Sugarcane

Greetings again from the darkness. Whether the phrase 'systemic abuse' applies here is hardly worth discussing. The facts are that physical abuse, verbal abuse, cultural abuse, and sexual abuse occurred regularly over many years in the Catholic-run residential schools for indigenous children, both in the United States and Canada. Indigenous filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat has teamed with experienced documentarian Emily Kassie to bring this story to light.

This National Geographic documentary mostly narrows its focus to St Joseph Mission near Williams Lake, British Columbia. The school closed in 1981, but it was originally one of many secretive and segregated residential schools opened to deal with "the Indian problem" in Canada. We are informed there were 139 schools in Canada and 408 in the U. S. What we notice from the start is that the film is deliberately paced to emphasize the lives of quiet desperation so many have led.

In 2021, a discovery of approximately 200 unmarked graves at a different school led to a dedicated crew going deeper on research, and finding records of reported abuse and cover-ups, as well as additional unmarked graves at St Joseph. It turns out these schools required the students to speak only English, convert to Catholicism, and basically erase their native culture - all while referring to them by numbers, rather than names.

Two very personal stories are followed here. One involves co-director Julian as he re-connects with his father Ed Archie NoiseCat. Ed is one of many who never knew the truth of their past and have mostly buried the memories of the mission. With Julian's work, not only do the two create a father-son bond, they also discover a stunning detail for Ed - involving a shoebox and an incinerator. The other personal story here involves former Chief Rick Gilbert, who along with his wife, uncovers a truly shocking connection in his family tree. We also follow Rick to Vatican City where the Pope reads a prepared statement filled with words, but no action.

The former students are referred to as "survivors", partly because so many didn't. And while we can see and feel the pain and quiet suffering these folks are carrying, we learn that history and those memories continue to take lives. The history of abuse within the Catholic Church is not limited to white kids, it's just the indigenous history hasn't received the same publicity. The suppressed memories and search for roots is so important, and yet so many unanswered questions remain for survivors and descendants. And no one has been held accountable for the atrocities. Infanticide, abuse, cruelty, and humiliation do not seem to fit the journey of these dignified and quietly suffering folks, but there is an uplifting element with Ed and Julian, father and son.

In limited theaters beginning August 30, 2024.

Nominated this year for Best Documentary feature comes this sobering tale of sexual improprieties inflicted by the Catholic church upon Canadian Indigenous children up until shockingly recently. Taking testimony from survivors of the atrocities, now in their later years, which detail multiple deaths (infants born of rape were disposed of in mass graves or in incinerators) that a small group of investigators try to solve (even though we hear in voice over a mass grave was found) while memories of the past are pried open to reveal past evils. Just as a piece exposing historical sins by the church is enough for someone to tune in & be horrified but as these stories keep emerging (similar feats were performed by the church in Australia & Ireland in fictional accounts like RabbitProof Fence & The Magdalene Sisters) people wonder how far the church has fallen in the minds of most parishoners.

I watched this film at the Sundance Film Festival this year. The difficult subject of abuse in mission school, unanswered questions and consequences for the abuse victims and their descendants. Despite its noble intentions and the significance of the subject matter, this film falls short of delivering a masterful narrative with some repetitive scenes. The pacing felt uneven, with certain segments dragging on while others lack sufficient depth. Moreover, the editing occasionally undermines the emotional resonance of the testimonies, detracting from their impact. A more refined approach to story telling and presentation could have elevated this documentary to a more impactfull level.

This documentary was genuinely heartbreaking. I had heard of the residential schools and their atrocities but never knew the extent of it. Hearing first hand accounts and seeing the lasting impact the schools had on individuals and the generations that followed provided a new perspective on the issue. The only reason I did not give it a 10 was because it felt a little slow at times. Despite the pace the cinematography was stunning and it allowed the viewer time to soak it in and think. Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie wanted to raise awareness and educate others and they succeeded in their goal.

"Sugarcane" is a documentary you should see. However, I am warning you up front...it's incredibly depressing because it's true. All the murders and sexual abuse did happen...and if you've been a victim yourself, you might want to think twice before you see it.

The film follows several people as they try to get to the truth about the Indian residential schools in Canada. This is because they not only abused the kids to knock away their culture, by the Catholic priests who ran the places often molested these kids. And, to make it worse, when the girls got pregnant, they babies were literally tossed into incinerators at least in the case of St. Joseph's Mission.

The only reason I gave this must-see film an 8 is that technically it was far from perfect...but still is most watchable. Occasionally the camerawork was poor and I feel that SOME parts should have been trimmed to make the story more succinct. Still, these are minor concerns and it's a film that NEEDS to be seen.

By the way, if you are wondering if these schools for the natives are unique, unfortunately they are not. The first huge sexual abuse scandal that was uncovered at a Catholic residential school was one for deaf kids! It's in the exceptional documentary "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God".