Yukon filmmakers target youth in video on upcoming elections

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

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

The video will be geared to young people, says Loos, so don't expect to see the usual stern-faced debate on policy matters 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 help young people learn about the election together. 

What's your ideal Canada, in 20 years?

Reed, 25, understands another reason why young people often don'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 sustainability and caring for our youth and engaging our youth."

Another question, about how people feel when they are physically filling out their ballot, has elicited some interesting responses so 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 other youth. The video is nonpartisan, they say, but interviewees are welcome to discuss who they are planning on voting for and why, if they wish.