A referendum tears a community apart — and one woman's return fans the flames.
Mani, a master’s student, returns to the reserve in northern Quebec where she grew up. Her painful past resurfaces. Resolved to reintegrate into the community, she gets involved in the debate around a referendum on allowing the free sale of alcohol on the reserve. Laura, a bootlegger, pockets the profits she makes there under the protection of the band council and her partner Raymond. The latter is still angry with Mani, whom he holds responsible for the death of his daughter in a fire. Opposing forces quickly divide the community into two sides who face each other to determine the best path to independence.
Acting
Devery Jacobs carries grief like a second skin — devastating.
Direction
Monnet shoots the North with love and merciless clarity.
Director
Caroline Monnet
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in Kitigan Zibi, Quebec — Monnet, an Algonquin director, cast primarily First Nations actors in their first major screen roles.
The alcohol referendum mirrors real debates in Indigenous communities: economic autonomy versus protection from colonial harm. The film refuses to pick a side.
CA
