The Klabona Keepers is a fierce account of the Tahltan Nation’s struggle to protect the Klabona Sacred Headwaters, an important natural habitat in northwest British Columbia, from commercial mining. The documentary, which premiered at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival this year, intersperses verité cinematography with intimate interviews. It is an in-depth account of the different methods of resistance used by Indigenous elders, which include blockades and tense stand-offs with police and mining industry workers. Powerful moments of reflection are felt throughout the film as the trauma of residential schools and forced relocations are brought to light.
In an ongoing struggle against colonization, the film is continuing a long tradition of filmmakers who have documented Indigenous land defenders, such as Alanis Obomsawin’s Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, and Nettie Wild’s Blockade. The project is a collaboration between non-Indigenous filmmakers and Indigenous elders, who were given ownership of the intellectual property, with all proceeds from the film going towards youth programming at the Klabona Sacred Headwaters.
Q&A Oct 3 & Oct 5
Rob Stewart Changemaker Screening, with a $5,000 award presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Canada
2022
English
Residential Schools, Drug & Alcohol Abuse
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Night Falls
An arrogant, womanizing sports star eventually gets his comeuppance in this jet-black crime drama from director Roberto Gavaldón.
The Blue Trail
77-year-old Tereza makes a break for the Brazilian jungle in this trippy septuagenarian fantasy, the latest from Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro is a quirky picaresque, lushly photographed and filled with mordant humour.
Agatha's Almanac
Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.
Calle Málaga
Seventy-nine-year-old María Ángeles lives independently in Tangier's Spanish quarter. When her daughter pressures her into selling her apartment, she refuses to give in, finding in her old age a new resilience and an unexpected romantic connection.
The Art of Adventure
The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.
Follies
After two kids and 16 years of marriage, François and Julie decide to open up their relationship in a bid to rekindle their dwindling sex life. A painfully hilarious and brutally honest depiction of love, sex, and intimacy in the age of the internet.
Credits
Producer
Rhoda Quock
Screenwriter
Bertha Louie, Rita Louie, Rhoda Quock, Mary Quock, Tamo Campos, Jasper Snow-Rosen
Cinematography
Tamo Campos, Jasper Snow-Rosen
ANIM
Michael Mann, Huey Carlick, Peter Jakesta, Rhoda Quock
Editor
Tamo Campos, Jasper Snow-Rosen
Directors
Tamo Campos
Tamo Campos is a filmmaker, impact practitioner, community organizer, and extreme sports athlete. His films include The Klabona Keepers (2022), Ru-Tsu (2020), The Radicals (2018), A Last Stand For Lelu (2016), Northern Grease (2013), and over fifty shorts. Campos embeds himself in the community wherever he goes, and is dedicated to combining social impact with his adventures in sport, activism, and filmmaking. His previous projects have had a strong outreach focus that collaborated deeply with participants within his films. His work has focused on Indigenous land defense, Indigenous health models, climate justice, and anti-racism.
Filmography: Northern Grease (2013)
Jasper Snow-Rosen
Jasper Snow Rosen grew up in the southern gulf islands with a family dedicated to youth outdoor education, respecting the land, and being a part of a strong local community. Snow Rosen’s love for the outdoors has had him exploring the coast by kayak, surfing, mountaineering, and facilitating youth programs to give the up-and-coming generation a reason to protect what we have. He has been involved in direct action to advocate for social and environmental justice and helping to lift voices from the front lines through filmmaking.
Filmography: Northern Grease (2013)
Rhoda Quock
Producer
Rhoda Quock is from the Wolf Clan. Her parents are Jenny Quock and Robert Quock. She lives in Iskut, in Tahltan Territory. She was born on April 29, 1971 in Terrace, B.C. and was raised in Iskut. She is the youngest of six siblings. She was taught to go out on the land to camp every summer. Her husband is Peter Jakesta. They have four kids and two grandsons. She is a spokesperson and organizer for the Klabona Keepers. She is also the producer of The Klabona Keepers (2022).