In the United States, names like World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Assault Championship Wrestling (ACW), and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) may come to mind when bringing up sports entertainment. But wrestling isn’t a U.S.-based sport, with countries the world over having their own organizations from Australasian Wrestling Federation (AWF) in Australia and New Zealand, All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in Japan, and Northern Championship Wrestling (NCW) in Canada. Admittedly, wrestlers are just as likely to work in their own country as another, and when it comes to North American sports entertainment, in order to prove your mettle, you need to take a trip at least once through Tony Condello’s Canadian Northern Tour, also known as “The Death Tour,” which travels through Northern Manitoba putting on anywhere from seven to 14 performances on reservations throughout the area. It’s cold, it’s intense, and it’s dangerous between working conditions and the natural climate when one works within the Arctic Circle. Having their world premiere during Slamdance Film Festival 2024, first-time feature filmmakers Stephan Peterson and Sonya Ballantyne (Eagle Girl) bring audiences along for the ride, embedding us with four of the participants as they learn about themselves and the significance of the tour.
Like any good wrestling event, it’s important to know the players. So, before diving into the review proper, let’s set the stage.
Center: Dez Loreen in documentary THE DEATH TOUR. Photo Credit: Van Royko. Photo courtesy of Cinematic Red.
First up is Sarah McNicoll, a veterinarian technician in small-town Quebec who performs as “McKenrose the Scottish Warrior.” A former speed skating hopeful, an accidental attendance at a wrestling event sparked an interest that’s turned into an outlet for her frustrations and a means of continuing her physical training, though in a different way. Next is Sean Dunster, a Canadian Hall of Famer who performs as “Massive Damage.” His career has seen him travel North America, participate in 10 Death Tours, and more, as he pushes himself not to give up on wrestling as a career. Our third entertainer is Sage Morin, a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Central Alberta. She utilizes the handle “The Matriarch” as a mean of putting her culture front and center, using it to uplift those in the audience who aren’t used to seeing people like themselves in the ring. The final performer is Dez Loreen, the founder of Totally Arctic Wrestling who uses the handle “The Eskimofo.” The Death Tour is an opportunity to really give wrestling a try and see if it’s something they can do professionally, as well as learn what they can do better for their own organization. Leading the caravan is Tony Condello, who’s been working in the business since 1958, first as a wrestler before shifting to promoting and organizing. His Death Tour has seen the likes of Chris Jericho (who serves as producer on this documentary), Edge, and Christian, each of whom have had careers in WWE.
A scene from documentary THE DEATH TOUR. Photo Credit: Van Royko. Photo courtesy of Cinematic Red.
The story told by Peterson and Ballantyne is two-fold and concurrent. This is a film about amateur wrestlers making their bones, and that’s the hook as well as the main tale. (It certainly worked to get this old WCW/WWE fan to check out the doc.) It’s a solid one, too, as the directors narrow their focus onto the four individuals going on their first Death Tour. Using this as the way in, the directors montage the four in their respective lives leading up to the Death Tour, using small moments to get a sense of who they are, what they value, and the trials that may await them in Northern Manitoba. For Sarah, it’s not only proving her worth as a wrestler to herself, but overcoming the language barrier as French is her first language and English (the primary for everywhere else on tour) her second. For Sean, it’s whether or not his body can physically take the punishment of the ring, whether he’s giving it out or receiving. Each of the four have their reasons for being on the tour and, by using an embed style, the audience is treated like an additional member of the tour, sitting in on the conversations in the car on the way, eavesdropping on pre-match strategy sessions, being behind the curtain between bouts, and more. By the by, it’s not that Tony isn’t explored or included, he is, but the doc doesn’t offer any insight into why he does what he does, only that he does it and cares a great deal about it going well. Unlike the four, Tony isn’t included in the interviews (traditional talking head or otherwise), leaving the audience to make their own inferences based on what he says and how his words are received by the participants. Make no bones about it, this 80+ year old man may get chided and teased by those he’s worked with before, but he means business and those who get it understand not to be on the other end of his wrath.
