“Peter Stebbings’ Empire of Dirt is something special. It balances universally relatable human problems while maintaining a cultural identity that makes it patently unique.” — That Shelf

After her 13-year-old daughter overdoses and child services intervene, Lena returns to her rural hometown in Ontario. Reconnecting with her estranged mother, she’s forced to confront the intergenerational trauma she tried to escape. A powerful story of three Indigenous women bound by blood and broken history, Empire of Dirt is a moving portrait of resilience, reckoning, and the long road to healing.

Country: Canada (2013)
Director: Peter Stebbings
Writer: Shannon Masters
Starring: Cara Gee, Shay Eyre, Jennifer Podemski, Luke Kirby
Produced by: Jennifer Podemski
Production Company: Snitch Pictures / Big Soul Productions