Freedom Road
Schedule
Sat, 29 Nov, 2025 at 07:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
Dave Barber Cinematheque | Winnipeg, MB
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Dir. Angelina McLeod2019, Canada, 68 min
Freedom Road is a five-part documentary series that tells the inspiring story of one First Nation’s battle to resolve a brutal colonial legacy that uprooted and transformed a self-sustaining community into an isolated island, only a short distance from the Trans-Canada highway.
For more than a hundred years, the water of Shoal Lake 40 Anishinaabe First Nation has flowed to Winnipeg via a 150-kilometre aqueduct. The city planners’ decision to divert this water supply forced the First Nations community to relocate, leaving them isolated, with no road access and a treacherous journey by barge or over ice to obtain basic services and supplies.
Meanwhile, the community’s current water supply is undrinkable, subject to a 22-year-long boil water advisory, and their access to water costly and unreliable—a travesty given that they are surrounded by what was once clear, fresh water that had been stewarded for thousands of years.
Freedom Road details the perilous daily conditions that have become a way of life for Shoal Lake 40 residents, and the multi-generational effort to build a road that would reconnect them to the world. Directed by community member Angelina McLeod, the series uses an innovative point-of-view approach modelled after the community’s governance circles of men, women, youth and Elders, each offering their intimate perspectives on life before and after Freedom Road. This community-driven approach captures the dignity, strength and perseverance of the Anishinaabe people of Shoal Lake 40, who, after having their story told by outside media for decades, have taken it back—and taken back their future for the generations to come.
This event is free to attend. Space may be limited, so please book your seat online to secure a spot. Presented in partnership with Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art.
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Where is it happening?
Dave Barber Cinematheque, Main Floor - 100 Arthur Street,Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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