True North

Michèle Stephenson’s moving documentary centres on the 1969 student protests against racism at Montreal’s Concordia University and their contribution to the story of Black liberation.

SYNOPSIS

In an excerpt from a 1968 interview, Roosevelt (Rosie) Douglas exposes and speaks out against racism and the violence of racial inequity in Canada, its exploitation of the Caribbean, and its history of slavery. The tone of True North is set by this Black rights activist and leader of the winter 1969 student protest at Sir George Williams University in Montreal, which challenged how the administration handled a complaint for racism. The testimonials of the participants in this act of resistance and affirmation, illustrated by a judicious assembly of archival footage, anchor this climactic event in its socio-political reality. Through their denunciations of violence, these testimonials reveal the cultural richness of this diverse community and recount the rise of a continent-wide protest movement in the late 1960s. Skilfully told, this stunningly edited work is a powerful act of remembrance.

Theme(s): , Politics, Racism, Social struggle

DETAILS

Director | , Michèle Stephenson
Year | , 2025
Country | , Canada, United States
Duration | 96 minutes
Original language | , English
Subtitles | , French
Image | Stephen Chung
Music | Andy Milne
Editing | Sarah Enid Hagey, Shannon Kennedy
Producer | Leslie Norville, Michèle Stephenson

DIRECTOR

Photo

Michèle Stephenson

SEE COMPLETE PROFILE

Michèle Stephenson draws on her Haitian and Panamanian roots to radically rethink storytelling in order to develop a practice that centers the lived experiences of the Black diaspora in the Americas. Stephenson draws inspiration from fiction and immersive, hybrid forms of storytelling to construct her worlds and narratives.

CAREER

TIFF - Toronto International Film Festival · Chicago International Film Festival · IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam · RIDM - Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal · True/False Film Festival · DOC NYC · Full Frame Documentary Film Festival · Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

UPCOMING SCREENINGS

SCREENING 1

29 June 2026 pm30 21h00

Parc des Faubourgs 

This film is included in screening True North

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