Speakers for the Dead
This documentary reveals some of the hidden history of Blacks in Canada. In the 1930s in rural Ontario, a farmer buried the tombstones of a Black cemetery to make way for a potato patch. In the 1980s, descendants of the original settlers, Black and White, came together to restore the cemetery, but there were hidden truths no one wanted to discuss. Deep racial wounds were opened. Scenes of the cemetery excavation, interviews with residents and re-enactments—including one of a baseball game where a broken headstone is used for home plate—add to the film's emotional intensity.
You won’t find it in any history book but African Canadians inhabited the area near Priceville, Ontario in the 1830s. These were veterans of the War of 1812 who settled there after they were promised lands by the government but were forced to squat elsewhere when Whites were given the deeds to these lands. The Black community eventually disappeared but a link to this past remains: a cemetery. One that was later turned into a potato patch by a local farmer in the 1930s. Today, descendants of these settlers are trying to reclaim the cemetery but some members of the community feel it is best not to disturb the past. A powerful documentary on the connections to the past and the search for one’s identity.
Albert Ohayon
From the playlist: Canada’s Diverse Cultures
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Speakers for the Dead, David Sutherland & Jennifer Holness, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
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directorDavid SutherlandJennifer Holness
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producerPeter Starr
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executive producerLouise Lore
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director of photographyCarolyn Wong
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editorDenis Takacs
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sound recordistSanjay Mehta
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original music scoreTom Third
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post-production sound facilityTrackworks Inc.
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sound editorTim Roberts
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mixerTim Roberts
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dialogue editorDavid Drainie Taylor
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assistant sound editorTimothy Mehlenbacher
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foley artistJohn F. Thompson
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foley engineerSteve Pollett
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production supervisionKemp ArchibaldJames Fiege
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assistant production supervisorMichael Sardella
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program administratorIda Di Fruscia
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administrative assistantJoanne Forrest
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production administrative assistantCatherine Fletcher
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production assistantAkhaji Zakiya
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technical assistantKevin Drysdale
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castMiriam DavisSandra HolnessDavid HolnessWayne BlackfordEnid BarnetCaleb McMullenChristopher M. QuinnIrving ThomlinsonAndrew BeeRebecca M. QuinnJason FriesenLeon SutherlandCorey Warren
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