On the Heels of National Indigenous Peoples Day and in the week leading up to Canada Day, here are some homegrown documentaries--short and long--to stream.

The Road Forward

(NFB)

B.C. filmmaker (and well-known local theatre artist) Marie Clements's 2017 doc interweaves a wealth of First Nations music with the story of the rise of Indigenous activism in this country. Soaring vocals, blues, rock, and drum beats drive the activism. 

Now Is The Time

(NFB)

Local Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter’s short documentary marks the 50th anniversary of carver Robert Davidson’s first pole raising in Old Massett, at only 22. The event, the first pole-raising in a century in Haida Gwaii, would spur a renaissance in Haida culture that continues today.

Sovereign Soil

(VIFF at Home)

David Curtis celebrates the northern wilds surrounding the tiny sub-Arctic town of Dawson City, where locals defy the harsh climate to take on sustainable farming.

Highway to Heaven

(NFB July 1)

Aptly subtitled "A mosaic in one mile", Sandra Ignagni's short illustrates Metro Vancouver's cultural harmony with a poetic look at a strip of Richmond's No. 5 road. Thanks to its weird zoning bylaws, temples, mosques, and churches all call the thoroughfare home.