The film traces Davidson's artistic career from his youth in Haida Gwaii and Vancouver studying with masters such as Bill Reid, and follows his education in the arts and in the history of the Indigenous Haida people from whom he is descended.

[1] It highlights the summer of 1969 when Davidson carved and raised a totem pole in his home village for the first time in nearly a century, marking the start of a "renaissance" for Indigenous art in popular culture.

[2][3] Robertson looks back on his 50 year career, his struggles as a child of the Canadian Indian residential school system,[4] and his work as an activist for climate change and human rights.

Dana Gee of The Vancouver Sun called the film "a fascinating, entertaining and eye-opening look at the world-renowned artist"[11] and in discussing her picks from the Vancouver International Film Festival on Global News, she said Haida Modern was "such a great movie - I loved it.

"[12] Marsha Lederman of The Globe and Mail wrote: "What this film cleverly and beautifully lays out is a deeper argument – that Davidson was a critical force in bringing Haida culture back to his people..."[13]