Queen of Canada film examines followers of Romana Didulo

Director Cristian Gomes has released a new documentary titled Queen of Canada, airing Oct. 28 on CBC’s The Passionate Eye. The film examines the followers of Romana Didulo, a self-described shapeshifting alien who established a “Kingdom of Canada” and enacted her own laws.

The movement, which many now call a cult, has largely disbanded. The film looks at the aftermath of this group, including a Saskatchewan purple schoolhouse that the RCMP raided a little over a year ago after it was taken over by a woman known as the “QAnon Queen of Canada.”

While the documentary focuses on Didulo’s actions, Gomes notes that she does not appear as an interview subject. Instead, the film centers on former followers who are grappling with their experiences, though some continue to hold the beliefs they adopted while in the group.

The Process of Radicalization

Gomes told CBC News that he sought to highlight the human element of the story, describing the followers as people who were “really lost and they’re being taken advantage of.” He noted that while some of their views are “abhorrent” and “damaging,” he wanted to engage with them to understand their perspectives. He added that these views leak into all facets of society.

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To find these subjects, Gomes utilized private online spaces, including Telegram chats. He observed that even those who have left Didulo’s movement often retain a deep distrust of the government and the media. Gomes said it was difficult to find these voices because he was not part of the ecosystem where they thrive.

Toxic Factors Drive Followers Toward Conspiracy Movements

Mack Lamoureux, a journalist who investigated Didulo, describes the movement as a “harbinger” and a glimpse into a possible future if society does not course-correct. Lamoureux attributes the rise of such movements to a “toxic cocktail” of factors, including:

Queen of Canada film examines followers of Romana Didulo

Algorithms that push individuals “down these rabbit holes.”
Influencers and media organizations that promote conspiracies to increase profits.
A bleak outlook on the future that makes people vulnerable to “bad actors like Romana.”

Lamoureux stated that the disconnect from reality and the damage experienced by followers was scary and extreme, noting that people are more likely to follow figures like Didulo as their lives get worse.

The documentary illustrates the extreme nature of this radicalization through accounts such as one subject who told her adult son she would kill herself if he received the COVID-19 vaccine.