A haunting plunge into the Canadian archive, recapturing a 1969 student protest at Montreal’s Sir George Williams University against the administration’s anti-Black racism
2025 · 1h36m · Canada, United States
English, French
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About the Film
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 racism complaint. 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. (HSB)
Upcoming Screenings
About the Director
Michèle Stephenson
As co-founding member of the Rada Film Group, filmmaker, artist, and author Michèle Stephenson draws from her Panamanian and Haitian roots and international experience as a human-rights attorney to tell provocative stories in a variety of media that speak to personal and systemic liberation. Her work has appeared on numerous broadcast and web platforms, including PBS, Showtime, and MTV.
Other films by Michèle Stephenson
