The film details the 270 years of history between the mohawk and the british, french and canadians, the pinnacle of which was in 1990 and the oka crisis. A film account about the military 1990 siege of a native. All the mohawks arrested from the treatment center regarding the issue of the barricades were acquitted. On a hot july day in 1990, an historic confrontation propelled native issues in kanehsatake and the village of oka, quebec, into the international spotlight and into the canadian conscience. Kenneth clark 1903 1983, kakadu, kaathirukka neramillai, kaboul au bout du monde. Supported by the city of toronto and the ontario media development corporation. Director alanis obomsawin at times with a small crew, at times alone spent 78 days behind kanienkehaka lines filming the armed standoff between. As they drive, they have to pass a gauntlet of angry chateauguay commuters who are hungry for vengeance in retaliation for the closing of the mercier bridge. Special jury award in division film and video category. Director alanis obomsawin endured 78 nervewracking days and nights filming the armed standoff between the mohawks, the quebec police and the canadian army. Resistence, an eerie counterfactual fantasy story set in 1944 when the germans have invaded britain, is an overwhelmingly bleak, yet. After screening it again over the years, he disputes the common critical label of greatest film ever made. The blatant abuse and mistreatment of the indigenous people of the area is down right shocking. A landmark work in the history of cinema, citizen kane is acclaimed by many critics as the greatest movie ever made.
The film throws us immediately into the crisis, with mohawk residents of oka barricading the roads into their land complete with frankly awesome. For me a real documentary is when you are really listening to somebody. Some of these events and history are explored in alanis obomsawins documentary film, kanehsatake. This powerful documentary takes you right into the action of an ageold aboriginal struggle. In late 2001, someone shot at kanehsatake s police station.
This documentary is an eye opening, unapologetic look at the 1990 oka crisis. Obomsawins detailed portrayal of the mohawk community places the oka crisis within the larger context of mohawk land rights dating back to 1535 when france claimed the site of presentday montreal which had been the mohawk. Kanehsatake 270 years of resistance national film board of. In july 1990, a dispute over a proposed golf course to be built on kanienkehaka mohawk lands in oka, quebec, set the stage for a historic confrontation that. Kanehsatake 270 years of resistance is arguably alanis obomsawins most important film, documenting the military 1990 siege of a mohawk reserve near oka, quebec, and its causes. I chose this film here because the celebrated abenaki filmmaker told me recently. For full quality, download the divx avi file and play it with vlc a featurelength, multiaward winning documentary by. Kanehsatake 270 years of resistance cinema politica. In contrast, alanis obomsawins 1993 award winning film kanehsatake. The twoandahalf month ordeal received brief national attention when the mohawk warriors of kahnawake, in support of their brothers. Starring tom wlaschiha, michael sheen, andrea riseborough, iwan rheon, kimberley nixon and stanislav ianevski.
Screening at moma as part of the film exhibition alanis obomsawin. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, hodson wrote in an email to livescience. Citizen kane, american film drama, released in 1941, that was directed, produced, and cowritten by orson welles, who also starred in the lead role. Followed by a postscreening conversation with the director. On a july day in 1990, a confrontation propelled native issues in kanehsatake and the village of oka, quebec, into the international spotlight. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to finish.
Later that year, according to dan david, one of the leaders of a rival faction in the community assaulted chief gabriel. With jack burning, herbie barnes, alanis obomsawin, ethel blondin. Kanehsatake 270 years of resistance 1990, directed by. Vertigo tops citizen kane in poll of greatest films of. Jesse wente, director of canadas indigenous screen office, has called it a. Another fallout from this years top 10 is sergei eisensteins battleship potemkin, a 1925 film that has appeared in the top 10 for all of the polls 60 years in various slots. In july of 1990, the oka crisis was a critical moment in. Kanehsatake 270 years of resistance alanis obomsawin canada 1993 119 english. The film is controversial and important in that it instills a sense of anger and a lack of understanding in anyone who views it. Alanis obomsawins film kanehsatake 270 years of resistance, as part of its undoing of the cultural construction of mohawk warriors as terrorists, asks the white western viewer to identify with the gaze of the mohawk other that reads colonialism as white statesponsored terrorism. A film account about the military 1990 siege of a native american reserve near oka, quebec, canada and its causes. Kanehsatake 270 years of resistance by alanis obomsawin 119 minutes, 1993 on a july day in 1990, a confrontation propelled native issues in kanehsatake and the village of oka, quebec, into the international spotlight.
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