‘Section 38’ documentary brings Alberta’s independence debate to screens

A Calgary filmmaker who spent seven years documenting Alberta’s separatist movement says the current push for independence in the province is part of a much larger conversation about Canada’s future.

Mathew Embry released his feature documentary, Section 38, on Oct. 8, ahead of Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum.

The film examines the history of the separatist movement and the grievances behind it, while exploring broader questions about Canada’s natural resources and its relationship with the United States.

The title refers to Section 38 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which sets out a general procedure for amending Canada’s Constitution. The title reflects both the constitutional questions surrounding Alberta’s independence and the broader issues of sovereignty, national unity and Canada’s future.

Embry said he first began filming the movement during the early days of Wexit, when he was interested in concerns about Canada’s approach to oil and gas development.

“As a Calgary-born filmmaker, I’ve always been very interested in Alberta politics and politics across Canada and internationally, in particular when the separatist movement started,” Embry said.

Embry said he decided to assemble the documentary in the weeks leading up to the referendum, believing it was important to bring more perspectives into the public conversation before Albertans vote.

The film features interviews with Premier Danielle Smith, recorded in 2019 when she was still a broadcaster, lawyer Keith Wilson, and author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins.

“John really details how the United States of America has used economic pressure in various ways to challenge the sovereignty of other nations, so we felt that was an important voice right now,” Embry said.

Embry said he wanted to examine forces beyond the immediate debate over Alberta independence, including the potential for foreign interference and the influence of the United States.

He also said revisiting the interview with Smith from seven years ago offers viewers an opportunity to consider how her political messaging has evolved.

“Premier Smith had a plan to put Canada first seven years ago, she had a roadmap, what Canada needed to do to be strong politically and economically,” Embry said. “Now, in the last year, we’ve started to see the plan that Danielle put forward seven years ago be acted upon, and I think that it’s so important for Albertans to see where our premier was at then and where she is today.”

Embry said the goal was not to persuade viewers to support either side of the separatism debate, but to give audiences an opportunity to consider different perspectives.

The film’s editing process involved making deliberate choices about how much space to give each perspective, knowing the finished product could draw criticism.

“As a documentary filmmaker, I try my absolute best to show as many sides of the argument as possible,” Embry said. “I don’t think you can ever be truly fair to both sides, but we try our absolute best to do that and give everyone a chance to be heard.”

After seven years of filming, Embry said some of the grievances he encountered at the movement’s early rallies remain part of the conversation today, although he has noticed shifts in how Canadians discuss conventional energy and natural resource development.

Embry hopes the documentary encourages viewers to have conversations about the bigger picture of Canada’s place in the world, beyond the referendum.

“I’m hoping this is a big picture film beyond the day-to-day conversations that are happening in this independence movement, and I want people to see that this is a much bigger story beyond Alberta and even beyond Canada,” Embry said.

Section 38 is available to watch at section38film.com.

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