A work of great focus and observation, ‘After the Last River’ manages not to sacrifice complexity for directness.”
—POV Magazine
Filmed over five years, After the Last River is a point of view documentary that follows Attawapiskat’s journey from obscurity and into the international spotlight during the protests of Idle No More. Filmmaker Victoria Lean connects personal stories from the First Nation to the entwined mining industry agendas and government policies, painting a complex portrait of a territory that is an imperiled homeland to some and a profitable new frontier for others. Weaving together great distances, intimate scenes and archival images, the documentary chronicles the First Nation’s fight for justice in the face of hardened indifference.
‘After The Last River’ is a call to action, an appeal to a nation.”
—Sudbury Star
Run time: 86 Minutes; Closed Captioned
Writer/Director Victoria Lean is an award-winning filmmaker and creative industries consultant. After the Last River, her first feature documentary, screened in festivals across Canada, including Cinefest Sudbury, Planet in Focus, Bay Street FF, One World FF, and DOXA, where it won the Nigel Moore Award. Her director credits also include the short documentaries The Bits and Pieces of Mrs. Fisher (2009) and the interactive documentary, Baby on the Beach (2011). She has also edited Racing Home, an interactive, documentary by Phil Hoffman. Her work explores notions of time and national identity, and the complex interrelationships that define them. Beyond her filmmaking practice, Lean is also a consultant for the creative industries, with a focus on Northern Canada and in supporting the growth of Indigenous voices in arts and media.
She holds an MFA in Film Production and MBA in Arts and Media Management from York University and a Joint Honours BA from McGill in Cultural Studies and International Development.