Box of Treasures

A quiet, respectful documentary that feels like listening to elders share hard-won memory, sad and proud at once.

Directed by

Chuck Olin

Genres

Documentary

Starring

Robert Joseph

Overview

In 1921 the Kwakiut'l people of Alert Bay, British Columbia, held their last secret potlatch. In 1980 at Alert Bay, the U'mista Cultural Centre (U'mista means "something of great value that has come back") opened its doors to receive and house the cultural treasures which were seized decades earlier and only then returned to the people. The center also took up activities such as recording stories told by elders so that some part of the past would always be alive and teaching children about their heritage in order to make them feel connected to their ancestors. This film documents the cultural significance of these events for today's Kwakiut'l people. It is an eloquent testimony to the persistence and complexity of Kwakiut'l society and to the struggle for redefining cultural identity for them.

How it feels

Earnest, melancholic and warm. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Identity, memory, colonialism, family

Content

No violence, gore, sexual content or swearing.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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