Dr. Evan Adams and Eileen Francis’ ‘təm kʷaθ nan – Namesake’ Documentary Lands World Premiere at Hot Docs Festival

təm kʷaθ nan – Namesake documentary directed by ƛɛsla Dr. Evan Adams and t̓agəm Eileen Francis, will make its world premiere as an official selection at Hot Docs documentary film festival.

The film will world premiere in the Canadian Spectrum program, the official competition section for Canadian productions.

təm kʷaθ nan – Namesake chronicles the Tla’amin Nation, a self-governing First Nation on the upper Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, in their request that the City of Powell River change its name. The city is named after Israel Wood Powell, who served as B.C.’s Superintendent of Indian Affairs for 17 years and was instrumental in the establishment of Indian Residential Schools, the banning of the potlatch (a ceremonial event, meaning “to give,” that involves feasting, singing, and dancing), and the theft of Tla’amin territory (lot 450). The film has been in production since 2022, and tells a local story with national relevance through insightful interviews, Tla’amin oral history, archival imagery, heated and moving community engagement events, and powerful footage of support for and against this request.

Through these interviews, archival records, oral histories, and community gatherings, təm kʷaθ nan – Namesake follows the unfolding discussion around a possible name change for the city and the deeper question beneath it. The film, which follows community conversation on history, naming, and the future of the qathet Regional District, captures a powerful story of resistance and reconciliation.

“The film comes from this place. It was important for it to take root here first, with the people and conversations that shaped it, and with the history that continues to be felt,” says Francis. “This is not just a story we are telling; it is one the community has been living.”

“The film sits in the tension between memory and responsibility,” adds Adams. “It does not turn away from difficult truths, and it asks what it means to live well with each other in a place where we have different histories. It’s a story that will resonate in small towns facing reconciliation across the country.”

Watch the first look – teaser trailer for təm kʷaθ nan – Namesake, above.