Author and cultural commentator Jesse Wente will explore Indigenous representation in cinema, narrative sovereignty, and how our understanding of history is shaped by film storytelling in his free public lecture “Searching for History and Truth on Screen,” Friday, Oct. 25, in the Performance Hall at the Armouries at 37 University Ave. East.

Wente, best known as a culture columnist for CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, will consider two films: John Ford’s 1956 Western epic The Searchers and Zacharius Kunuk’s 2016 Inuk re-telling Maliglutit (Searchers). A screening of Maliglutit will follow the presentation.

The event is presented by the Humanities Research Group in partnership with the Windsor International Film Festival and the Moving Histories Symposium.

Wente is chair of the Canada Council for the Arts and an Ojibwe member of Serpent River First Nation. His book, Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance, combines memoir and manifesto and was a national bestseller. He will sign copies beginning at 5 p.m. His talk will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Admission is free but reservations in advance are required. Book tickets through the festival website.