Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
The Road Taken
TITLE DETAILS

The Road Taken

1996-09-12 · 52 min · ★ 9.0

Documentary

Black sleeping-car porters who worked on Canada's railways from the early 1900s through the 1960s were proud men and well-respected by their community, but harsh working conditions prevented them from being promoted to other railway jobs until 1955 when porter Lee Williams took his fight to the union.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Selwyn Jacob
Production companies
ONF | NFB
Countries
Canada
Status
Released

Top Cast

Frederick WardNarrator (voice)

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Availability not listed for this country.

Recommendations

Harlan County U.S.A.
★ 7.6
Harlan County U.S.A.1976Documentary

A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.

I Am Not Your Negro
★ 7.7
I Am Not Your Negro2017Documentary

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.

McQueen
★ 7.4
McQueen2018Documentary

Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.

The Corporation
★ 7.6
The Corporation2003Documentary

Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.

Black Sheep
★ 7.2
Black Sheep2018Documentary

After the high-profile killing of Damilola Taylor, Cornelius' family move out of London. But when they discover their new town is run by racists, Cornelius takes a drastic step to survive.

American Factory
★ 7.2
American Factory2019Documentary

In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.

God Grew Tired of Us
★ 7.3
God Grew Tired of Us2006Documentary

Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.

Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem
★ 6.5
Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem2025Documentary

Rob Ford scandalized Canadian politics as the brash yet beloved mayor of Toronto — until an infamous video of him smoking crack sparked his downfall.

56 Up
★ 7.2
56 Up2012Documentary

When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident and self-assured, those from middle and working class backgrounds were resigned to a challenging life of hard work. This premise was put to the test every seven years when the same group were interviewed about the progression of their lives. 49 years in the making, the changes that occurred to the original 14 make for fascinating television and are in many ways the stories of all our lives. From success and disappointment, marriage and childbirth, to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life has been captured on film. Now, at the age of 56, the group are once more brought together and, with the benefit of hindsight, assess whether their lives have been ruled by circumstance or self-determination.

Love, Antosha
★ 7.4
Love, Antosha2019Documentary

From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.

Stories We Tell
★ 7.1
Stories We Tell2012Documentary

Canadian actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates certain secrets related to her mother, interviewing a group of family members and friends whose reliability varies depending on their implication in the events, which are remembered in different ways; so a trail of questions remains to be answered, because memory is always changing and the discovery of truth often depends on who is telling the tale.

OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film)
★ 7.8
OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film)2022Documentary

Grammy® winner singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo takes a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her debut album “SOUR,” to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing and creating her record-breaking debut album and shares her feelings as a young woman navigating a specific time in her life. Through new live arrangements of her songs, intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage from the making of the album, audiences will follow Olivia along on a cinematic journey exploring the story of “SOUR.”

35 Up
★ 7.6
35 Up1991Documentary

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

28 Up
★ 7.5
28 Up1985Documentary

Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

Sidney
★ 6.9
Sidney2022Documentary

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

13th
★ 7.8
13th2016Documentary

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century
★ 6.5
Capital in the Twenty-First Century2019Documentary

Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5
★ 7.2
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 52026Documentary

An inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final installment of the Duffer Brothers' generation-defining series.

21 Up
★ 7.4
21 Up1977Documentary

After another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
★ 8.4
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me2022Documentary

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

Similar titles

Thatcher vs The Miners: The Battle for Britain
Not rated
Thatcher vs The Miners: The Battle for Britain2021Documentary

On the 5th of March 1985, a crowd gathered in a South Yorkshire pit village to watch a sight none of them had seen in a year. The villagers, many of them in tears, cheered and clapped as the men of Grimethorpe Colliery marched back to work accompanied by the village’s world-famous brass band. The miners and their families had endured months of hardship. It had all been for nothing. The miners had lost the strike called on March 6th 1984. They would lose a lot more in the years to come. But was it a good thing for the country that the miners lost their last battle?

The Flickering Flame
★ 6.4
The Flickering Flame1996Documentary

Documentary following dockers of Liverpool sacked in a labour dispute and their supporters’ group, Women of the Waterfront, as they receive support from around the world and seek solidarity at the TUC conference.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Schienen zum Nachbarn - Teil 11993Documentary

First part of a two-part documentary about the now largely defunct network of local railways in the areas around Erlangen and Forchheim, Germany.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Signal Box Archive2021Documentary

A unique look inside over 70 signal boxes taken from Video 125's archive filmed over a period of 30 years. Features 'boxes of all shapes and sizes, all kinds of operating methods from 19th century mechanical lever frames to 20th century panels to 21st century state-of-the-art Rail Operating Centres.

People Unite!
Not rated
People Unite!2022Documentary

In the face of AAPI violence, an intergenerational coalition of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, People of Color organizers come together to organize a march across historic Washington Heights and Harlem, as a continuation of the historic and radical Black and Asian solidarity tradition.

Poster unavailable
Not rated
Schienen zum Nachbarn - Teil 21993Documentary

Second part of a two-part documentary about the now largely defunct network of local railways in the areas around Erlangen and Forchheim, Germany.

