This major research paper examined the film Empire of Dirt by Shannon Masters and the film’s position when placed in three trajectories: Canadian filmmaking; documentary and ethnographic film; and the chick flick. My research has shown that Empire of Dirt is unique because of the film’s portrayal of Indigenous women – portrayed as women who are like every other human being and not the product of stereotypes. As a result, Empire of Dirt is groundbreaking not only because of its representation of Indigenous women. Looking at an assortment of documentary, ethnographic, and cinematic films shows that Empire of Dirt’s tendency to defy clear classification can also be observed when considering a multitude of film genres.