Kwanxwala - Thunder

Directed by Sarah Shamash

Kwanxwala-Thunder recovers the history of the Kwakwaka’wakw and stitches it together with contemporary stories of football and potlach in Canada. This creative documentary intertwines Canadian history, indigeneity, colonial legacies, feminisms, and sport. Shot over the period of several years (2009-2015), Kwanxwala-Thunder constructs a portrait of Alert Bay through soccer. The film's impressionistic approach takes us through the incorporation of soccer into Kwakwaka'wakw culture despite its colonial arrival on the island while highlighting multiple generations of female soccer players.