1. Forever in Our Hearts: Memories of the Hebron Relocation
In 1999, Innu community members who, 40 years previously, had been forcibly relocated from their remote northern region of Labrador to established settlements in the province, return to Hebron to reminisce and reckon with the destructive impact the relocation had on their traditional ways of life and Indigenous identity. This film serves as a companion piece to Carol Brice Bennett’s book "IkKaumajannik Piusivinnik – Reconciling With Memories," and stands as the only known audio-visual document of the reunion of a resettled community in Newfoundland & Labrador.
2. Dawnland
They were forced to assimilate into white society: children ripped away from their families, depriving them of their culture and erasing their identities. Can reconciliation help heal the scars from childhoods lost? "Dawnland" is the untold story of Indigenous child removal in the US through the nation's first-ever government-endorsed truth and reconciliation commission, which investigated the devastating impact of Maine’s child welfare practices on the Wabanaki people.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
3. Flor Brilhante e as Cicatrizes da Pedra (Flor Brilhante e as Cicatrizes da Pedra)
(Flor Brilhante e as Cicatrizes da Pedra)
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
4. Dancing Around the Table, Part One
Dancing Around the Table: Part One provides a fascinating look at the crucial role Indigenous people played in shaping the Canadian Constitution. The 1984 Federal Provincial Conference of First Ministers on Aboriginal Constitutional Matters was a tumultuous and antagonistic process that pitted Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and the First Ministers—who refused to include Indigenous inherent rights to self-government in the Constitution—against First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, who would not back down from this historic opportunity to enshrine Indigenous rights. The conference was Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s last constitutional meeting before he resigned and the process was handed over to his successor, Brian Mulroney.
5. The Song of the Butterflies (El canto de las mariposas)
Rember Yahuarcani is an indigenous artist from the Uitoto Nation who lives in Lima, Peru. From his clan, the White Heron, only two families remain in Peru. Rember's paintings are inspired by the stories his grandmother Martha told him before she died. However, he has never dived into the darkest part of his nation’s history: the indigenous massacre during the rubber boom. Martha is a survivor of the horror and she speaks to Rember in dreams guiding him in a spiritual journey back to the jungle. He first visits his parents, who are also artists, in the Peruvian jungle. And finally, he sails to La Chorrera, in Colombia, where he confronts the past and meets other members of his clan.
6. Surviving Columbus
Surviving Columbus: The Story of the Pueblo People follows the past 450 years of Pueblo history. It explores the Spanish colonial period of the 18th century, Mexico's independence in the early 19th century, and then as part of the USA.
7. Anerca, Breath of Life (Anerca: Elämän Hengitys)
Markku Lehmuskallio has devoted a large part of his documentary work to the indigenous people of the Arctic Circle. In this latest film, co-directed with his son Johannes Lehmuskallio, he composes a fascinating poetic ethnography inspired by the singing, dancing, forms of contemporary existence and, above all, the vital breath of these nomad communities mistreated by History.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
8. Angry Inuk
With "sealfies" and social media, a new tech-savvy generation of Inuit is wading into the world of activism, using humour and reason to confront aggressive animal rights vitriol and defend their traditional hunting practices. Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril joins her fellow Inuit activists as they challenge outdated perceptions of Inuit and present themselves to the world as a modern people in dire need of a sustainable economy.
It has an average vote of 7.4 on TMDB.
9. History of Manawan - Part Two (History of Manawan - Part Two)
Atikamekw elder Cézar Néwashish continues to recount the history of the community of Manawan that first began in The History of Manawan: Part One. As Christianity and European customs take deeper root in the community – abetted by residential schools and aggressive assimilationist government policies – seemingly irreversible changes to significant customs begin to unfold. Despite these struggles, the people carry on. This short is part of the Manawan series directed by Alanis Obomsawin.
