Bones of Crows is a striking cinematic response to Canada's reign of terror against Indigenous people. Directed by Métis filmmaker Marie Clements, her new film confronts the hard truths about the residential school experience, plunging into the dark history of residential schools that attempted to eradicate Indigenous identity.
The story is told through the eyes of Cree matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada's residential school system to continue her family's generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism and sexual abuse. The story unfolds over 100 years with a cumulative force that propels us into the future.
Restrained, dignifed, instructive and beautiful to look at, it’s bolstered by solid performances and a mature directorial vision. A stirring indictment of colonialization and testament to resilience and persistence, the film is made all the more powerful by Grace Dove’s richly layered central performance.
An emotionally powerful work, Bones of Crows offers the light of hope while showing how Canada’s past still darkens the present. Surrounded by devastatingly beautiful imagery and transcendent cinematography is the horror of Canada’s past. Clements takes on a difficult subject with both forcefulness and delicacy. It’s an inspiring ode to Indigenous strength.
The film firstly looks to create Indigenous representation on the screen for the survivors of the residential school system. For an Indigenous audience, people can recognize their own experience or the experience of their ancestors. For a non-Indigenous audience, the film also informs about the experience.
Many of us who aren’t Indigenous don’t know the horrors of the residential school system, and many of us don’t prioritize learning about it. The story is fictional, but based of the true experiences of thousands of residential school survivors. It’s a film and a conversation that Canadians shouldn’t shy away from.
Bones of Crows, rated 14A, plays at the Patricia Theatre from July 7 to 10 at 7 pm, with a matinee on Sunday, July 9, at 1:30 pm. Running time is two hours and 10 minutes.
Gary Shilling is executive director of qathet Film Society.
