2018 Archive

Lana Gets Her Talk
Running Time: 37 mins.

Lana Gets Her Talk observes Indigenous artist Lana Whiskeyjack as she works to complete a mixed-media sculpture of a tortured face, the face of her uncle. Lana calls the piece Losing My Talk. This brief study of an artist and her work is a creative medium through which we can come to some understanding of the trauma experienced by Canada’s Indigenous people in the Indian Residential School system (IRS), of its enduring effects on the children of survivors of the IRS, and of one woman’s journey to recover what was lost: dignity, identity, and voice. A story of resilience, Lana’s journey speaks of the power of Indigenous “ways of being” in our time.

Wings of Johnny May Part 1 of 2
Running Time: 50 mins.

This feature documentary shines a spotlight on Johnny May, the first Inuit bush pilot in Nunavik—and a legend among his people. During the 34,000 hours of flight time he’s logged, May has lived through extraordinary adventures and has had a unique view of the transformation of the Arctic from his perch in the sky. He has watched as the Inuit went from nomadic life to a sedentary existence, and as climate change has melted the permafrost. But one thing remains constant: May’s deep love for his wife Louisa. Since his earliest days in the air, his plane has sported the same Inuktitut message for her: "Pengo Pally", which means “I miss you.” The Wings of Johnny May is an airborne documentary that highlights a unique culture through the eyes of an exceptional man.

Wings of Johnny May Part 2 of 2
Running Time: 42 mins.

This feature documentary shines a spotlight on Johnny May, the first Inuit bush pilot in Nunavik—and a legend among his people. During the 34,000 hours of flight time he’s logged, May has lived through extraordinary adventures and has had a unique view of the transformation of the Arctic from his perch in the sky. He has watched as the Inuit went from nomadic life to a sedentary existence, and as climate change has melted the permafrost. But one thing remains constant: May’s deep love for his wife Louisa. Since his earliest days in the air, his plane has sported the same Inuktitut message for her: "Pengo Pally", which means “I miss you.” The Wings of Johnny May is an airborne documentary that highlights a unique culture through the eyes of an exceptional man.

Birth of a Family Part 1 of 2
Running Time: 40 mins.

Three sisters and a brother, adopted as infants into separate families across North America, meet together for the first time in this deeply moving documentary by director Tasha Hubbard.

Removed from their young Dene mother’s care as part of Canada’s infamous Sixties Scoop, Betty Ann, Esther, Rosalie and Ben were four of the 20,000 Indigenous children taken from their families between 1955 and 1985, to be either adopted into white families or to live in foster care. As the four siblings piece together their shared history, their connection deepens, bringing laughter with it, and their family begins to take shape.

Birth of a Family Part 2 of 2
Running Time: 40 mins.

Three sisters and a brother, adopted as infants into separate families across North America, meet together for the first time in this deeply moving documentary by director Tasha Hubbard.

Removed from their young Dene mother’s care as part of Canada’s infamous Sixties Scoop, Betty Ann, Esther, Rosalie and Ben were four of the 20,000 Indigenous children taken from their families between 1955 and 1985, to be either adopted into white families or to live in foster care. As the four siblings piece together their shared history, their connection deepens, bringing laughter with it, and their family begins to take shape.

Our People Will Be Healed Part 1 of 2
Running Time: 50 mins.

Our People Will Be Healed, Alanis Obomsawin’s 50th film, reveals how a Cree community in Manitoba has been enriched through the power of education. The Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre in Norway House, north of Winnipeg, receives a level of funding that few other Indigenous institutions enjoy. Its teachers help their students to develop their abilities and their sense of pride.

Our People Will Be Healed Part 2 of 2
Running Time: 50 mins.

Our People Will Be Healed, Alanis Obomsawin’s 50th film, reveals how a Cree community in Manitoba has been enriched through the power of education. The Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre in Norway House, north of Winnipeg, receives a level of funding that few other Indigenous institutions enjoy. Its teachers help their students to develop their abilities and their sense of pride.

Honor Your Word
Running Time: 57 mins.

Honour Your Word is an intimate portrait of life behind the barricades for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake. Director, Martha Stiegman, spent four years shooting this poetic, heartfelt documentary that challenges stereotypes of "angry Indians." Honour Your Word juxtaposes starkly contrasting landscapes - the majesty of the bush, a dramatic highway stand-off against a riot squad, daily life within the confines of the reserve - a life rooted in the piece of Boreal Forest.