Poundmaker's Lodge : A Healing Place

After years of struggle and shame, five Indigenous Canadians are bravely telling their stories. Crazywater is an emotional and revealing exploration of substance abuse among Indigenous people in Canada, directed by Inuvialuit filmmaker Dennis Allen. Rarely have their own perspectives on the sensitive topic of alcoholism been presented in such an honest and forthright manner. Dennis introduces Alex, Stephen, Paula and Desirae, who courageously share their experiences. Alex's struggles with alcoholism were an attempt to forget the abuse he suffered at a residential school. Drinking and drug use were Stephen's way of burying the childhood trauma he couldn't bear. For Paula and Desirae-two mothers with a dark history of addiction-family becomes the key to breaking the cycle of abuse. Like his subjects, the director himself is a recovering alcoholic. Dennis describes his decades-long battle with alcoholism, which began when he took his first drink-when he was only a boy. The survivors maintain a deep and devoted commitment to their traditional cultures as a means to achieving long-term sobriety. Through their voices, this insightful documentary offers an inspirational beacon of hope for those whose lives have been affected by addiction.

Richard Cardinal died at his own hand at the age of 17, having spent most of his life in a string of foster homes and shelters across Alberta. In this short documentary, Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin weaves excerpts from Richard's diary into a powerful tribute to his short life. Released in 1984 - decades before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission - the film exposed the systemic neglect and mistreatment of Indigenous children in Canada's child welfare system. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the 1986 American Indian Film Festival, the film screened at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 2008 as part of an Obomsawin retrospective and continues to be shown around the world.

Jimmy Quinlan is a homeless man, one of some five thousand men and women who have left their jobs and families and live in the streets and alleys in Montréal. This film, a powerful portrayal of life on skid row, tells of his agonies--his attempt to get off the bottle. It's something he's tried before, and will perhaps have to try again.