*** Cinecenta Passes not accepted for VFF Films***
In his documentary feature film debut, Haida director/animator Christopher Auchter (Now is the Time) shines a light on the 1985 conflict between the Haida Nation and colonial governments, as well as their logging interests on Lyell Island in Haida Gwaii. The logging practices at the time destroyed salmon runs and took large swaths of old-growth forests without any consent or consultation with the Haida Nation. The Haida have been stewards of the land since time immemorial. What follows is a series of tense standoffs, negotiations, disagreements, and subsequent arrests of the Haida by the RCMP, acting as representatives of the government and the logging company. 

Auchter makes a conscious choice to use footage exclusively from the time period. This decision immerses the viewer in the reality of the struggle, free from the distraction or foretelling that can accompany retrospection. He uses archival footage gifted by Susan Underwood, who was embedded with the Haida Blockade at the time, alongside archival news sources, including fiery exchanges between bombastic newscaster Jack Webster and the poised responses of Indigenous leaders Myles Richardson (Haida) and James Gosnell (Nisga’a). The juxtaposition and interweaving of these audiovisual sources drive the film, underscoring its urgency and the stark dichotomy between the sides involved. 

The health of the land and waters coincides with the health of humanity as a whole, and this film captures an encounter that resonates in the present and well into the future, as the Haida Nation and all Indigenous nations fight to maintain the well-being of our lands and waters. – BC