The West Coast Community Resources Society is hosting three showings of the 2014 documentary Highway of Tears, beginning Aug. 6 at the Hitacu Community Centre.
Directed by Montreal-born actor Matt Smiley, the film focuses on the notorious 724-kilometre stretch of highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert, where so many aboriginal women have gone missing over the decades.
But Highway of Tears speaks to a much wider audience, according to WCCRS women’s outreach worker Heather McLean, who organized the events.
“Ultimately, by looking at this highway in Northern British Columbia, it is looking at the whole social justice issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada,” McLean said.
McLean said the event fell into place after she saw a posting about the film by a young woman named Delilah Saunders. Delilah is the sister of the late Loretta Saunders, a young aboriginal woman whose body was found in a hockey bag along a different highway, this one near Moncton, New Brunswick.
McLean said Delilah was the catalyst in bringing Highway of Tears to the West Coast, and she will appear at each showing.
“Delilah has a connection to this area. She lived and worked here for a time, so she was passionate about bringing the film here. She actually had to leave here to go find her sister,” McLean said. “She has been travelling with Matt, talking about this issue.”
Smiley is best known for his work on-screen, and has appeared in such notable films as Kissing Strangers (2010) and Kamataki (2005). Highway of Tears marks his debut as a director.
All three events are free. The first showing, on Aug. 6, is for members of Ucluelet First Nation, and includes a salmon dinner. That’s at Hitacu Community Centre (700 Wya Road). Dinner starts at 5 p.m., with the screening at 7 p.m. There will be a Q&A session with Matt Smiley and Delilah Saunders following the film.
The next showing is at Ucluelet Community Centre (500 Matterson Drive) on Aug. 8. This event is open to the public. Ucluelet First Nation will deliver a traditional opening ceremony at 5 p.m. Food and snacks will be provided by Solidarity Snacks.
The showing will be held at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A session with Smiley and Saunders.
The third showing, also open to the public, will be held the next night, Aug. 9, in Tofino, with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation welcoming people to their territory at 5 p.m. in the Village Green. Once again, Solidarity Snacks is providing food and dessert.
The screening takes place at 7 p.m. at Tofino Theatre (380 Campbell). This time, Smiley and Saunders will be joined by Tla-o-qui-aht member Carol Martin for the Q&A session.
WCCRS is providing free transportation for the event, and will have counsellors on hand at all sites. For more information, contact WCCRS at 250-726-2343.
