Long Time Running
Directors: Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier
Starring: Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip
Language: English
Duration: 97 min
Highly recognised by the Canadians, The Hip members are recipients of a wide range of awards and honours, including 16 Juno Awards, inclusion in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and an appointment to the Order of Canada. In 2016, despite news that the lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer the year before, Gord and other members of the band resolved to embark on the band’s final tour in the summer of 2016, in support of The Hip’s thirteenth album, Man Machine Poem. The Man Machine Poem tour took place from July 22 until August 20, including 15 concerts in 10 cities across Canada. The final concert was held in the band’s hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and Downie passed away on soon after, on October 17, 2017. Apart from being a musician, Gord was also a devoted activist, supporting reconciliation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. Greatly recognized for his philanthropic work on Indigenous issues, Gord was bestowed an honorary aboriginal name, Wicapi Omani, which in Lakota means “man who walks among the stars.”
Long Time Running is jointly directed by renowned Canadian documentary film directors Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier, who had known the band for over 20 years. The film premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Its title comes from “Long Time Running,” a song from the band’s 1991 album Road Apples;
Provided by Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), the film is planned to be screened by 35 Canadian diplomatic missions across the world to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the DOC.
Documentary Organization of Canada
Embassy of Canada in China
BARCO