Stefan Verna’s documentary Night Watches Us is a poignant cinematic exploration of the tragic death of Nicholas Gibbs, a 23-year-old Black Montreal man who fell victim to police brutality while grappling with mental health issues and psychosis.

Montclair Street is deceptively calm and quiet today, yet the residents remember what happened on the night of August 17, 2018. They were permanently marked by the killing of Gibbs, a father of three, who was shot to death by Montreal police in the street outside his home. Nicholas was unarmed and in the midst of a mental breakdown. Witnessing this traumatic event has powerfully changed lives—and for some residents, it has led to an awakening around issues of police violence and impunity.

Through community accounts and intimate conversations with Gibbs’ loved ones—his mother, his youngest son, and his nephew—Night Watches Us delves into the profound impact of systemic racism and injustice. It captures the collective grief that follows, incorporating various cinematic styles, eyewitness footage and documentary interviews. A poetic blend of music, dance, and spoken word brings Nicholas and his family’s desire for justice to life on screen. Themes of mourning and resistance are woven throughout, highlighting public protests, personal grief rituals and creative expressions reflecting a shared yearning for change.

Stefan Verna is a Montreal-based artist and Concordia University Film Production graduate who is originally from Congo. Spanning film, dance, and theatre, his diverse artistic practice reflects a fusion of personal experiences, exploring themes of pain and identity. Verna has worked as a cinematographer on projects that have been broadcast on Canadian networks, and his directing work ranges from documentaries to music videos. He is dedicated to community engagement, particularly mentoring marginalized youth, and is a co-founder of the Black on Black Films collective.