“A watershed film in the history of First Peoples cinema.” —Jesse Wente, Indigenous Screen Office
In the summer of 1990, an armed standoff over a planned golf course on Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) land unfolded. Filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki) embedded herself on the front lines of this conflict for 78 days to film the discord between the protesters, police, and military. Extending from the tradition of militant cinema that developed during liberation movements around the globe in the 1960s, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance is a potent and continually relevant film about sovereignty and Indigenous land rights. (1993, Canada, DCP, 119 min.)
Bio
Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki, b. 1932, near Lebanon, New Hampshire) is one of Canada’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers. She began her career as a professional singer and storyteller before joining the National Film Board in 1967. Her award-winning films address the struggles of Indigenous peoples in Canada from their perspective, giving prominence to voices that have long been ignored or dismissed. A Companion of the Order of Canada and a Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, she has received the Prix Albert-Tessier and the Canadian Screen Awards’ Humanitarian Award as well as multiple Governor General’s Awards, lifetime achievement awards, and honorary degrees.
Accessibility
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