"If I know where I come from, at least I know where I'm going." So says, Dennis Allen, filmmaker and co-director of the documentary My Father, My Teacher,  premiering on APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network - cable 71 Vancouver, included in the basic shaw cable package), November 3 at 11:30 pm ET/8:30 pm PT.

It's a crisp summer day, and a pod of belugas has been spotted in the distance. Dennis Allen and his 74-year-old father, Victor, climb into a boat and head onto the water. They're in good spirits as they prepare to carry on the deeply-rooted Inuvialuit tradition of the whale hunt.

But, it hasn't always been this simple. After years of animosity, Dennis is only now beginning to understand and respect his father. My Father, My Teacher captures a delicate and evolving relationship as they come together in the spectacular settings of Baby Island and the Mackenzie Delta in the Canada's Western Arctic.

The film unfolds in a series of astonishingly honest conversations. Dennis candidly reveals the reasons he severed ties with his family as a youth, falling instead into addiction. Today, he is fighting to restore broken links to his culture and community, beginning with his father. Meanwhile, Victor weaves charming and poignant stories. As he talks about his family, growing up in the Arctic, and the dramatic changes he has seen in Inuvialuit life, his extraordinary wisdom and strength of character shine through.

My Father My Teacher is a reflection of the bonds and tensions faced by all families, and an extraordinary means of bringing two people together, as we witness the handing down of a precious family legacy from a father to his son.

The film was co-directed and produced by Ken Malenstyn. The National Film Board producer is Selwyn Jacob. It was produced by Mackenzie Delta Films Ltd. and Big Red Barn Entertainment in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada.

More details on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
and the National Film Board