June Film List

We all know about the terrible “brutality” of the Arctic seal hunt — or do we? Turns out there are other sides to this story: it's the story of families that need to be fed, the story of a hunting practice that began centuries ago and the story of a tradition that is central to the economy and food security of Inuit communities in the Canadian Arctic. Angry Inuk contains a story that’s over 4,000 years old.

The seal hunt is not exactly a laughing matter, but humour and technical savvy go a long way to debunk certain claims. Wryly tackling both misinformation and aggressive appeals to emotion, Inuk filmmaker Arnaquq-Baril equips herself and her community with the powers of social media — and yes, #sealfies — to reframe a controversial topic as a cultural issue in this 2016 Audience Award-winning Hot Docs hit.

“Angry Inuk delivers important information about an issue we tend to think we know everything about, and delivers a powerful emotional punch.”
— Susan G. Cole, NOW Magazine

Based on an ancient Inuit legend, Atanarjuat is an epic tale of love, betrayal, and revenge. The beautiful Atuat (Ivalu) has been promised to the short-fused Oki (Arnatsiaq), the son of the tribe’s leader. However, she loves the good-natured Atanarjuat (Ungalaaq), a fast runner and excellent hunter. When Atanarjuat is forced to battle the jealous Oki for Atuat’s hand, the events that follow determine not only his fate, but that of his people. Atanarjuat won 20 awards, including eight Genies and the Caméra d’Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

“I am not surprised that The Fast Runner has been a box office hit in its opening engagements. It is unlike anything most audiences will have ever seen, and yet it tells a universal story.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Beans takes place at the height of the 1990 Mohawk Resistance at Kanehsatà:ke (also known as the Oka Crisis), a 78-day standoff between Indigenous land defenders, Quebec police, the RCMP and the Canadian military, over the proposed expansion of a golf course on to a Mohawk burial ground. Twelve-year-old Tekehentahkhwa (nicknamed “Beans”, played by Kiawentiio) is forced into an early coming of age by these events, as her innocence turns to anger over the treatment of her people.

Drawing from her own experiences as a child, director Tracey Deer provides a poignant and engaging chronicle of these real-life events that shook the nation, as well as a much-needed look at how the traumatic events impacted youth in the community.

Beans premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Picture.

Content Note: This film includes coarse language, violence, and thematic elements that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Based on an inspiring true story, The Grizzlies is a powerful film about the determination and resilience of a group of Inuit youth struggling with the legacy of colonization.

When Russ Sheppard (Schnetzer) moves to Kugluktuk, NU, to be a teacher, he is shocked by the challenges facing the community, most especially the ongoing epidemic of teen suicide. Russ introduces a lacrosse programme and gradually wins the trust of his students. Together, the youth find a sense of pride and purpose in themselves and their community.

The Grizzlies was called “transcendently moving” by The Hollywood Reporter and has won multiple awards and been screened to acclaim at film festivals around the world. Cast members Paul Nutarariaq and Anna Lambe earned Canadian Screen Award nominations for their performances. 

* Please note that this film has Indigenous producers, but not an Indigenous director. imagineNATIVE defines an Indigenous-made film as one directed or co-directed by an Indigenous person.
 

In July of 1990, the Oka Crisis was a critical moment in contemporary Canadian history and a turning point for Indigenous affairs. That summer, as the small Quebec community was thrust into the international spotlight, master filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin spent 78 nail-biting days filming the armed stand-off between the Mohawks of Kanehsatake, Quebec, the Quebec police, and the Canadian army.

This powerful documentary takes you right to the heart of the action, painting a sensitive and deeply affecting portrait of the people behind the barricades.

Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Best Canadian Feature Film prize.

Single mother Beck (Hebert) finds her life upended when she faces a health scare and is forced to make big changes to the way she lives. Beck decides to start training for a marathon to prove to herself and her family that she’s able to get back on track. 

Guided by the ghost of her ancestor, legendary long distance runner Tom Longboat (Koostachin), she sets out on a journey that is both emotional and inspiring. Told in a lighthearted and charming way, Run Woman Run is a feel-good anti-rom-com about a woman who has to tackle the ghosts of her past before she can run toward a better future. Winner of the Audience Choice Award and Moon Jury Prize at imagineNATIVE.

“It’s one of the year’s best” – Alex Heeney, Seventh Row

Jacques (Côté) and Marc (Houde) are father-and-son cops who don't exactly get along, but when a fellow officer is kidnapped by a biker gang, they're forced to partner up in order to save his life.

The pair infiltrates an outdoor camp for fathers and sons to snag Charles Bérubé (Girard), the biker gang's lawyer. As Jacques and Marc try to locate their missing colleague, they find the camp's bonding activities are having an emotional and hilarious impact on their own relationship.

De père en flic is the highest-grossing French-language film in Canadian history.

"A can't-miss buddy comedy about a pair of dysfunctional father-son cops who are forced to go undercover at a touchy-feely bonding retreat…a genuinely amusing hybrid." — Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

Alors que certains enfants sont tentés de s’enfuir pour rejoindre le cirque, Laura (Jasmine Lemée) a grandi dans un cirque itinérant et est désespérée de mener une vie normale. Son père (Patrick Huard), clown de profession, ne comprend pas son besoin d’une vie conventionnelle, convaincu qu’on apprend bien davantage sur la route. À mesure que leurs différences s'accentuent, il doit accepter le fait que sa fille adolescente ne souhaite peut-être pas suivre ses traces et qu'il devra la laisser tracer son propre chemin.

Paul is a cartoonist who lives with his girlfriend and their little daughter. His in-laws are a large, joyful clan with a much loved patriarch, whose health is failing. Based on a graphic novel of the same name, Paul à Québec is the touching story of a family coping with life’s troubles with courage, tenderness and lots of love.

Tareq (Abou Ammar), a Syrian refugee in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is torn between his dream to become a doctor and his family’s chocolate-making legacy. When his family joins him in Canada, his father’s new chocolate business becomes an unexpected success, leading to new, unforeseen challenges. Tareq must make a choice between being there to support the family that needs him or pursuing the life in Canada that he always envisioned for himself.

Inspired by the true story of the formation of the artisanal chocolate company of the same name, Peace By Chocolate is an inspiring and quintessentially Canadian story.

“Peace By Chocolate is a bona fide crowd pleaser, and a true story to boot.” – Chris Knight, The National Post
 

In the face of tremendous social pressure to back down, Ranjit, a farmer in rural India, pursues a conviction against the men who raped his 13-year-old daughter. Through the intimate, powerful story of this family’s efforts to get justice, the film shines a light on gender-based violence in a country where rape is frequently reported and rarely convicted. 

To Kill a Tiger was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, and earned TIFF’s award for the Best Canadian Film of the 2022 festival. 

Pahuja’s film pulls no punches in its determination to help bring down the long-standing thinking that has compounded the cruelties faced by countless women in Kiran’s unfortunate position. – Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com