Empire of Dirt

Director Peter Stebbings
Year 2013
Run Time 99min
Genre Drama
When single mom Lena (Gee) realizes that her daughter may be in danger of succumbing to the same addiction issues she herself faced, she decides to leave the city with her and return home to her estranged mother (Podemski) in the rural community of her youth. The homecoming forces Lena to deal with her past and raises issues that test all three generations of this family of spirited women.

Powerful and inspiring, Empire of Dirt was nominated for five Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Picture.

Empire of Dirt tells a traditional mothers-and-daughters story in a new way by making their Cree heritage and the role it has in their lives and relationships the true heart of the drama.” — Linda Barnard, Toronto Star


*Please note that this film has an Indigenous producer and screenwriter, but not an Indigenous director. imagineNATIVE defines an Indigenous-made film as one directed or co-directed by an Indigenous person.

Director

Peter Stebbings

Stebbings’ directorial debut was Defendor, and his second film, Empire of Dirt, was nominated for five CSAs. As an actor, his numerous credits include Citizen Duane, The Borgias, Bates Motel, Counting for Thunder and his newest film Percy Vs Goliath. He recently directed The Disappearance, which garnered four CSAs, and episodes of Frankie Drake Mysteries, The Sounds, and Killjoys. He is currently writing and directing the feature Running with Monsters.

Writer

Shannon Masters (Cree)

Cast

Cara Gee (Ojibwa), Shay Eyre (Cheyenne/Arapaho/Oglala Lakota/Mnicoujou Lakota), Jennifer Podemski (Anishinaabe, Leni Lenape, Métis), Luke Kirby

Producers

Jennifer Podemski (Anishinaabe, Leni Lenape, Métis), Bob Crowe, Bob Crowe, Heather K Dahlstrom, Geoff Ewart

Genre

Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads

Original Language

English