pahkwêsikan sâkihitowin: Bannock is Love

pahkwêsikan sâkihitowin : La bannique, c'est l'amour

Tyra Delver
2026 | 10 min 39 s
Documentary
English

A story of love, resilience and the power of sharing the food that sustains us.

Gathering family, friends and community members around a beloved traditional food, pahkwêsikan sâkihitowin: Bannock is Love reflects on the role of bannock in sustaining Indigenous identity, memory and connection. Through stories shared across generationsand moving through different contexts, the film reveals how cultural traditions nourish not only the body, but also the spirit, resilience and future of a people.

Produced as part of REDEFINED, a TIFF and NFB initiative supporting emerging Canadian and Indigenous filmmakers aged 30 and under.

Logline

Tracing the enduring power of cultural knowledge passed between generations through the practice of making bannock.

Cri pronouncer for Title

pahkwêsikan sâkihitowin: Bannock is Love

A National Film Board of Canada production in collaboration with the Toronto International Film Festival

Credits

pahkwêsikan sâkihitowin: Bannock is Love

Written, Narrated and Directed by
Tyra Delver

Produced by
Chehala Leonard

With the participation of
Jakob Ralph Adrian Cardinal
Miranda McGilvery
Brittany Stoney
Rajeev Buell
Kathy Hamelin

Director of Photography
Conor McNally

Editor
Sarah Taylor, CCE
Suite One Productions Inc.

Sound Designer
Dmitri Bandet

Original Music
Matthew Cardinal

Executive Producer
John Christou

Line Producer
Stéphanie Quevillon

Production Administrator
Justine Chevarie-Cossette

Senior Production Coordinator
Janet Kwan

Production Manager
Everett Sokol

Production Coordinator
Tracy Seng

Sound Recordist
Dmitri Bandet

First Camera Assistant
Riley McNally

Digital Imaging Technician
Riley McNally

Set Photography
Jessica Storm Pictures

Colourist & Online Editor
Studio Post
Jason Ludwig

Motion Graphics Designer
Sticks & Stones

Animator, Sticks & Stones
Dominic Lafrance

Producer, Sticks & Stones
Matthew Gresiuk

Technical Project Coordinators
Paul Ballerini
Jean-François Laprise

Re-Recording Mixer
Dmitri Bandet

Voice Over Recording
Dmitri Bandet

End Credits
Studio Post

Technical Support – Editing
Pierre Dupont
Albert Kurian
Marcus Matyas
Patrick Trahan

Cree Translator
Clarence Whitstone

Cree Transcription Typist
Davis Keay

Coordinator, Versions and Accessibility
Sylvie Azoulay

French Translation and Subtitling
difuze

Music
Cree Word Song
Written by Gordon McGilvery
Published by DMG Arizona (ASCAP) c/o Red Brick Songs Inc. d/b/a Red Brick Music Publishing

Special thanks
Saddle Lake Cree Nation
Saddle Lake Band Council
Chief Dale Steinhauer
Sam Cardinal
Cressy Buell
Angelo Buell
Remy Boudreau
Beth Omeasoo
Shandon Delver
Bethany McConnell
Nipiya Shirt
Marilyn Shirt
Sherri Chisan
Staff of University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills
Staff of kihcihkaw askî
Raymond Quinney
Quinee Reyna
Daniel Costa
Olia Ristorante
Coty Savard

Programming Manager
Brigid Tierney

Senior Marketing Advisor
Laurianne Désormiers

Marketing Project Manager
Geneviève Bérard

Marketing Coordinator
Michelle Rozon

Director, Communications and Public Relations
Magalie Boutin

Senior Advisor, Communications Strategist
Justine Baillargeon

Publicists
Katja De Bock
Jennifer Mair
Sophie St-Pierre

Legal Advisor
Christian Pitchen

Toronto International Film Festival
an initiative of TIFF Next Wave

Chief Programming Officer
Anita Lee

Vice President, Public Programming
Keith Bennie

Manager, Next Wave
Ikoro Sekai

Selection Committee
Ollie Coombs
Emma Cheuk
Nara Wrigglesworth
Winnie Wang

Media Relations

Jennifer Mair
NFB Publicist – Toronto
C.: 416-436-0105
j.mair@nfb.ca | @NFB_Jennifer

About TIFF

TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world, through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
About the NFB

Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.