Je m’appelle humain (Call Me Human)

Director Kim O'Bomsawin (Abenaki)
Year 2020
Run Time 78min
Genre Documentary

After spending most of her life working as an Innu language translator and transcriber, Joséphine Bacon rose to fame late in life in her second career as an award-winning poet. This moving profile frames her life and work in a new context, offering a deeply personal look at an important literary figure in Canada.

Je m'appele humain premiered at the Quebec City Film Festival to great acclaim, and went on to receive four Prix Iris nominations, including Best Documentary.

Director

Kim O'Bomsawin (Abenaki)

Writers

Kim O'Bomsawin (Abenaki), Nathalie Gressin

Cast

Joséphine Bacon (Innu)

Producer

Andrée-Anne Frenette

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Languages

French, Other Language

Modra

Director Ingrid Veninger
Year 2010
Run Time 80min
Genre Drama, Romance

Being a teenager isn’t always easy. 17-year old Lina (Hallie Switzer) is planning a summer holiday visiting her mother’s family in Modra, Slovakia with her boyfriend, when he unexpectedly breaks up with her. Not willing to let it ruin her summer plans, Lina asks Leco (Alexander Gammal), another cute boy from school, to join her on the trip.

While Lina’s Slovakian family assumes they’re a couple, she and Leco start to realize that they don’t have a whole lot in common after all – which doesn’t stop Leco from feeling hurt when Lina steps out with a local boy. An emotional journey of soul searching and self discovery, Modra lets its two young leads gently discover who they are while they navigate the unfamiliar challenges of being far from home.

The film was selected by the Toronto International Film Festival as one of Canada’s Top Ten films of 2010 and won an Audience Award in Slovakia, at the Bratislava International Film Festival.

“… a prime example of heartfelt DIY filmmaking that really works… poignantly alert to the nuances of teen life, perfectly capturing that confusing betwixt-and-between time." Alissa Simon, Variety

Director

Ingrid Veninger

Writer

Ingrid Veninger

Cast

Alexander Gammal, Hallie Switzer

Producer

Ingrid Veninger

Genres

Drama, Romance

Interest

Female Filmmaker

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Iron Road

Director David Wu
Year 2009
Run Time 99min
Genre Drama
A tale of forbidden love set against the building of the Canadian railway in the 1880s, Iron Road tells the story of a Chinese woman (Li) who disguises herself as a man and persuades the son of a railroad tycoon (Macfarlane) to hire her onto the explosives crew.

Soon, though, she finds herself falling in love with him, and as the physical terrain becomes more dangerous, so does the landscape of the heart. Beautifully shot and featuring screen legend Peter O’Toole in one of his last roles, Iron Road revisits an important and controversial time in Canadian history.

Originally broadcast as a CBC miniseries, REEL CANADA is proud to present the feature version of this epic tale that spans two continents.

Director

David Wu

Wu is a master editor who has worked with many legendary Hong Kong filmmakers. His directorial credits include the films The Snow Queen with Bridget Fonda, Plague City: SARS in Toronto (for which he earned the DGC Best Director nomination), See You Tomorrow, and the TV show Once a Thief. He recently edited the films You Are In My Heart and Bai du ren.

Writers

Barry Pearson, Raymond Storey

Cast

Sun Li, Luke Macfarlane, Sam Neill, Peter O’Toole

Producers

Zhao Haicheng, Anne Tait, Raymond Massey II

Genre

Drama

Interests

Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, ESL, History, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

Other Language

Al Ghorba

Director Alia Hijaab
Year 2019
Run Time 6min
Genre Animation, Drama
Through a conversation with her family back home, a Syrian immigrant in Canada expresses her loneliness, and faces her mounting fears about the future.

Director

Alia Hijaab

Writer

Alia Hijaab

Producer

Alia Hijaab

Genres

Animation, Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Baba (Dance)

Director Jonathan Lawley
Year 2006
Run Time 3min
Genre Experimental
Different people, cultures and styles of dance come together in one expression of love and life. Choreographed by Tré Armstrong.

Director

Jonathan Lawley

Writer

Jonathan Lawley

Cast

Stacey Armstrong, Cassidy DeFreitas, Alana Elmer

Producer

Wayne Lawley

Genre

Experimental

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories

Original Language

Other Language

Funny Boy

Director Deepa Mehta
Year 2020
Run Time 109min
Genre Drama, Romance
This heartbreaking tale of love and loss follows Arjie (Nand as a child, Ingram as an adult), a Tamil child in Sri Lanka, who is referred to as a “funny boy” by his family, because he doesn’t behave like the other boys. He draws inspiration from his free-spirited Canadian cousin to explore his identity, and goes on to pursue his crushes on the boys in his class. When he reaches adulthood, his life, family, and his first real love are all threatened as the Sri Lankan Civil War breaks out and brings about life-changing tragedies and upheavals.

