“Sugarcane” Review: A Shocking Confrontation With Horrors Both Historical and Painfully Current

The big picture

• Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie tell an important story about residential schools in
  Sugar cane
  amplifying Indigenous voices and holding the Canadian government accountable.
• Intelligent cinematography highlights the juxtaposition of joy and pain in the lives of indigenous peoples affected by residential schools.
• Sugar cane
  It is a compelling and powerful documentary that should be seen by Canadians working for reconciliation.

In the opening scene of Sugar caneA radio show features a woman talking about the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of a residential school in Kamloops in 2021. She discusses how this “It has reopened old wounds for torn apart indigenous families.“But for those who were directly affected by this system, these wounds were never healed in the first place. As more information comes to light about what happened in these institutions, we see how residential schools remain a shameful stain on Canada’s history. It’s something that is rarely talked about, leaving many survivors to deal with their grief alone. However, with their documentarySugar cane, Julian BraveNoiseCat AND Emily Cassie to change the conversation.

Through their stunning visual storytelling and willingness to explore hard truths, NoiseCat and Kassie craft a compelling documentary that pays tribute to survivors and exposes the lasting effects of generational trauma. Haunting, beautiful and vitally important, Sugar cane tells the stories of residential school survivors in their own wordsand calls for accountability for the hypocrisy and cowardice that have allowed these institutions to abuse children for over a century, while most of these atrocities have gone (and continue to go) unpunished.

‘Sugarcane’ Explores the Horrors of Canada’s Residential School System

Sugar cane investigation into St. Joseph’s Mission School continueslocated near the Williams Lake First Nation community in British Columbia (a reserve commonly known as Sugarcane). The documentary begins with somber images and captions, explaining how, in 1894, the Canadian government decided that Indigenous peoples needed to be assimilated. Throughout the film, we learn through survivors’ accounts how children were dragged from their homes and taken to boarding schools called Residential Schools, where they were given numbers instead of names, forced to learn a new language, and violently punished if they stepped out of line. On the Canadian government’s mission to “get rid of the Indian problem,” these children were subjected to corporal punishment and sexual abuse by abusive priestswith many girls becoming pregnant as a result, and more children dying or never seen again. The horrors of the residential school system continue to affect countless survivors and their descendants into adulthood, while many more have taken their own lives when the burden of this trauma became unbearable.

For everything Sugar caneinvestigators Charlene Belleau AND Whitney’s Life conduct an investigation into the events that occurred at the St. Joseph Mission, Chief Willie Sellars handles hate-filled emails and talks to well-meaning politicians, and Chief Rick Gilbert he goes to the Vatican to hear the official apologies from Pope Francis. At the center of the documentary is co-director Julian Brave NoiseCatwhich reveals his affectionate but complex relationship with his father, And Archie NoiseCatwho is trying to piece together his history after being born at St. Joseph’s. The overarching theme of responsibility runs throughout the film, as current political figures and former Residential Schools employees shirk their responsibility to acknowledge the damage they have caused.

Sugarcane’s cinematography enhances its powerful story

The cinematography of Christopher LaMarca and Emily Kassie in everything Sugar cane is particularly striking. While the landscapes of British Columbia offer plenty of opportunities to showcase rolling hills and flowing streams (which the filmmakers use to their advantage), even more impressive is their use of juxtaposition. Scenes of dancing and singing at the Kamloopa Powwow, awash in vibrant color, are interspersed with shots of barren forests and overflowing cemeteries. A lingering shot of a cozy fireplace early in the documentary foreshadows the revelation of past atrocities later on. Sugar cane It is a startling, yet stark, reminder that for those tormented by the trauma inflicted by the Canadian government, this pain is unrelenting.. Joy and sorrow are always intertwined, and even in moments of celebration, there is a vein of sadness that runs through them; the cemetery is never far away. Likewise, Canadian nationalism is ironically (and cleverly) peppered throughout the film. Tim Hortons cups emblazoned with the Canadian flag appear frequently, and a man with an inflatable tube, also adorned with a maple leaf and a lecherous smile, is prominent in one shot, waving and smiling, seemingly gloating that many Canadians are proudly living on stolen land.

Also, there are no talking heads in Sugar canewhere subjects sit in front of a camera and tell the audience their stories. Instead, we learn this information organically as the investigation unfolds into the cruel history of the St. Joseph Mission. We sit with the survivors in their grief as they confide in each other about the horrors they experienced, and we feel the pain of the investigators as they pore over documents detailing the unspeakable abuse. The camera acts as a patient observer and as in every good documentary, Sugar cane gives his subjects time to breathe. As the survivors tearfully name the priests who attacked them, there is no distracting music or footage. The audience is forced to bear witness to this pain. The story behind Sugar cane It’s powerful in and of itself, but Kassie and NoiseCat’s creative choices help make it even more powerful: every choice feels intentional.

‘Sugarcane’ Highlights Indigenous Communities’ Resilience

While Sugar cane does not shy away from the ongoing pain and trauma that indigenous communities face as a result of residential schools, but also effectively shows that survivors are much more than victims of a corrupt system. While their pain is honored and shown in depth, there are also moments of levity throughout Sugar cane. Julian and his father sing in the car, belting out “Canada is all Indian land,” Ed carves intricate, beautiful sculptures, and Chief Richard Gilbert plays a song on his fiddle. Their lives are ruined by tragedy, but they are not tragic, and Sugar cane It is as much a celebration of indigenous culture as it is an elegy for those who have been abandoned in residential schools.

‘Sugarcane’ deserves to be seen by all Canadians

We are often taught to look at history as something we simply should not repeat, rather than something that is passed down from generation to generation and continues to cause incredible pain. However, Sugar cane will not allow the past to be forgotten and demonstrates the resilience of Indigenous communities in Canada. As Canada works towards reconciliation, Sugar cane It’s the kind of movie that should be mandatory viewing as investigators continue to uncover the truth about residential schools and their ongoing impact.

With indigenous history told by indigenous peoples, Sugar cane it’s an opportunity to listenand recognize that, although the last Residential School closed in the late 1990s, there is still much work to be done. As shown in the documentary through disappointing interactions with political and religious leaders who seek forgiveness and offer little in return, it is made abundantly clear that the steps the Canadian government is taking toward reconciliation, while important, are not enough.

Sugar cane is now in theaters across the United States. Click below to find showtimes in your area.

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