Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance

Details

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Adam Maida) was limited to 1,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

From arthouse to Canuxploitation, Canadian International Pictures (CIP) is devoted to resurrecting vital, distinctive, and overlooked triumphs of Canadian cinema. This label is focused on the country’s original cinematic boom years – spanning the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s – occasionally venturing past that period (and the country’s borders) to highlight the films of Canada’s most inspired actors and filmmakers. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing CIP's brand new line of home video releases!

30th anniversary special edition

In July 1990, a dispute over a proposed golf course to be built on Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) lands in Oka, Quebec set the stage for a historic confrontation that would grab international headlines and sear itself into the Canadian consciousness. Pathbreaking filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin – at times with a small crew, at times alone – spent 78 days behind Kanien’kéhaka lines filming the armed standoff between protesters, the Quebec police, and the Canadian army. The result is a uniquely harrowing, unsettling, and impactful cinematic experience.

One of the most important Canadian films of all time, this landmark documentary has been seen around the world, winning over a dozen international awards and making history at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it became the first documentary ever to win the Best Canadian Feature award. In addition to Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, this disc includes the three subsequent films in Obomsawin’s acclaimed Oka Crisis quartet – My Name Is Kahentiiosta, Spudwrench: Kahnawake Man, and the feature-length Rocks at Whiskey Trench – expanding on key incidents, characters, and themes from the original film.

directed by: Alanis Obomsawin
starring: Alanis Obomsawin, Ethel Blondin, Robert Bourassa, John Ciaccia, Ellen Gabriel, Elijah Harper, Ovide Mercredi, Frank Natawe, Bill Traverse
1993 / 118 min (combined) / 1.33:1 / English DTS-HD MA 1.0

Additional info:

• Region A Blu-ray
• Scanned and restored in 2K from the 16mm interpositive
• Commentary featuring director Alanis Obomsawin and professor Monika Kin Gagnon
• My Name Is Kahentiiosta (1995, 30 min.)
• Spudwrench: Kahnawake Man (1997, 58 min.)
• Rocks at Whiskey Trench (2000, 106 min.)
• Booklet featuring writing on Obomsawin’s Oka Crisis series by Faye Ginsburg, Audra Simpson, and Robert Verrall
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles for all four films