Movies
Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCat
Sugarcane
United States, Canada 2024
107 min •
English, French. Partial English subtitles
K16
Theme: Rokumentti Awareness
16.11.2024 | Time 19:35
| Venue: Tapio 3
| BUY TICKET
Long-ignored traumas of Indigenous Peoples
Sugarcane delves into the hidden history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada, with a focus on the St. Joseph's Mission school. For over 150 years, until just a few decades ago, Indigenous children were placed in segregated residential schools designed to "educate" and assimilate them into Anglo-American society. This school system was backed by a network of the Canadian government and Christian churches.
In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves near an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada sparked a national outcry about the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse many children experienced at this network of segregated boarding schools designed to slowly destroy the culture and social fabric of Indigenous communities.
Filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie bear witness to the lasting intergenerational trauma caused by these residential schools, which included forced family separations, physical and sexual abuse, and the destruction of Indigenous culture and language. Sugarcane also highlights stories of resilience, showing how Indigenous peoples have fought to preserve their culture and identity, both individually and as a community.