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About The Film
Summary
THE BLOOD REMEMBERS is a feature-length documentary profiling the lives of Indigenous activists in Manitoba, Canada, who take matters into their own hands after a serial killer confesses to murdering four Indigenous women and leaving their bodies in a landfill. Backed by the provincial government, local police refuse to conduct a search for the women and target the film’s subjects in a campaign to silence their voices. This film tells the stories behind the headlines of the lives of the family members and their allies in their struggle for recognition of basic human dignity in the face of systematic anti-Indigenous discrimination.
The Story
In 2022, four Indigenous women are murdered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When the killer is apprehended and confesses to leaving their bodies in the city landfill, the police refuse to conduct a search to recover the women’s bodies. Families of the victims and local First Nations groups blockade the landfill entrance, setting up a face-off with local authorities, drawing national attention to the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and girls around the country (MMIWG2S+).
THE BLOOD REMEMBERS profiles the extraordinary lives of the family and community who
comprise the camps at the blockade (Camp Morgan) and Camp Marcedes, each of whom are deeply affected by the cumulative personal and generational impact of more than 300 years of colonial policy and genocide. The film goes beyond the headlines to show in intimate detail just who these individuals are and how their face off with government officials has impacted them.
In the 2023 provincial elections, debate arises in the Canadian House of Commons on MMIWG2S+ generally and on the landfill search specifically. Members of the ruling Conservative Party in Manitoba target the members of Camp Morgan, have their members arrested and enjoined from further protest activities, and campaign on a platform touting government opposition to Indigenous demands, in what some view as a racist smear campaign. That campaign ushers in an historic majority for the New Democratic Party (NDP), which elects the first First Nations Premier in Canadian history, Wab Kinew.
The film follows the long and frustrating journey for the families, as well as moments of hope, as they begin to search the landfills, find the bodies of their loved ones, and bring them home—against all odds.
Media
The Director
J.R. Howell is a California lawyer and human rights advocate. He leads the Law Office of J.R. Howell, where his practice includes litigation, appellate advocacy and strategic counsel. His pro bono work focuses on combating child trafficking, ending modern forms of slavery and advancing Indigenous rights, including advocacy concerning Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Through The Blood Remembers, he supports Indigenous families seeking dignity, accountability and recognition of their loved ones.
