Officially selected to premiere at the Santa Monica Film Festival, the film is directed by Matt Smiley and narrated by singer-songwriter Shaina Twain (recipient of the Icon Awards at Billboards’ Women in Music, and CMT’s Artist of a Lifetime Award).

The documentary exposes the devastating impact of colonization on the Indigenous population of Canada and the failures of the Canadian foster care system. 

Documenting a variety of tribes, from First Nations to Inuits, the film weaves their painful past with recent grass roots efforts to retain what was once erased by forced assimilation. 

Exposing the jurisdictional control of the children, the documentary offers a intimate look at their fears and suffering, paving the way for new hope and dreams. On a search to rebuilt their strength and communities, youths learn to bring back to life their native language, songs, dances, food, crafts, and communities while honoring a matriarchal system.

Smiley teamed up with Mary Teegee, who previously worked with him on “Highway of Tears”, documenting the missing or murdered women along a stretch of highway in northern British Columbia. Activist Cindy Blackstock joined as an executive producer, and former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, long-time Indigenous Rights supporter, also participated in the film. 

“For Love” had its world premiere in Vancouver on September 30, a day marking Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.