FOR LOVE
FOR LOVE is a film of resilience and resurgence. Colonization has led to many adverse impacts on the Indigenous population of Canada – most significantly on familial and societal structures. Due to colonial regimes, Indigenous children are vastly overrepresented in the child welfare system. In 2018, the Minister of Indigenous Affairs deemed the issue “a humanitarian crisis.”
Traveling across the country, Indigenous people tell their heartbreaking stories to reveal the atrocities inflicted by the Canadian child welfare system. The film shines a light on what is happening right now. It details the horrors of the past and reveals how Indigenous communities are taking back jurisdictional control of their children in order to ensure that their unique and diverse cultures are preserved for generations to come.
Awakening a revived respect for the matriarchal system, we learn about the need to preserve traditional practices, land-based activities and grass roots initiatives in order to keep having a positive impact on children and families – not only reducing the number of apprehensions, but also renewing Indigenous pride.
“The horrors of residential schools are finally starting to be understood by non-Indigenous Canadians and Americans,” says producer Mary Teegee. “I wanted this movie to create awareness about the generational trauma caused by residential schools. But it also celebrates the resilience of our people, and shows how communities across the country are rebuilding family connections and rich cultures.”
“For Love” is narrated by singer Shania Twain and directed by artist and filmmaker Matt Smiley. It is produced by Smiley and Mary Teegee of Carrier Sekani Family Services, who produced the documentary “Highway of Tears,” in 2015 about missing and murdered indigenous women. Mary Teegee is Gitk’san and Carrier from Takla Lake First Nation, and is a proud member of the Luxgaboo Wolf Clan.
HIGHWAY OF TEARS
Since the late 1960s, at least forty young women have disappeared along the “Highway of Tears” — a 500-mile, single-lane stretch of roadway in northern British Columbia. Shrouded in mystery until a recent Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) special investigation linked DNA from one of the vanished victims to a deceased American criminal, these cold cases reveal sweeping crimes: kidnapping, rape, torture, murder, and the disposal of human bodies. Aboriginal communities have experienced the brunt of the brutality: dozens of their women have disappeared along the highway, victims of not only murderous predators, but of a pervasive, systemic racism that keeps them marginalized on impoverished reservations. First Nation leaders and activists contend there has been little interest in further investigating the crimes and in apprehending their killers. Narrated by TV Star Nathan Fillion ("Castle", "The Rookie"), Matt Smiley's award-winning documentary originally aired on Netflix in Canada and vividly portrays the personal stories of the victims’ families. It explores how generational poverty, high unemployment, and endemic violence in their communities contribute to these tragic outcomes.
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Join educators, organizers, and students using our documentary films to spark discussion and debate.
We welcome partnerships to bring these films to your campus or organization via virtual or in-person screenings. We’ve worked with universities, nonprofits, and Indigenous communities to host events, including panels and academic discussions.