Belt of Clay (in production)
Belt of Clay traces the history of the “Back to the Land” scheme of the 1930s, an initiative that saw the relocation of out of work men and their families from southern Ontario to the fertile but frigid Clay Belt of north. This had been the third attempt by the government to establish agriculture in the region since 1916 and it was the third scheme to fail due to the unsuitability of the land for farming with its limited 80 days annually without frost. During the Depression, out of work, and out-of-options men and their families headed north for adventure only to be exposed to starvation, isolation, poverty, bitter cold, and finally, defeat. The film explores the story of one family’s struggles to survive and the land itself as tormentor, victim and witness.
Made with the Support of: