Skip to content
MovieCove
Alanis Obomsawin

Alanis Obomsawin

Director, writer, producer and actor · Born August 31, 1932 (94) · Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

Alanis Obomsawin, OC (born August 31, 1932) is a Canadian filmmaker of Abenaki descent. Born in New Hampshire, and raised primarily in Quebec, she has produced and directed many National Film Board of Canada documentaries on First Nations culture and history. Description above from the Wikipedia article Alanis Obomsawin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 31, 1932 (94)
From
Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
Works as
Director, writer, producer and actor
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 75 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 54% in 30 days

What are Alanis Obomsawin's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
48%
Morality
23%
Power
13%
Bonds
6%
Survival
5%
Self
5%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDisplacement2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 4 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
5
Tense
3
Hopeful
5
Contemplative
3
Dread
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Alanis Obomsawin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Subscription and free streaming for Alanis Obomsawin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

75 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • My Friend the Green Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator

  • Kattawapiskak Elementary School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Let's Study Treaty No. 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Outdoor Art Gallery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • The Spirit of the Tsilqot'in People is Hovering over the Supreme Court (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Bones of Crows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Indigenous Director

  • Bones of Crows(2022)

    as TRC Film Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Wabano: The Light of the Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Writer

  • Upstairs With David Amram (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Scenario Writer

  • Bill Reid Remembers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Location Sound Recordist · Musician · Producer · Researcher · Writer · as Self - Narrator (voice)

  • Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Vocal Coach · as Self

  • Don Burnstick In Kattawapiskak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • Theo Fleury Visits Kattawapiskak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Producer · Researcher · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Walking Is Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Our People Will Be Healed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Heritage Minutes: Kenojuak Ashevak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narration

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Trick or Treaty? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Researcher · Writer · as Narrator

  • Documenting John Grierson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Hi-Ho Mistahey!(2013)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narration

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Heritage Minutes: Queenston Heights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Narrator

  • The People of the Kattawapiskak River(2012)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narration

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Federal Court Hearing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The People of the Kattawapiskak River - Six Months Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Waseteg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Narrator

  • When All the Leaves Are Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Professor Norman Cornett: 'Since when do we divorce the right answer from an honest answer?' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Writer

  • Gene Boy Came Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Waban-aki: People from Where the Sun Rises(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sigwan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Writer

  • Our Nationhood(2003)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer · as Narration

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Is the Crown at war with us? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Rocks at Whiskey Trench(2000)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self - Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Spudwrench - Kahnawake Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • My Name Is Kahentiiosta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance(1993)

    Director · Producer · Script · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Heritage Minutes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · as Narrator

  • Le patro Le Prévost - 80 Years Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Producer · Script · Writer

  • Walker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • No Address (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Producer · Script

  • La Maison Poundmaker - La Voie de la guérison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director

  • Poundmaker's Lodge: A Healing Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Incident at Restigouche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator

  • Canada Vignettes: June in Povungnituk - Quebec Arctic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Script · as Narrator

  • Cold Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Cree Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Canada Vignettes: Wild Rice Harvest Kenora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · Script

  • Sounds From Our People: Gabriel Goes to the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · as Narrator

  • Sounds from Our People: Old Crow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Mother of Many Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • Amisk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Actor

  • Basket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Eliza's Horoscope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Indian Maiden

  • Farming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • L’íl’wata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Mount Currie Summer Camp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Objects in Our Daily Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director · Producer

  • Puberty - Part 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Puberty - Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Salmon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Xusum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • History of Manawan - Part One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Producer · Translator

  • History of Manawan - Part Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Producer · Translator

  • Moose Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Partridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Snowshoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • The Canoe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Walk With Dignity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Christmas at Moose Factory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

  • The Hoarder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Writer

  • The Retaliation Hearings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 75 titles, 74 of them dated from 1969 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Merata: How Mom Decolonized the Screen (2018)

$26K worldwide

Highest rated

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Merata: How Mom Decolonized the Screen (2018)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting20 of 75: 8 only acting, 12 with another roleDirecting64 of 75: 28 only directing, 36 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdWriting28 of 75: 1 only writing, 27 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stProducing21 of 75: 0 only producing, 21 with another roleMusic1 of 75: 1 only music, 0 with another roleCinematography1 of 75: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew11 of 75: 1 only other crew, 10 with another role

75 titles, 36 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 27 of them.

By decade

1960s1 · crew1970s26 · 5 acting · 25 crew1980s6 · 2 acting · 6 crew1990s6 · 2 acting · 5 crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 7 crew2010s14 · 7 acting · 10 crew2020s14 · 3 acting · 12 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Alanis Obomsawin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

3rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th4

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor, director, writer, producer, cinematographer

Our Nationhood (2003)

89th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer, producer

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993)

Midcredits 97th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Alanis Obomsawin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Alanis Obomsawin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alison Burns shares the most, 4.

Composers and editors

Producers