew and her presence.
“When you see Orene,” says Kharé, “she’s quite tall, she has a lot of presence, but she’ll speak in a light voice, in a caring tone.” Kharé approached Askew and they discussed working together over tea. In time, they received a grant from Telus STORYHIVE and Creative BC to produce The O Show.
Askew grew up on the Capilano Reservation in North Vancouver and is a member of the Squamish Nation Council. Her artistry as a DJ has become an integral part of her life, and she has DJed events such as Vancouver Pride and Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week. In the film, Kharé chronicles Askew’s journey with music, with Askew recounting that, when she was growing up, her mother would frequently play R&B music around the house, which planted the seeds of her passion for music.
The film also documents how she spends her time mentoring youth, Askew regarding her work with youth as an important aspect of Indigenous traditions such as skill sharing and elevating future generations. She is widely regarded as an inspiration for youth, and has won several awards for her work, including the BC Indigenous Business Award, the Stand Out Award from the Vancouver Pride Society, and the Alumni of Excellence Award from Capilano University.
“It's such an important story for all the communities that Orene represents,” says Kharé. “That was an important backdrop for this story, but it’s really about the music that comes out of her. And I think that her as a DJ, her as a performing artist, as a creative genius in many ways, I think that’s something the world needs to see as an example of coming out of adversity and creating magic and beauty out of that.”
The tagline on Askew’s website reads “Diversity Makes Beautiful Music”. Kharé says that she “blossoms through her music that represents those pieces of her life”.
“I believe that Orene is definitely wiser than me,” he says. “She’s been through a lot, and she has come out of a lot, and she has created a lot from all of that. She was able to culminate all those gifts into such a strength, and that’s what I wanted to show with the music.”
Kharé says that he regards Askew as family, and that the process of making this documentary has taught him much about trust and what it takes to be an exceptional person. He says she taught him that “you can be anything you want, that you can elevate yourself just by taking part, just by getting involved.”
In The O Show, Orene details her experiences growing up as an Afro-Indigenous person in Vancouver, and how the lack of representation of people who looked like her was both a roadblock and a catalyst that fuelled her passionate fire. Orene has stepped up to the plate to represent her communities, and her brilliance has not gone unnoticed.
“I think everyone will learn a little bit, if not a lot, from this documentary,” says Kharé. “As directors, filmmakers, people who have the opportunity to create content, our job is to find shining heroes like Orene, to make sure we acknowledge them. We can’t let them go gently into the darkness, we need to bring light to them.”
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