Red Path

In 2012, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in partnership with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) launched Tremplin NIKANIK, a competition for francophone First Nations filmmakers in Quebec hoping to make a first or second documentary with a runtime of 30 minutes or less. Thérèse Ottawa was one of the competition’s finalists, completing her first film, Red Path.

In following the story of Tony Chachai, a young Indigenous man in search of his identity, Ottawa raises issues relating to her culture, the past, and the transmission of knowledge and traditions among members of the Atikamekw Nation.

Moved by the desire to reconnect with his roots, Tony Chachai delivers touching testimony on the journey that brought him closer to his family and community. On the verge of becoming a father himself, he becomes increasingly aware of the richness of his heritage and celebrates it by dancing in a powwow alongside his cousin Ronny Chachai.