What is Aunt Harriet: An Ontario Oratorio, and how did it come to be?
Aunt Harriet: An Ontario Oratorio, from HAUI, is a multidisciplinary film installation and musical meditation on memory, loss and legacy. It draws on the real story of Aunt Harriet Millar, a Black Canadian elder from the early 20th century whose life and experiences are refracted through oratorio, photography and film. The work exists at the intersection of documentary and myth, creating a ritual space for audiences to witness both the fragility and resilience of memory.
The project came about during my artist residency with the City of Guelph, where I began working with community archives and oral histories. I was struck by how memory — particularly among elders — serves as both inheritance and burden. The oratorio form, with its layers of music and voice, became a way of holding fragments of a story together when language and recollection begin to falter.
At its heart, Aunt Harriet asks: How do we honor elders whose stories are slipping from reach? How do we frame dementia not only as decline, but as another chapter of life that deserves attention, artistry and compassion?
Who initially inspired you to grapple with dementia?
The inspiration came directly from Aunt Harriet herself, a woman Census Canada once believed to be 100 years of age. Research revealed that she was not, but that she had lived with severe memory loss. That disconnect — between official record and lived reality — sparked my interest. I began to see how memory loss is mirrored by the broader ways Black lives and histories have been overlooked, misrecorded or pushed to the peripheries. In Aunt Harriet’s case, dementia made her story fragile, but it also illuminated how much was missing from the collective narrative. I wanted to honor her and, through her, invite audiences to reflect on how memory, whether personal or historical, is carried, distorted or erased.
How has working on dementia-related art changed you?
This work has changed how I think about both art and aging. It has made me conscious of the need to embrace elders, rather than succumbing to the cultural phenomena of social amnesia that prefers to move them out of sight. Dementia shows us that aging is not disappearance — it is transformation.
My outlook now is less about capturing permanence and more about being present with fragility, listening closely and honoring what might otherwise fade. In my broader body of work, which often examines overlooked Black histories, I see a direct parallel: just as society pushes certain narratives to the periphery, it too often silences elders. Grappling with dementia has deepened my belief that we must resist forgetting — whether personal or collective — and create art that insists on memory, presence and inclusion.
How has Aunt Harriet been received?
The first viewing at St. Joseph’s Hospital — where she was originally taken in — was especially poignant and evoked some powerful reactions from those present. This early encounter affirmed the resonance of the work and its potential for deep emotional connection. The premiere of the public installation in October 2025, as well as its domestic and international film festival debut in Canada and the United States in November 2025, sparked wider intrigue. There will be a subsequent tour to spark dialogue about dementia, memory, and the stories of Black elders in Canada and beyond into 2026.
This work is dedicated to: Black elders and my grandfather, Sherman, who passed away from dementia. He was my link to Cuba and Jamaica, and his journey has profoundly shaped this project.
Find more from HAUI on the website. For interest in screening and viewing check out auntharriet.ca
