Shadow of the Headframe

Shadow of the Headframe is a feature length essay film that paints a complex portrait of the Attawapiskat First Nation – a place that is a homeland for some, and a new frontier for others. In the shadow of a De Beers diamond mine, the remote indigenous community lurches from crisis to crisis, while facing eroding treaty rights and an inability to directly benefit from resource revenues.

Filmed over five years, Shadow of the Headframe follows Attawapiskat’s journey from obscurity and into the international spotlight during the protest movement, Idle No More. Weaving together great distances, intimate everyday scenes, and archive images, the documentary chronicles the First Nation’s fight for awareness and justice in the face of repeated attempts to thwart their demands.

This supporting document provides insight into the film’s theoretical foundations, production process, and creative treatment, as well as background information on the historical and socioeconomic context.