Spirit to Soar

Spirit to Soar
Directed byTanya Talaga
Michelle Derosier
Written byTanya Talaga
Produced byNida Marji
CinematographySean Stiller
Edited byEui Yong Zong
Music byAnsley Simpson
Distributed byBlue Ant Media
Release date
  • April 29, 2021 (2021-04-29) (Hot Docs)
Running time
46 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Spirit to Soar is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Tanya Talaga and Michelle Derosier and released in 2021.[1] A followup to Talaga's award-winning 2017 book Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death and Hard Truths in a Northern City, the film updates the story of the deaths of several indigenous teenagers in Thunder Bay, Ontario,[2] centring in part on the effects of their deaths on surviving family members.[3]

The film premiered at the 2021 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival,[4] where it won the Audience Award in the mid-length film category.[5] It was subsequently acquired for theatrical distribution by Blue Ant Media.[6]

  1. ^ "Tanya Talaga explores racism in Thunder Bay and her own Indigenous roots in Spirit To Soar". As It Happens, May 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Victoria Ahearn, "Tanya Talaga doc ‘Spirit to Soar’ details ongoing colonial oppression in Canada". Toronto Star, April 28, 2021.
  3. ^ Kelly Boutsalis, "Tanya Talaga’s spirit soars with first documentary". Point of View, April 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "Tanya Talaga explores racism in Thunder Bay and her own Indigenous roots in Spirit To Soar". As It Happens, May 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Jillian Morgan, "Hot Docs ’21: “Zo reken”, “Ostrov – Lost Island” take awards". RealScreen, May 10, 2021.
  6. ^ Kelly Townsend, "Blue Ant Int’l acquires Tanya Talaga’s Spirit to Soar". Playback, August 9, 2021.