Through the singing lips of art come the voices of change. A documentary film rooted in music brings a new perspective on the modern indigenous reality. It will be shown at the Prince George branch of the Native Friendship Centre on Jan. 18.
The Road Forward: A Musical Documentary was written and directed by Marie Clements. It was produced by the National Film Board.
According to the production team, this film "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. 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. (It is a) rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action."
Some of the personalities in the film include known personalities like actor Patti Allan ( Stargate SG-1, Gray Matters, The 4400), actor and novelist Stephen E. Miller (Da Vinci's Inquest, The X-Files, First Blood, RV), and actor/singer Michelle St. John (Every Emotion Costs, Where The Spirit Lives, The Business of Fancydancing).
The musical director for the film was supervised and composed by Wayne Lavallee of North Vancouver. Lavallee is a Canadian Folk Music Award winner, a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award winner, and a Juno Award nominee. He infuses traditional aboriginal vocal styles into his country, blues and rock. His hit song Green Dress got regular radio play across Canada and his album Trail Of Tears took him to Europe on international tour.
The film uses music like a painter uses oils and pastels, to dab and slash art into consciousness. It was a live theatre production before it was a movie, originally commissioned for the aboriginal pavilion at the 2010 Olympic Games.
Clements is a Metis-Dene artist whose past screen creations include the award winning docudrama Number 14, the dramatic short-film Pilgrims, and the short-doc The Language of Love.
The Road Forward is feature length and was first released in 2017 to high acclaim and success on the international film festival circuit. It won the Best Canadian Feature award at the 2017 Dreamspeakers International Film Festival in Edmonton, and Clements won Best Director at the 2017 American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco.
The film has never been seen in Prince George before. The screening on Jan. 18 is its debut in this city. It commences at 6 p.m., there is no admission fee and child-minding is available.
