The Death of Dudley George in CTV's One Dead Indian, Premiering
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
-1- One Dead Indian Ipperwash Revisited: The Death of Dudley George in CTV’s One Dead Indian, Premiering January 4 -- Timely original movie goes beyond the headlines of the Ipperwash Crisis - Toronto, ON (December 5, 2005) – Ipperwash: 10 years after aboriginal protester Dudley George was shot and killed by an Ontario Provincial Police officer, the name of the provincial park that was the site of his death has become synonymous with unanswered questions and political innuendo. Now, as testimony heats up at the controversial inquiry, CTV announces that its gripping original movie One Dead Indian will premiere on Wednesday, January 4 at 8 p.m. E.T. on CTV and in High Definition on CTV HD East and CTV HD West (check local listings). The timely and tragic story, based on Peter Edwards’ book One Dead Indian: The Premier, The Police and the Ipperwash Crisis, focuses on the Ipperwash Crisis, the tragic 1995 incident whose aftermath reverberated from Dudley George’s family and community to the halls of Queen’s Park. The movie stars Dakota House as Dudley George and Eric Schweig as Dudley’s brother Sam. In September 1995, members of the Stoney Point Native community gathered in Ontario’s Ipperwash Provincial Park to protest a long-standing ancestral burial ground claim. In the end, protester Slippery George was almost beaten to death while Dudley George was shot dead by Ontario Provincial Police officer Kenneth Deane. For the past 10 years, Dudley’s brother Sam and his family have been determined not to let Dudley’s death - and the efforts of the Stoney Point community to reclaim the land - be in vain. The Ipperwash Crisis left Sam George and many others wondering how a peaceful protest in a provincial park could end in deadly police violence. Was it a police matter or did political pressure influence the outcome? Sam George’s relentless search for answers about why police were sent into the park that night helped lead to Kenneth Deane’s trial and, ultimately, a public inquiry into the shooting. The inquiry, called by Premier Dalton McGuinty, began in 2004 and continues today with over 90 witnesses heard to date. Former Premier Mike Harris, who maintains that he never gave instructions for police to remove protesters, is expected to testify in mid-January 2006. …/continued -2- News Release - continued “Dudley George’s story is one that demanded to be told to a national television audience,” said Susanne Boyce, CTV’s President of Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group. “One Dead Indian takes viewers beyond the headlines and past the rhetoric into the heart of a family and their demand for justice.” When asked about the controversial title of his book - and subsequently the title of CTV’s original movie - author Peter Edwards says One Dead Indian was used to illustrate the injustice and prejudice of the Ipperwash Crisis. “Obviously, the politically correct term would be One Dead Nishnawbe, but if people thought that way, Dudley George wouldn’t be dead. I saw the title as a way of turning an ugly phrase back on people who use, or think it. The phrase ‘One Dead Indian’ is an ugly but revealing mirror.” One Dead Indian features Dakota House (Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making) as Dudley George; Eric Schweig (Shania: A Life in Eight Albums) as brother Sam; Gary Farmer (A Thief of Time; DreamKeeper) as cousin Judas George; Ben Cardinal (Big Bear) as Slippery George; Gordon Tootoosis (Into the West) as Clifford George; Pamela Matthews (North of 60) as sister Carolyn George; the late Robert Manitopyes (DaVinci's Inquest) as Native Band Councilor Booper George and Glen Gould (DaVinci's Inquest) as an active native protester. On the police force, the role of the Field Commander is captured by Stephen McHattie (History of Violence, Secretary) and Inspector Dale Linton is played by Frank Schorpion (Monica La Mitraille; The Day After Tomorrow). OPP officer Kenneth Deane is portrayed by Bruce Ramsay (Bonnano: A Godfather's Story; DaVinci's Inquest) and Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas) plays a senior government official. Filmed in and around Montreal, Quebec, One Dead Indian is directed by Gemini award- winner Tim Southam (The Bay of Love and Sorrows; The Tale of Teeka; North of 60) from a script by Andrew Wreggitt and Hugh Graham. Director of Photography is Eric Cayla. Collin Niemi is the Production Designer. Producers are Jennifer Kawaja, Julia Sereny (Sienna Films) and Kevin Tierney (Park Ex Pictures). Brent Barclay (Sienna Films) is Co- Producer and Paul Rickard is Associate Producer. Line Producer is Daniele Rohrbach. Debra Karen is Editor, Composer is Andrew Lockington and Costume Designer is Claire Nadon. Lesley Grant was the CTV Production Executive for the movie. Bill Mustos is Senior Vice-President, Dramatic Programming for CTV. Susanne Boyce is President of Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group. CTV’s