Gene Boy Come Home

2000-109, 24 minutes, 2007 This short documentary by celebrated filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin is a portrait of Eugene “Gene Boy” (pronounced Genie Boy) Benedict, from Odanak Indian Reserve (near Montreal, Quebec). At 17, he enlisted in the US Marines and was sent to the frontlines of the Vietnam War. This film...

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Stolen

2000-108, 7 minutes, 2016 For the size of their population, Aboriginal women in Canada account for an incredibly overrepresented percentage of missing persons and murder statistics. Sheena, a lost teenager, is placed in a girl’s home. Seemingly forgotten and yearning for a life of freedom, she runs away, only to...

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Skindigenous S2: Kahnawake

2000-107, 25 minutes, 2020 Kanen’tó:kon Hemlock is a traditional Bear clan representative from the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawà:ke. From a young age, Kanen’tó:kon was fascinated by his culture. He began the art of tattooing to revitalize the lost tradition and ancient protocols. In this episode, he invites us to witness...

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We’re Still Here

2000-106, 56 minutes, 2020 First Nation indigenous hip hop artists in Canada lead efforts to right long-standing social injustices, heal personal traumas, and preserve their cultures through the power of music. The film examines the important role that hip hop plays in transforming the lives of the musicians, their audiences,...

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Spirit Bear and Children Make History

2000-105, 26 minutes, 2020 Spirit Bear and Children Make History tells the true story about how Spirit Bear and his friends stood up for First Nations children and helped make Jordan’s Principle a reality. When Spirit Bear’s mom tells him about an important human rights case happening in Ottawa, Ontario,...

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Raven’s Quest S2: Kaksa’ti:io

2000-104, 7 minutes, 2020 Kaksat’iio is a 10-year-old Mohawk girl from Kahnawà:ke. Kaksat’iio is proud to model clothing created by Indigenous designers and she takes us to a photo session where she models a beautiful ribbon dress and some beaded cuffs. She’s also a competitive gymnast who practices hard to...

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Controlling Anger Before It Controls You

100-117, 20 minutes HRM, 2017 In this program several teens describe what makes them angry and the problems that they experienced from uncontrolled and destructive anger. Another teen describes how she channeled her anger about environmental and social issues into political activism. Two psychologists further clarify the differences between healthy...

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through a blue lens

1100-95, 52 minutes NFB, 1999 Constable Al Arsenault, along with six other policemen, document the people on their beat to create a powerful film about drug abuse. This group of officers developed a unique relationship with addicts in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In this documentary, drug addicts talk openly about how...

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Indian Memento

2000-103, 18 minutes, 1967 A visit to the “Indians of Canada” pavilion at Expo 67, Montréal. Inside there are Indigenous artifacts, but even more arresting are the printed placards that tell the story of the Indigenous peoples in North America, written without rancor but recalling what their contact with European...

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Kwekanamad: The Wind is Changing

2900-29, 54 minutes, 1999 Annie Smith-St-Georges is an Algonquin mother and wife whose son Yanik ended his life in 1990. In his memory, Annie went on a crusade for a glass teepee ten storeys tall to be built in Ottawa, to house a National Aboriginal Arts and Performance Centre.  ...

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