Short films from the National Film Board will be shown in our theatre throughout the day on a repeating loop throughout February. Included with regular Museum admission, FREE for WDM members. (Please note the WDM Moose Jaw is closed Mondays through March.)
To Wake Up the Nakota Language - Louise BigEagle, 2017 | 6 min
“When you don’t know your language or your culture, you don’t know who you are,” says 69-year-old Armand McArthur, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in Pheasant Rump First Nation, Treaty 4 territory, in southern Saskatchewan. Through the wisdom of his words, Armand is committed to revitalizing his language and culture for his community and future generations.
A Passage Beyond Fortune - Weiye Su, 2022 | 16 min
Through an intimate archive of the Chow’s family lineage, A Passage Beyond Fortune offers an homage to the culturally significant but buried history of Chinese-Canadian communities in Moose Jaw.
Gone Curling - John Howe, 1963 | 10 min
This short comedy follows a visitor to the prairies as he slowly discovers the cult of curling. At first, our protagonist doesn’t seem to understand why everyone is so crazy about curling, but once he studies up, buys the right gear, and gets a few lessons, he can’t be stopped. This hilarious short film records the history of a rookie's first game. Even non-curlers will feel the pull of the stones and the flick of the brooms in this choice rink-side view.
The Giant - Denis Nokony, 1982 | 2 min
This animated short tells the story of Edouard Beaupré, a.k.a. the Willow Bunch Giant. At 2.5 m (8’ 3”), he was the tallest Canadian in history. Born in 1881 in a small Métis community south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, his life was tragically cut short in 1904 while he was “on display” at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
The Road Taken - Selwyn Jacob, 1996 | 52 min
This 1996 documentary takes a nostalgic ride through history to present the experiences of Black sleeping-car porters who worked on Canada's railways from the early 1900s through the 1960s. There was a strong sense of pride among these men and they were well-respected by their community. Yet, harsh working conditions prevented them from being promoted to other railway jobs until finally, in 1955, porter Lee Williams took his fight to the union.
Claiming discrimination under the Canada Fair Employment Act, the Black workers won their right to work in other areas. Interviews, archival footage and the music of noted jazz musician Joe Sealy (whose father was a porter) combine to portray a fascinating history that might otherwise have been forgotten.