Based on the celebrated novel by Shyam Selvadurai, Funny Boy was nominated for nine Canadian Screen Awards, winning for directing, screenplay and score.

“An attractive journey, gilded in summery light throughout by Douglas Koch’s camera.” – Guy Lodge, Variety

Director

Deepa Mehta

Mehta gained acclaim for her trilogy, Fire, Earth and the Oscar-nominated Water. Her adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children was nominated for eight CSAs. She has also directed Bollywood/Hollywood, Beeba Boys, Anatomy of Violence, and many others. Her most recent film Funny Boy has also won multiple awards, including the CSA for best direction. Most recently, she directed an episode of the series Yellowjackets. She has numerous projects in development as a writer, director and producer. 

Writers

Deepa Mehta, Shyam Selvadurai

Cast

Brandon Ingram, Arush Nand, Nimmi Harasgama, Agam Darshi, Ali Kazmi

Producers

Hussaini Amarshi, Lodi Butler, Gopi Darmaratnam, David Hamilton, Neil Mathieson

Genres

Drama, Romance

Interests

Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, LGBTQ2S+, Literary Adaptation

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Four Faces of the Moon

Director Amanda Strong (Michif)
Year 2016
Run Time 13min
Genre Action/Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Family
This intricate stop-motion animation interlaces Canada’s colonial past with writer-director Amanda Strong’s personal family history — and illuminates Cree, Métis, and Anishinaabe reclamation of culture, language, and Nationhood.

Director

Amanda Strong (Michif)

Writers

Amanda Strong (Michif), Bracken Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv-Klahoose)

Cast

Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis)

Producer

Bracken Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv-Klahoose)

Genres

Action/Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Family

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

Other Language

Shin-Chi’s Canoe

Director Allan Hopkins (N’quatwua)
Year 2018
Run Time 13min
Genre Drama

Through his father’s gift of a secret and tiny hand-carved cedar canoe, an Indigenous child discovers the strength and resilience to endure his first year at a residential school.

Director

Allan Hopkins (N’quatwua)

Writers

Allan Hopkins (N’quatwua), Kate Kroll

Cast

Zayne Jasper

Producers

Kate Kroll, Allan Hopkins (N’quatwua)

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships

Original Languages

English, Other Language

Ute Kanata (Here in Canada)

Director Virginie Michel (Innu)
Year 2016
Run Time 2min
Genre Documentary

This poignant take on “O Canada” adapts the national anthem to the reality of the First Nations of Canada, and provides a rallying song for all peoples.

Director

Virginie Michel (Innu)

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

Other Language

Night Raiders

Director Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)
Year 2021
Run Time 101min
Genre Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

A compelling and propulsive dystopian thriller grounded in an allegory for the residential school system, Night Raiders is the story of Niska (Tailfeathers), a Cree mother in an impossible situation. As she travels across a war-torn Turtle Island (North America), she is caught in a desperate attempt to save her daughter from a state-run forced re-education camp. With the world against her, Niska joins forces with a group of underground resistance fighters seeking to free their children and save their future.

Anchored by an incredible lead performance from Tailfeathers along with a stellar supporting cast, this powerful and heartfelt debut feature from Danis Goulet premiered at TIFF in 2021 and was nominated for eleven Canadian Screen Awards, winning six, including Best Original Screenplay.

Night Raiders should become the most talked-about Canadian film of the year. And for good reason.” – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail

Director

Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)

Danis Goulet is an award-winning Cree/Métis filmmaker from La Ronge, SK, now based in Toronto. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide including Sundance, Berlinale, TIFF, and MoMA. She is a former programmer and current board member for TIFF, and was the former Director of the imagineNATIVE Film+Media Arts Festival. Her latest projects include the TV series Reservation Dogs, and the upcoming feature film Ivy

Writer

Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)

Cast

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Blackfoot/Sámi), Brooklyn Letexier-Hart (Cree/Métis), Alex Tarrant (Māori-Niuean-Samoan), Shaun Sipos, Amanda Plummer

Producers

Taika Waititi (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Paul Barkin, Tara Woodbury, Ainsley Gardiner (Ngāti Awa/Te Whānau-a-Apanui/Ngāti  Pikiao/Whakatōhea), Georgina Allison Conder

Genres

Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads

Original Languages

English, Other Language