A scene from documentary THE DEATH TOUR. Photo Credit: Van Royko. Photo courtesy of Cinematic Red.
The second aspect is stealthily woven in, emotionally heavy, and a powerful indicator of the work that still needs to be done to repair centuries of cultural and psychological damage to Indigenous communities. Addressing this aspect directly would delve into spoiler-territory, so I will simply point out at this time that the name of the film has a double meaning, but, at no time is the tour itself referred to in the way that the title or incidents explored within suggest. It’s not meant to make light, but to amplify a very serious issue going on in Northern Manitoba regarding life on the reservations. Where our wrestlers come in, they bring their life experiences beyond the ring to the schools on the reservations so as to take the excitement of seeing performers in the ring and bring it to the audience, such as transforming the Matriarch back into Sage, so that her stories can become their harbinger and perhaps keep them safe.
A scene from documentary THE DEATH TOUR. Photo Credit: Van Royko. Photo courtesy of Cinematic Red.
One downside to The Death Tour is that you need to come to the film with some foundation of knowledge regarding (a) wrestling and (b) the colonization efforts made by the Canadian government to remove Indigenous culture from the country. The first one someone can glean enough from what’s discussed and shown to understand, plus, once on tour, seeing the reaction from the various reservations is enough to convey why Tony’s work matters. So you don’t *have* to know your wrestling history in order to get that aspect, though, if you’re not familiar with terms like “face” and “heel,” there will be a steeper climb for you as small things like this aren’t outright explained. The second, however, is only mentioned in small portions, such as when Sage and Dez talk about (to each other or others) the Residential Schools or discuss how one reservation they visit doesn’t allow activities or certain representations of Indigenous culture — these last two being leftovers from government-approved Residential School indoctrination. Because the film doesn’t dig into the history of colonization and the reduction or removal of Indigenous culture, it’s difficult to fully appreciate the significance of what life is like on the reservations today or the uphill climb many of the residents face, a climb that often feels insurmountable, leading to choices that will either hold them back or incapacitate them entirely. The goal of Residential Schools was to do exactly this, whether by indoctrination of a different faith or death, and The Death Tour implies that this legacy continues on due to the systems and communities that were destroyed.
If you’d like to learn more about Residential Schools and the impact on the Canadian Indigenous communities, please track down and check out Jules Arita Koostachin’s documentary Waapake.
Sage Morin in documentary THE DEATH TOUR. Photo Credit: Van Royko. Photo courtesy of Cinematic Red.
The Death Tour is a beautiful doc, not just for what it comes to explore (literally and figuratively placing some light in dark areas of life), but technically. It’s shot wonderfully, capturing the natural beauty of the wintry wonderland of Northern Manitoba. A beauty that hides a great deal of danger, which is why it’s fascinating to note the ways in which the directors utilize landscape shots to indicate the group traversing an expansive nature to get to each location and how these same shots enhance the sensation of isolation. The juxtaposition of adventure and danger, community and isolation, self-truth and communal fiction slam together like opponents bouncing off the ropes and colliding together in a simultaneous missed clothesline. Just as the sun does eventually break through the extensive night sky, Peterson and Ballantyne don’t focus on the negative, enabling The Death Tour is make its points without coming off as a dour or hopeless experience. Like the performers themselves, sometimes showing up and giving the audience a show is enough. In this case, Peterson and Ballantyne also leave the audience with the sense that more than entertainment is needed to break the ice of Northern Manitoba, but a whole new way of thinking and resources to go with it. Until then, The Death Tour will keep coming through, pushing its participants toward the edge of their own limits while reminding them what matters: the audience.
Screening during Slamdance Film Festival 2024.
For more information on screenings, head to the official Slamdance The Death Tour webpage.
For more information, head to the official The Death Tour website.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
As a former wrestling fan, I’m kinda of interested in this.
When the book “The House InThe Cerulean Sea cane out, there was a group trying to say he was ripping off the narrative of the Canadian Force Registration Schools. Ridiculous.