The Cinematheque

“Expertly [uses] hybridity to create a space of reflection that allows for a dialogue between who the protagonist was and who she is today … [Brings] the patriarchal world of wrestling into a feminist perspective that includes the nuances of identity, empowerment, and Indigenous legacy.”

Jury statement for Delta Dawn, Hot Docs 2025

Northlore
Canada 2025
David Hamelin, Melaina Sheldon
54 min. DCP

Rescheduled from our ​“Stories to Share: Respecting the Spirit” program in October, Northlore is an animated and live-action hybrid filled with the stories and connections of the people and wildlife of the North, co-directed by Melaina Sheldon (Inland Tlingít) and David Hamelin.

followed by

Delta Dawn
Canada 2024
Asia Youngman
27 mins. DCP

Cree-Métis filmmaker Asia Youngman directs this true story of Ukrainian/​Carrier wrestler Dawn Murphy, aka ​“Princess Delta Dawn,” a member of the Lake Babine Nation who rose to fame in the 1980s and early 1990s in the pro-wrestling circuit in Canada. Eventually, Dawn became an international success—owing, in part, to her signature seven-foot Burmese python, Precious—and was the first Indigenous woman and first Canadian woman to compete in Japan. The film blends staged reenactment, archival footage, and Dawn’s recollections of her career, from earliest beginnings to retirement.

Best Canadian Short Documentary
Hot Docs 2025

Post-screening Q&A with Dawn Murphy.