This compilation of six short documentaries explores the past, present and future of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In commemoration of Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation, our partners at Hot Docs commissioned IN THE NAME OF ALL CANADIANS, a compilation of six short documentaries inspired by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

The Calgary International Film Festival will be playing the shorts package as part of the 2017 festival. From Indigenous rights to multiculturalism to the controversial ‘notwithstanding clause,’ participating filmmakers have each selected a specific aspect of the Charter to explore, looking at how it resonates in the stories of their fellow Canadians.

This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

The short films include:

LAST RESORT
An exploration of the precedent-setting case which sees the first ever Indigenous freedom of religion challenge to go before the Supreme Court of Canada.

NOTWITHSTANDING
Adopting a creative approach to speculative documentary and pushing the film in a dystopian direction, a doomsday scenario is imagined when Section 33, the notwithstanding clause, weaponizes the Charter against itself.

THE LONG WAY HOME
Mobility rights come into question when the Canadian Government denies re-entry to a Sudanese-born Canadian after false allegations of terrorism.

LESSONS INJUSTICE
A first-person account of Danardo Jones, troubled-teenager-turned-criminal-lawyer, and how his personal experience with racism has been woven into his complicated Canadian identity.

L'INSPECTEUR
Well before minority language educational rights were in place, the difficulties in teaching French in Manitoba public schools are recalled through a story of school inspectors in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

IN PART
A mosaic in the form of a series of Canadian portraits and interviews, ranging from topics related to the Charter, to the existential, to the seemingly insignificant. Inspired by the Proust questionnaire.