Canadians have been hearing stories about residential schools akin to prisons for Indigenous children managed by various religious orders and blessed by the Canadian government. Residential schools no longer exist but the trauma inflicted by them on survivors and the Indigenous community continues.
You might wish to summon up a plenitude of adjectives to describe the evils of residential schools or reduce the word count and label these schools as a component of genocide.
Angela (Sera-Lys McArthur) is asked by her former nanny Mary (Renae Morriseau) to visit her in KiiWeeTin, a Cree community, in Northern Canada before Angela gives birth. Henry (Matthew Kevin Anderson), her physician husband, accompanies her to write about how “those half breeds live”.
This is 1939 Canada with residential schools in full swing kidnapping Indigenous children and imprisoning them to “civilize” them by forcefully eradicating their culture. A time when Indigenous ceremonies were illegal.
The relationship between Mary and Angela is initially friendly but attempts to expose Angela to Cree culture are met with Angela’s resistance as if the Canadian government considers cultural expressions as criminal Angela states, they must be bad. Henry, awkward and ill at ease, appears taken with the sweat lodge and hunting.
Both Henry and Angela experience visions accompanied by haunting noises. A bombshell is dropped (although in my view highly predictable) about Angela’s family history causing her to rethink the trajectory of her life. Whilst Angela becomes contemplative Henry moves closer to madness and violence developing a compulsion to wash imaginary dirt from his hands as hauntings intensify. Lady Macbeth OCD, a sign of guilt.
The storyline is compelling delivering its message in a calm but razor-sharp manner without excessive anger however well deserved that may be considering the brutal attempts to eliminate Indigenous culture.
A unique personal portrayal of the attack on Canadian Indigenous culture with some of its flimsy rationale fleshed out in the film. The importance of Indigenous spirituality is key to the film as well as the Cree resistance to Catholicism.
The acting is spot on but the writing tends to spawn too many overdramatic moments undercutting the skills of the cast.
A true Canadian feel production redolent with earnestness despite some of its faults. An excellent primer for the shameful legacy of residential schools.
You can watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4ukjIjAfUE
A Canadian theatrical run commences 20June2025 in Vancouver with more dates and locations to be announced.
Directed and co-written by award winning Cree filmmaker Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin. Co-written by Steve Neufeld.
RKS 2025 Canadian Film Rating 76/100.
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