10. Invasion
In this era of “reconciliation”, Indigenous land is still being taken at gunpoint. Unist’ot’en Camp, Gidimt’en checkpoint and the larger Wet’suwet’en Nation are standing up to the Canadian government and corporations who continue colonial violence against Indigenous people. The Unist’ot’en Camp has been a beacon of resistance for nearly 10 years. It is a healing space for Indigenous people and settlers alike, and an active example of decolonization. The violence, environmental destruction, and disregard for human rights following TC Energy / Coastal GasLink’s interim injunction has been devastating to bear, but this fight is far from over.
It has an average vote of 8.3 on TMDB.
11. The Trip
In this honest and deeply personal account of living with addiction, a young man talks about the realities and challenges of living in the Anishinaabe community of Kitcisakik and the hope he still harbours for himself and his people.
It has an average vote of 6.2 on TMDB.
12. The Annanacks
This short documentary depicts the formation in 1959 of the first successful co-operative in an Inuit community in Northern Québec. The film describes how, with other Inuit of the George River community, the Annanacks formed a joint venture that included a sawmill, a fish-freezing plant and a small boat-building industry.
13. Le Prince charmant est toujours blanc (Le Prince charmant est toujours blanc)
The pupils of about fifteen secondary schools in the suburbs of Paris react to the projection of two short films taken from the series "No More Lies ! 12 perspectives on everyday racism". Their comments, questions and reactions are of course focused on the subject of racism, but they also take a stand about what it means to have two cultural identities. Is it enough to be born in France in order to feel French ? What is their vision of a society obsessed with the idea of integration? What do they expect of the future ? With their questions and their protests, they often put their finger on the heart of the issues at stake. Beyond fiction, we discover their reality...
14. Kanga
Early 90s London gets a vibrant dose of African culture in this mini odyssey fusing dance, music and fashion.
15. Taking Alcatraz
A documentary account by award-winning filmmaker John Ferry of the events that led up to the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island as told by principal organizer, Adam Fortunate Eagle. The story unfolds through Fortunate Eagle's remembrances, archival newsreel footage and photographs.
16. No Place is Far Away (No hay lugar lejano)
The story of a town at the mercy of a landscape in transformation; standing on the brink of an encroaching reality, one in which the age-old fears of the inhabitants are being reproduced. A hamlet has survived, perched in a remote location where its children can grow up and the elderly can die and stay there.
It has an average vote of 5.9 on TMDB.
17. Pîtoteyihtam (Pîtoteyihtam)
In the Plains Cree language, “pîtoteyihtam” means “one who thinks differently”. Among various indigenous peoples, difference is far from being perceived as a handicap and is rather seen as a strength from which the whole community can benefit. In the era of reconciliation, Indigenous peoples are reclaiming their traditional knowledge and philosophies. Through intimate encounters with several people from the communities of Pessamit and Manawan , the film reveals how neurodiversity is perceived and experienced there, and how we can rethink the accompaniment of these young people by reconnecting with traditional philosophies of First Nations.
18. Stories Are in Our Bones
In this layered short film, filmmaker Janine Windolph takes her young sons fishing with their kokum , a residential school survivor who retains a deep knowledge and memory of the land. The act of reconnecting with their homeland is a cultural and familial healing journey for the boys, who are growing up in the city. It’s also a powerful form of resistance for the women.
19. Maximón - Devil or Saint (Maximón - Santo o Diablo)
MAXIMÓN - Devil or Saint is a documentary about the controversial Maya deity, also known as San Simon or the drinking and smoking saint of Guatemala. He is a mixture of ancient Maya beliefs and Christianity. The movie concentrates on the people who surround Maximón with their strong personalities, opinions and faith. The documentary gives us a rare view into the rituals and fiestas honoring Maximón. The cult of Maximón is flourishing because he performs miracles. He is also feared and despised because he is used to cast curses that can result in death. Ultimately, Maximón transcends the duality of good and evil, reflecting the Maya cosmovision in which everything in the universe co-exists.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
20. Four Corners: Saving the Amazon
The Amazon plays a vital part in regulating the planet's temperature. Yet, last year, forest destruction in the Brazilian Amazon soared by 85 per cent. Illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture are decimating the land. With huge profits to be made, the Amazon is a dangerous place to ask questions. Despite the threat, the Amazonian tribes want the world to hear their message.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
