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The Red Dress

1978 27 min
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Renowned Métis author and screenwriter Maria Campbell explores themes of cultural identity, sexual assault and the familial impact of colonialism in The Red Dress, echoing the themes of her seminal memoir, Halfbreed. Kelly is a Métis man without treaty or hunting rights, struggling to sustain his traditional life. His daughter Theresa longs for a red dress from France that she believes will give her power and strength, as the bear claw once did for her great-grandfather Muskwa. When Theresa escapes an assault and Kelly turns his back on his daughter, he realizes that he must reconnect with his culture in …

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This work contains scenes of violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
The Red Dress

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Renowned Métis author and screenwriter Maria Campbell explores themes of cultural identity, sexual assault and the familial impact of colonialism in The Red Dress, echoing the themes of her seminal memoir, Halfbreed.


Kelly is a Métis man without treaty or hunting rights, struggling to sustain his traditional life. His daughter Theresa longs for a red dress from France that she believes will give her power and strength, as the bear claw once did for her great-grandfather Muskwa. When Theresa escapes an assault and Kelly turns his back on his daughter, he realizes that he must reconnect with his culture in order to make things right. Today, the red dress is a powerful symbol recognizing over 1000 missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.

This work contains scenes of violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
  • director
    Michael Scott
  • producer
    Vladimir Valenta
  • executive producer
    Roman Kroitor
    Dieter Nachtigall
  • associate producer
    Tom Radford
  • script
    Maria Campbell
  • camera
    David De Volpi
  • sound
    Hans Oomes
  • editing
    Anne Wheeler
  • sound editing
    Bernard Bordeleau
    Donald Douglas
  • re-recording
    Hans Peter Strobl
  • music
    Roger Deegan
  • cast
    Tommy Banks
    Abbie Burnstick
    Jackson Davies
    Yvonne Lois Lee
    Tom Radford
    Sam Sinclair
    Shannon Two Feathers

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