IDFA: Sugarcane - Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie

National research

A weathered Virgin and Child looks out over the landscape of the nearby Sugarcane Reserve at Williams Lake, Canada. This was the site of St. Joseph’s Mission, one of a series of Catholic boarding schools where Native American children were re-educated to become “good” North American citizens. Unmarked graves, discovered in 2021, were the first evidence of a long-hidden history of sexual and physical abuse and the disappearance of babies and children. A national investigation is underway.

While archive workers comb through documents and comb the grounds, co-director Julian Brave NoiseCat carefully tries to persuade his father – born in the boarding school – to talk. Other victims also confront their past. The film slowly exposes the role of the Catholic Church in the colonized society. With the search for the truth comes the call for recognition. 'Saying sorry is a start', says one of the main characters. 'Then action must follow.' Sugarcane made an impression at various festivals and won, among other things, the prize for best director in the US Documentary category at the Sundance Film Festival.