OVERHEIGHT MUST TURN
Not rated
OVERHEIGHT MUST TURN2018Documentary

For the past ten years, Jürgen Henn has filmed over-height trucks crashing into the 11foot8 train bridge affectionately nicknamed the "Can Opener." In that time, millions have viewed the crashes online. Regional, national, and international news organizations have dined out on the story and the goofy crash reels. But why do motorists continue to crash despite the many warnings, sensors, and signs? And what is it about these crashes that holds our attention? In this piece, we look for the humanity in human error.

Two Years, Four Months, A Day
Not rated
Two Years, Four Months, A DayDocumentary

With no choice, César faced leaving his family behind, quitting his job and joining the Army. In an unprecedented chain of events he became the first conscientious objector in Galicia (Spain) to be put in prison. Now, nearly thirty years later, Two Years, Four Months, A Day takes a look at what made him do it.

Poster unavailable
★ 3.3
Stories of A1974Documentary

French documentary campaigning for the liberalization of abortion and contraception, directed by Charles Belmont and Marielle Issartel in 1973.

Bearing Witness Native American Voices in Hollywood
★ 7.5
Bearing Witness Native American Voices in Hollywood2025Documentary

For over 100 years, Hollywood cinema has crafted the ultimate "villain"- the Indian, as they were labeled in early Westerns. Confined almost exclusively to this genre, the Western became a vehicle for American racism, obscuring the genocide upon which the United States was built. In this documentary, only Native Americans are given a voice to share their story, one that has been overshadowed by Hollywood's portrayal. Their narrative, part of the larger American story, highlights how cinema has long been used as a powerful propaganda tool, distorting history and perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

Miners Shot Down
★ 9.0
Miners Shot Down2014Documentary

In August 2012, mineworkers in one of South Africa’s biggest platinum mines began a wildcat strike for better wages. Six days later the police used live ammunition to brutally suppress the strike, killing 34 and injuring many more. Using the point of view of the Marikana miners, Miners Shot Down follows the strike from day one, showing the courageous but isolated fight waged by a group of low-paid workers against the combined forces of the mining company Lonmin, the ANC government and their allies in the National Union of Mineworkers.

Tshiuetin
Not rated
Tshiuetin2016Documentary

Take a breathtaking train a ride through Nothern Quebec and Labrador on Canada’s first First Nations-owned railway. Come for the celebration of the power of independence, the crucial importance of aboriginal owned businesses and stay for the beauty of the northern landscape.

Harvest of Loneliness
Not rated
Harvest of Loneliness2010Documentary

Shedding light on the current debate over immigration reform and the use of "guest workers" in American agriculture, this historical documentary, "Harvest Of Loneliness: The Bracero Program," examines what was known as the Bracero Program-a system put in place from 1942 to 1964 to recruit Mexican farm laborers for temporary work in the United States.

Confessions of a CEO: My Life in an Out-of-Balance World
Not rated
Confessions of a CEO: My Life in an Out-of-Balance World2025Documentary

A bare-knuckled critique of corporate America told through the powerful true story of a toxic CEO who evolves from a profits-over-people, philandering executive to an unorthodox leader, populist messenger, and mentor to American influencers. It’s a story of growth, redemption and the impact of self-awareness on leadership and life.

In the Company of Kings
Not rated
In the Company of Kings2024Documentary

In the Company of Kings follows a fight fan's unforgettable journey into the dark heart of American boxing to talk to eight former World Champs and those closest to his hero, Muhammad Ali, about race, struggle, victory, defeat and picking yourself up off the canvas. Features Larry Holmes, Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Earnie Shavers, the Spinks brothers, Bob Arum and more.

Salute
★ 6.7
Salute2008Documentary

The black power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympics was an iconic moment in the US civil rights struggle. Far less known is the part in that episode in history played by Peter Norman, the white Australian on the podium who had run second — and the price paid afterward by all three athletes.

Vi som planerar tågtrafiken
★ 7.0
Vi som planerar tågtrafiken2006Documentary

First Thursday of each month, the members of Stockholm's model railroad club meet and run their beloved trains on a schedule. The trains pass towns such as Bångfors and Farsarvet. Sometimes, a delay occurs, which then spreads throughout the network.

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart
★ 6.2
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart2017Documentary

On March 11, 1959, Lorraine Hansberry’s 'A Raisin in the Sun' opened on Broadway and changed the face of American theater forever. As the first-ever black woman to author a play performed on Broadway, she did not shy away from richly drawn characters and unprecedented subject matter. The play attracted record crowds and earned the coveted top prize from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle. While the play is seen as a groundbreaking work of art, the timely story of Hansberry’s life is far less known.

Poster unavailable
★ 8.5
But... Seriously1994Documentary

A documentary juxtaposing the events of the 20th century with the commentary of stand-up comedians.

Ridin' the Dog
Not rated
Ridin' the Dog1989Documentary

The world-famous Greyhound bus is almost as old as the Wild West. It is a symbol of North America, of progress, and of nostalgia. Reporter Studs Terkel travelled 2,000 miles across the United States by Greyhound. From Seattle to Chicago, he observes his fellow-passengers. He meets a number of travelers who appear to be very interesting people: a Native American boxer on his way to his birthplace in Montana, a bar owner who was a bank robber in a former 'career', a 99 year old woman who is still running a busy hotel, and, of course, a pedigree cowboy. The spectator of this film listens to their personal stories, watches the beautiful scenery, and is treated to famous feature film fragments in which the Greyhound bus plays a part. Seven states and two time zones later, he is back in his cinema seat.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.