original movie One Dead Indian is a Sienna Films/Park Ex Pictures co-production. It is produced with the participation of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), the Canadian Television Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable industry, Telefilm Canada: Equity Investment Program CTF: License Fee Program and with the assistance of the Government of Canada Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program, and the Cogeco Program Development Fund. Continued… -3- News Release - continued One Dead Indian is the latest of 18 dramatic titles in CTV's Signature Series, CTV’s original movie production strand that features programming dealing with social issues of national importance. Previous titles that have enjoyed critical and ratings success include Milgaard, The Sheldon Kennedy Story, Tagged: The Jonathan Wamback Story, Prom Queen, Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story and Plague City. Toronto-based Sienna Films recently celebrated its 12th year. Sienna is helmed by award winning producers Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny, where they are joined by producer Brent Barclay. They recently produced I, Claudia, which premiered at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival and is recent winner of two 2005 Gemini Awards. Sienna's comedy Touch of Pink was picked up and released by Sony Pictures Classics after its world premiere at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Sienna has also produced internationally renowned feature films such as Marion Bridge (Molly Parker) which garnered the Toronto International Film Festival's City TV Best First Feature Awards and the box office hit New Waterford Girl. Sienna begins production on their next feature film, STEP, this winter. Park Ex Pictures is a Montreal-based production house that specializes in long form drama. Prior to starting Park Ex Pictures, Kevin Tierney produced the Emmy and Gemini Award nominated shows P. T. Barnum, The Song Spinner, Armistead Maupin’s More Tales Of The City, Whiskers; Bonnano: A Godfather’s Story; the Gemeaux Award winning documentary series Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Memoirs. Park Ex Pictures co-produced the CTV movie Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story and recently completed principal photography on the feature film, BON COP/BAD COP, which will be released in the summer of 2006. CTV, Canada’s largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It boasts the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTV owns 21 conventional television stations across Canada and has interests in 14 specialty channels, including the number-one Canadian specialty channel, TSN. CTV is owned by Bell Globemedia, Canada’s premier multi-media company. More information about CTV may be found on the company site at www.ctv.ca. -30- Continued… -4- Synopsis - Short Version One Dead Indian vividly recounts the tragic events that unfolded in September, 1995 in Ontario’s Ipperwash Provincial Park that left aboriginal protester Dudley George dead at the hands of an OPP officer. The crisis left Dudley’s brother Sam and other Canadians wondering how a peaceful protest in a provincial park regarding a long-standing ancestral burial ground claim could end in deadly police violence. Determined not to let Dudley’s death be in vain, Sam George’s relentless search for answers about why police were sent into the park that night helped bring the case to trial. With support from sister Carolyn and cousin Judas, Sam would settle for nothing less than a public inquiry, an inquiry that commenced in 2004 and continues until this day. One Dead Indian goes beyond the headlines and past the rhetoric into the heart of a family and their demand for justice. One Dead Indian is a part of CTV’s Signature Series production strand and is a CTV original movie, co-produced by Sienna Films and Park Ex Pictures. Continued… -5- Synopsis – Full Version One Dead Indian is a gripping and timely television drama about one of the most politically-charged events in Canadian history: the Ipperwash Crisis and the 10-year campaign to seek justice for the death of native protester Dudley George. Ipperwash: 10 years after aboriginal protester Dudley George was shot and killed by an Ontario Provincial Police officer, the name of the provincial park that was the site of his death has become synonymous with unanswered questions and political innuendo. Now, as testimony heats up at the controversial inquiry, CTV announces that its gripping original movie One Dead Indian will premiere on Wednesday, January 4 at 8 p.m. E.T. on CTV and in High Definition on CTV HD East and CTV HD West (check local listings). The timely and tragic story, based on Peter Edwards’ book One Dead Indian: The Premier, The Police and the Ipperwash Crisis, focuses on the Ipperwash Crisis, the tragic 1995 incident whose aftermath reverberated from Dudley George’s family and community to the halls of Queen’s Park.