Yukon filmmakers target youth in video on upcoming elections

Two Whitehorse women hope a video they are makingwill get more young people out to the polls in the upcoming municipal and federal elections.

Heido Loos and Nina Reed are interviewing young people abouttheir thoughts on the upcoming federal election, and the duo arepassionate enough about the project to be doing iton their own time and their own dime.

The videowillbe geared to young people, says Loos, so don'texpect to see the usual stern-faced debate on policymatters and issues.

"We don't want it to be like, a bunch of old people sitting around, having a debate, being boring," she says.

"Our goal is to make it exciting and fun."

Loos, 24, says she has voted since she was 18 because it makes her feel "empowered." But she knows there are people out there who don't vote because they don't think they know enough. She wanted the video to helpyoung people learn about the election together.

What's your ideal Canada, in 20 years?

Reed, 25, understands another reasonwhy young people oftendon't vote.

"People don't maybe necessarily engage until they need to," she says.

"When you're in your 20s and you're having fun and you're traveling around the world, why do you need to have an opinion on what's happening in your country?"

With that in mind, some of their questions are geared toward the future.

"One of the questions we ask is, 20 years from now, what will be your ideal Canada?" explains Reed.

"And that is a great question that really opens up that idea of sustainabilityand caringfor our youthand engaging our youth."

Another question,about how people feel when they are physically filling outtheir ballot, has elicited some interesting responsesso far, says Loos.

"Some people get so nervous and some people are sad because they're like, 'Oh, nobody's going to vote for who I want to vote for'and other people are like, 'Ah, this is so empowering!'"

Loos and Reed have already conducted some interviews for the video, which will be posted to YouTube, but they are keen to hear from otheryouth. The video is nonpartisan, they say, but interviewees are welcome to discuss who they are planning on voting for and why, if they wish.