Canadian Women Film Directors Database
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The Road Forward

Directed by Marie Clements
Canada, 2017 (documentary, 101 minutes, colour, English)
Also known as "Droit devant"
The Road Forward
Image: © National Film Board of Canada
Video (National Film Board of Canada)

Film Description:
"The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, connects a pivotal moment in Canada's civil rights history—the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s—with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. Clements paints an electrifying picture of how a tiny movement, the Native Brotherhood and Native Sisterhood, became a powerful voice for social, political and legal advocacy, eventually effecting profound change at the national level. The Road Forward's stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada's finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. Superbly produced story-songs bring history alive with heartbreaking ballads about the missing and murdered Indigenous women, and offer hope with inspirational anthems for moving forward. Interwoven throughout the documentary are deeply moving interviews with the musicians and singers speaking intimately about what it means politically and personally to be contemporary First Nations artists. The Road Forward is a rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action."
-- National Film Board of Canada (source)

Film Credits (partial):
Written by: Marie Clements
Produced by: Shirley Vercruysse
Cinematography: Mike Mckinlay
Film Editing: Jenn Strom
Music: Wayne Lavallee
Production Company: National Film Board of Canada / Office national du film du Canada
(sources)

Notes about The Road Forward

(sources)

Quote by the Director

"[The Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood] were able to bring many people together across a huge nation when there was no Internet and no social media. When we look at the movements in our time like Idle No More and Standing Rock, so much of their success was attributed to the ability to create awareness through social media and to let people know what really was going on and to ignite them to want to be involved in it. That's what The Native Voice did and that's what the Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood did. That's what all these community leaders have always done. The fact that they did that without these tools that we now have is pretty amazing."
-- Marie Clements (source)

Bibliography for The Road Forward

Articles from Newspapers, Magazines, or News Websites

Web Sites about The Road Forward


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