FESTIVAL PREMIERE
The Cover Up
Director: Jeremy Torrie
Exposing Priests & nuns who are still alive in Canada but have yet to see justice served against them from survivors.
CAST & CREDITS
Director
Jeremy Torrie
Writer
Tanya Brunel, Martin Himel
Producer
Tanya Brunel, Jeremy Torrie, Martin Himel
Key Cast
Edmund Metatawabin
DIRECTORS STATEMENT
The Cover Up is deeply personal to me because the instrument which was the Residential School system was pervasive, and largely effective in its assimilation policies.
My grandmother attended McIntosh Indian Residential School near Kenora. But her family before was also forced to attend, and that is where the bond broke for the Rush clan.
The break down of moral values through physical and sexual abuse, combined with emotional distress was insidious -ESPECIALLY since it was being done by priests and nuns who as moral authorities knew better. Yet, with no supervision, and nobody willing to investigate claims (because they HAD to be lies), the various abuses continued on as others looked on. Such behaviour has had lingering effects -I was told by one elder this is similar to nuclear fallout in that while there is an atomic blast at the point of contact, the lingering effects of radiation continue to harm people for decades to come.
Just about every survivor I spoke to wished some manner of justice, and some -revenge. Yet cloaked behind the virtue of a superior God the majority of abusers did not receive justice, and the survivors unable to truly heal.
When Martin Himel, my co-producer, approached me about this project it because he had previously done a documentary on Nazi hunters and when the Kamloops 215 was announced, he was amazed as a Canadian he did not know this history. He also felt residential schools had parallels in genocide.
Martin took the project to TVO for development, and they correctly told him it was not his story to tell, and he would have to find a partner who was Indigenous who could have the appropriate voice, and connections to community which would be essential to securing trust from survivors.
We began this film on the cusp of the Pope’s apology at the Vatican. It seemed to signal a real opportunity for reconciliation. Instead, it became a fundraising opportunity for the Catholic Church, nothing more than a PR exercise.
In the 4 years since, the story unfolded, and we found two nuns, and two priests. One priest died in France, another was found not guilty in Manitoba, and the two nuns were found alive and well in Ottawa…however the Crown refused to proceed with charges due to lack of evidence.
The last residential school closed in 1997. The remnants of this colonial system must not be forgotten, and for some like Martin, the education must continue so denialism cannot take root.
It is my hope Canada is exposed for the atrocities it knowingly undertook with the aim of taking the ‘Indian out of the child.’ The federal government has proven in these last 4 years it does not truly want reconciliation, and that is getting in the way of repairing the treaty relationship we created generations ago.
With respect.
Jeremy Torrie/Waabishki Makwa
DIRECTORS BIO
Born in Treaty 3 territory Jeremy/Waabishki Makwa is an Ojibwe from Wabigoon Lake Indian Reserve #27 near Dryden, Ontario. He is a pipe carrier, traditional drummer, and practitioner of Ojibwe ceremonies. For three decades he has worked to realize his path as the ancestors foretold at his birth -as an aadizookewinini (storyteller) through the mediums of film and television.
Firmly established as a multi-award-winning writer, director, and producer his stylistic vision is complemented by his pursuit of thought-provoking stories of (mostly) a spiritual nature for mainstream audiences. He believes his work in this life is to assist in elevating human consciousness.
Exploring our human condition has taken jeremy around the world including Iraq, Jordan, Greece, Italy, Bosnia, France, Germany, Austria, The UK and Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Taiwan, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, & virtually every corner of Turtle Island.
Along with Jim Compton, Gary Farmer, Jerry Giberson, Abraham Tagalik, and others Jeremy was involved in the creation of APTN, & was responsible for headquartering the network in Winnipeg.
Since 2003, when Jeremy co-produced his first film Cowboys & Indians: The Killing of JJ Harper, he has gone on to write, direct, and produce six more films: Mr. Soul, an adaptation of Warren Goulding’s Just Another Indian starring Eric Schweig and Gordon Tootoosis; A Flesh Offering, an inter-provincial co-production with Quebec; Path Of Souls starring Adam Beach, Laura Harris, and Corey Sevier; Juliana & The Medicine Fish, starring Emma Tremblay, Roseanne Supernault and Adam Beach based on the best-selling novel; and the international award-winning The Corruption Of Divine Providence, an original narrative feature written and directed by Jeremy. Notably, the film won Best International Feature Film at The Garden State Film Festival, Best Foreign Feature Film at the Bare Bones International Feature Film festival, Best Director at the Esoteric Intl Film Festival, Best Actress for Elyse Levesque at the Julien Dubuque Film Festival, and Best Male Actor Award for David LaHaye’s performance as Louis Seraphin. Divine Providence premiered nationally on Hollywood Suite, followed by APTN, and has sold to the US and UK.
Jeremy has delivered The Cover Up to TVO, APTN, Knowledge, and Hollywood Suite which reveals how Canada and its churches have worked together to assimilate multiple generations of Indigenous children through the residential school system. The Cover Up also exposes the still-living priests, nuns, and clerics who have yet to face justice.
He’s also delivered Many Wounds, a feature film inspired by the groundbreaking Maori film Once Were Warriors, which he wrote starring Skye Pelletier, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, and Sera-Lys McArthur. It recently won Best Performance by an actor for McArthur, and Best Director for Jeremy at the Gimli Intl Film Festival.
Jeremy is currently in post on the period adventure-romance Coppermine from award-winning writer Keith Leckie (Jeremy co-wrote). It is distributed by Elevation Pictures.
Jeremy takes particular pride in the relationship he cultivates with actors. Any of them will enthusiastically discuss the collaborative nature of his directing most often described as free, refreshing, and empowering. The same can be said for key crew.
On the documentary side Jeremy is no stranger to filming internationally, often taking the camera and shooting himself in whatever situation -including hanging out of airborne helicopters. He’s the owner of multiple Digital Cinema packages with a full complement of anamorphic prime lenses, filters, and other camera ‘gak’ including the latest drone technology. Jeremy’s proficient in Avid editing too, having been a Beta tester for over 20 years. As a documentary filmmaker, ensuring authenticity is key while respecting the protocols and cultural practices of any Indigenous nation.
Jeremy is a CMPA member on various working committees including the REDIAC, Feature Film and Regulatory, and a member of the Director’s Guild Of Canada. He’s an Associate member of the CSC and their Diversity Committee to provide new opportunities for BIPOC communities in the camera department. He also serves on the CMPA Indigenous Working Group.
Currently Jeremy is working with Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation where he’s established White Bear Films’ head office. Here, his company is converting Roseau’s vacant hockey arena into a sound-stage with state-of-the-art LED volume Wall Technology running Unreal Engine. He’s working closely with Roseau’s Economic Development arm to acquire land to build a hotel and casino on sovereign land at Emerson, funded by established casino tribes in the United States.
Jeremy lives and works proudly in the Treaty One territory (Winnipeg, Manitoba) with his four children Xavier, Hunter, Semiah, Ruby, and wife Tanya (Metis). When he isn’t writing or directing he’s playing hockey, coaching hockey or football, and if time permits, a round of golf.
His dream is to have a land-based facility for storytellers who can work in a collaborative environment with others of all races, grounded in their spiritualities.
