True North

By turns searing and galvanizing, the latest from Michèle Stephenson (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project) furthers the director’s ongoing investigation into the Black experience throughout the Americas and the historical pressures that shape it. Centring on student protests at Montréal’s Concordia University (then known as Sir George Williams University) in 1969, True North illuminates a tempestuous moment in Canada’s reckoning with its own racism — and reminds us of the lasting power of collective action.

Driven into exile by François Duvalier’s despotic presidency, many Haitians, following the example of Black immigrants from other Caribbean nations, sought refuge in Canada. But life in this ostensible multicultural haven could yield subtle and not-so-subtle manifestations of bigotry, whether in the form of cruel offhand comments, ghettoization, or blatant double standards. Such acts of oppression were especially prevalent in university life, where Black students were denied the rewards promised to them for academic excellence. The accumulated injustices drove students to take over the ninth floor computer lab and demand their grievances be heard. Ninety-seven students were arrested, many of them viciously abused by police, and deported from the country. But the world was watching.

Alternating between intimate interviews with those who lived through the protests and startling archival footage — including powerful statements from activist and future Dominica Prime Minister Rosie Douglas — True North is a moving tribute to the valiant young people who dared to stand up for their rights and forged an impactful contribution to the story of Black liberation.

THOM POWERS