Holy Angels

Filmmaker Kevin McMahon accompanies the Haida delegation on a repatriation trip to Chicago in 2003. His film reveals the whole repatriation process through the stories and experiences of the people who participated, both Museum staff and the Haida people.

A study of life at Christmastime in Moose Factory, an old settlement mainly composed of Cree families on the shore of James Bay, composed entirely of children's crayon drawings and narrated by children.

Two pairs of sisters humorously share their point of view on prejudices against First Nations.

Two decades on from Cinema of Unease, Tim Wong’s essay film contemplates the prevailing image of a national cinema while privileging some of the images and image-makers displaced by the popular view of filmmaking in Aotearoa. Now streaming for free at: films.lumiere.net.nz

The world knows the image of the good Canadian. But what if there was a dark secret behind a national identity? THE GOOD CANADIAN exposes the truth behind the idea of a True North strong and free. In this unflinching and eye-opening documentary, directors Leena Minifie and David Paperny move us through the corridors of systemic inequity, from the Indian Act to residential schools, to modern-day family separation. Fusing shocking footage with detailed interviews with experts, advocates, whistleblowers and politicians, THE GOOD CANADIAN challenges national myth-making, while offering Canadians the chance to forge a new identity from the truth.

In the form of a poetic love letter to its nation, this short film reveals a strong community and the anchoring of the new generation in this rich culture.

After her gender identity was denied in her homeland, Lee Li, a transgender asylum seeker, was forced to leave her country, family, and language to embark on a journey toward belonging, freedom, and self-empowerment.

The Great Lakes and connecting waterways have remained the center of traditional and contemporary economies for centuries. Meet the Ojibwe and a tribe that was relocated to this region—the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin who care for these lands. Natural resources are the Tribes’ main economy, including the famous Red Lake walleye and wild rice lakes.

A short documentary about the Ojibwe Native Americans of Northern Minnesota and the wild rice (Manoomin) they consider a sacred gift from the Creator. The film tells the Creation and Migration stories that are central to the tribe's oral history and belief system while showing the traditional process of hand-harvesting and parching the wild rice. Biotech companies are currently researching ways to genetically modify the rice and the community is fighting to keep it wild.

A tribute to the late Pat Schulz, an influential Canadian feminist.

Embark on a journey of discovery in Madagascar with Alexandre and Sonia Poussin, Philaé, 10 years old, and Ulysse, 7 years old, along with their quirky cart pulled by zebu. Their mission was multi-faceted: to produce a documentary series, raise funds for NGOs encountered along the way, open their children's eyes to the beauty but also the fragility of the island's endemic nature, and finally to live a life of long-term, joyful simplicity. Challenges of crossing, encounters, and lessons learned will always be present in this slow-paced alternative learning journey.

A documentary that tells the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship — a relationship that was cut tragically short by a misstep off the side of a roof.

It portrays a pioneering and risky work carried out in a small Xinane base, by FUNAI, near Parallel 10º South, west of Acre, on the border with Peru. In simple installations, in the middle of the jungle, the sertanista José Carlos Meirelles carries out the difficult mission of protecting the isolated Indians of the region, with the help of anthropologist Terri Aquino. With few resources, specialists perform their tasks tirelessly. In addition to carrying out a permanent negotiation with the riverside populations in the area, they also deal with the confrontation with traffickers and squatters who try to invade it.

«Grozny Blues» follows a few people around Grozny, the capital of war-torn Chechnya where daily life is defined by political repression, constricting customs, forced Islamification and the failure to come to terms with recent history. The film revolves around four women who have been fighting for human rights under worsening conditions for many years but get more and more disillusioned with the situation in Putin’s Russia. The building where they work is also home to a Blues Club that is frequented by a group of young people. Having only vague memories of the Chechen wars in the 90s, they try to make sense of the strange things that are happening in their country. In linking the personal and intimate to the political, Nicola Bellucci shows in a dramatic and yet very poetic way what it means to live in a divided society that navigates a no-man’s land between war and peace, repression and freedom, archaic traditions and modern life.

Through a child's lens, The Honest Poet reveals a rarely seen side of Afghanistan, following 11-year-old Raheem on a journey through his country and into the homes and hearts of his people.

Bethany's Story is a documentary about the healing power of food. Bethany lived the life of a normal teenage girl before she became paralyzed by a bad reaction to medication and was told she would never walk again. The documentary covers her amazing recovery as she makes dramatic lifestyle changes. Featuring interviews with leading nutrition experts and medical doctors, Bethany's Story is a testament to the power of food as medicine, as well as the courage of a young girl to face an immense obstacle, overcome it and in the process help inspire all of us to make forward progress in our lives, whatever our challenge may be.

After quitting her job at the World Trade Center Rhea Zimmerman finds herself 9 months later, in New York City on 9/11, feeling afraid, horrified, lost and wondering what she could do to help create a better story for humanity. She finds her answer and her healing when she fuels herself with purpose by becoming a chiropractor with a passion for unconditional love and international service. 11 years later we join her on a 5-day chiropractic service trip to The Sacred Valley, Peru with her new boyfriend Austin and her friend Alejandra. They are on a mission to serve as many people as possible offering healing, hope, and connection through collaboration with a medical clinic. Watch as the three stretch themselves by surrendering to service, affecting thousands that they touch, and ultimately, transforming as individuals through the power of love and teamwork. Love Bomb is interwoven with expert voices that explore themes of human transformation, love, altruism, and consciousness.

A documentary on the road that tracks the journey by Georgina, an elderly transgender woman forced to cross the sandy peninsula Guajira, on foot, to obtain the thing she has desired for almost half a century: a document that will hand her the right to be what she has always felt she was, and will allow her, at long last, to vote.

From 1958 to 1989, public service monopolies prevailed in Sweden, and SVT's reporting from Israel and Palestine was unique. Their reporters were constantly onsite in the war-ravaged area, documenting everything from everyday stories to major crises. Archivist Göran Hugo Olsson has compiled these images of the rise of the Israeli state, interspersed with Palestine's freedom struggle, into a monumental event.

Angolan director and screenwriter Pocas Pascoal reminds us that it’s time for a change, proposing through this film a look at colonialism, capitalism, and their impact on global biodiversity. We observe that the destruction of the ecosystem goes back a long way and is already underway through land exploitation, big game hunting, and the exploitation of man by man.