Rocks at Whiskey Trench

Stories of resistance, strength and perseverance are at the heart of this powerful examination of a dark day in Canadian history. In the summer of 1990, at the height of the Oka conflict, the women, children and elders of the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) fled their community of Kahnawake. As they attempted to cross the Mercier Bridge to Montreal in a convoy of 75 vehicles, they were pelted with stones by an angry mob. The police did not intervene. Rocks at Whiskey Trench reconstructs these traumatic events using witness statements, archive material and historical analysis. The film sheds light on the background to the conflict in Oka, the consequences of centuries of land expropriation, and reveals how deeply colonial violence continues to affect people today. A moving document about trauma, resilience and the right to self-determination. (M.G.)