Online cinema
Spudwrench – Kahnawake Man
Alanis Obomsawin
This documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin introduces us to Randy Horne, a high steel worker from the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, near Montreal. As a defender of his people’s culture and traditions, he was known as “Spudwrench” during the 1990 Oka crisis. Offering a unique look behind the barricades at one man’s impassioned defense of sacred territory, the film is both a portrait of Horne and the generations of daring Mohawk construction workers that have preceded him.
Les événements de Restigouche
Alanis Obomsawin
On June 11 and 20, 1981, the Quebec Provincial Police (QPP) raided Restigouche Reserve, Quebec. At issue were the salmon-fishing rights of the Mi’kmaq. Because salmon has traditionally been a source of food and income for the Mi’kmaq, the Quebec government’s decision to restrict fishing aroused consternation and anger. Released in 1984, this groundbreaking and impassioned account of the police raids brought Alanis Obomsawin to international attention. The film features a remarkable on-camera exchange between Obomsawin herself and provincial Minister of Fisheries Lucien Lessard, the man who’d ordered the raid. Decades later, Jeff Barnaby, director of Rhymes for Young Ghouls, cited the film as an inspiration. “That documentary encapsulated the idea of films being a form of social protest for me… It started right there with that film.”
Richard Cardinal: A Cry From A Diary Of A Métis Child
Alanis Obomsawin
Richard Cardinal died by his own hand at the age of 17, having spent most of his life in a string of foster homes and shelters across Alberta. In this short documentary, Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin weaves excerpts from Richard’s diary into a powerful tribute to his short life. Released in 1984—decades before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission—the film exposed the systemic neglect and mistreatment of Indigenous children in Canada’s child welfare system. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the 1986 American Indian Film Festival, the film screened at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2008 as part of an Obomsawin retrospective, and continues to be shown around the world.
Christmas at Moose Factory
Alanis Obomsawin
Released in 1971, this lyrical short documentary marked the directorial debut of legendary Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin. Filmed at a residential school in northern Ontario, it is composed entirely of drawings by young Cree children and stories told by the children themselves. Listening has been at the core of Obomsawin’s practice since the very beginning. “Documentary film,” she said in a 2017 interview, “is the one place that our people can speak for themselves. I feel that the documentaries that I’ve been working on have been very valuable for the people, for our people to look at ourselves… and through that be able to make changes that really count for the future of our children to come.”
The Carbon Rush
Amy Miller
The Carbon Rush takes an up-close look at the framework that is being used to reduce carbon and investigates whether or not offsets are distracting us from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis. Who will gain, who will lose, and what impact is an international carbon market having on our environment?
De temps et d’eau
Catherine Martin
Carte blanche du 40e anniversaire du Festival du nouveau cinéma (Montréal).
The Rise and Fall of a Long Relationship
Claudie Lévesque
From Saint-Jean Terre-Neuve, a woman leaves phone messages on the voicemail of a mysterious Sabrina… The Rise and Fall of a Long Relationship was produced as part of the 5th edition of the Montreal Super 8 Festival whose rule main task is to shoot a single 50-foot cartridge, without post-image editing.
Première prise
Claudie Lévesque
Le rêve éveillé d’un jeune pêcheur, surpris par la nature de sa prise. Première prise a été réalisé dans le cadre de la 3ième édition du Festival Montréal Super8 dont la règle très simple consiste à tourner une seule bobine de 50 pieds, sans montage a posteriori. L’année 2005 avait pour thème «Rêver en kodachrome» et rendait hommage à cette pellicule notoire, suspendue la même année.
Les souliers de Dorothée
Claudie Lévesque
Les Souliers de Dorothée utilise le mode épistolaire pour nous dévoiler l’utopie intimiste d’une femme qui s’invente plusieurs personnages. Jacqueline Demers puis Karol Baker et enfin Kirick, prennent vie et chevauchent les âges à travers l’imaginaire de Dorothée. Réalisé dans le cadre des Correspondances d’Eastman, 2005.
Magie blanche
Claudie Lévesque
Magie blanche relate des moments dans la journée d’une jeune fille, le jour de ses 13 ans, un vendredi 13… Magie blanche a été réalisé dans le cadre du 2ième Festival Montréal Super 8 dont la règle très simple consiste à tourner une seule bobine de 50 pieds, sans montage à posteriori. Les effets spéciaux et la suite des plans ont donc été effectués in camera, lors du tournage.
Un arbre à colorier
Claudie Lévesque
Court portrait du poète Michel Albert rehaussé par des archives familiales Super8 de son enfance.
Québec et associées
Raymonde Létourneau
Documentaire traçant le portrait de quatre femmes d’affaires québécoises à la tête d’entreprises florissantes. Pour elles, l’entreprise n’est pas seulement un lieu de productivité, c’est avant tout un milieu de vie.