SUGARCANE Film Review

Adam Manery | Sugarcane Film Review (Academy Award Nominated Documentary) | The Academy has announced the official nominees for the 97th Annual Oscars, and Sugarcane has earned received one of the five nominations for Best Documentary Feature Film. To witness a story that reveals the truth about residential schools in Canada—along with the generations of pain and trauma endured as a result of these institutions—is truly inspirational. Not long ago, these stories were whispered in hushed tones, often dismissed by the very institutions that played a part in their creation. While much work remains, it’s a privilege to celebrate such brilliant filmmaking from exceptional storytellers, and to finally see the truth that has long been hidden in dark rooms and forgotten files brought into the light. Sugarcane is, without a doubt, a beautiful picture.

What is the Sugarcane Film About?

Sugarcane is one of the most emotionally gut-wrenching documentaries in recent memory. This film comes from a duo of first-time feature filmmakers, Emily Kassie and Julian Brave Noisecat, and together they explore the events and the generations of trauma that occurred at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School. These institutions lasted over 150 years, with the last school officially closing its doors in 1997. More recently, hundreds of unmarked graves have been found at many different residential schools, shedding light on the death of so many children within the system—children who were not even given the respect of a proper burial. One of these schools was St. Joseph’s Mission, where director Julian Brave Noisecat’s father was born near William Lake First Nation.

His father, Archie, is one of several stories central to Sugarcane, and it’s probably the one with the deepest emotional impact, though all these stories deserve to be heard. Archie’s story is rooted in trauma from his very first days when he was saved from an incinerator at St. Joseph’s residential school. Following his birth, he was put into an ice cream bucket and placed in the incinerator and was only found when his cries, initially mistaken for a cat, were heard by someone working the night shift. Many other children—babies who were not so lucky—died in the incinerator, almost all of whom were children who had been sexually abused by priests at the school.

Indigenous Pain and Indigenous Excellence on Screen in Sugarcane

These deeply personal stories form the foundation of Sugarcane, and it’s what separates it from so many other documentaries exploring similar trauma. For example, the director’s personal relationship with his father is put on camera for the world to see. There are several incredibly vulnerable moments as they work together to learn more about his father’s early days and the truth of St. Joseph’s Mission. Alongside this specific journey, we also spend time with people like Chief Rick Gilbert, who was one of three consecutive generations to be abused by priests at his residential school. He was abused, his grandmother was abused, and his mother was abused, which resulted in his birth. What is so interesting about Chief Rick Gilbert is that despite, or in a sense because of, these traumatic experiences, he held onto faith in a God that brought him tremendous pain. He even travels to the Vatican to meet the pope and chuckles after purchasing a souvenir bobblehead. In his own words, he believes, “There must be truth in there somewhere”.

It’s clear that Sugarcane is an emotional journey, but it’s also important to acknowledge the stories beyond this pain. We spend a lot of time talking about Indigenous trauma—and we should – in order to move forward, it’s something that needs to be addressed, after being ignored for so long. But – it’s equally important that we celebrate Indigenous excellence, and Sugarcane is a perfect example of this. Noisecat emerged from a difficult childhood to become a Rhodes Scholar, attend Oxford University, become a champion traditional dancer, and now, be recognized as an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker. What he and Kassie have created here is, yes, a story of pain, but it’s also a demonstration of artistry and an ability to weave together stories that transcend time, place, and culture.

The Cinematography and Storytelling of Sugarcane

Right from the opening shots, we’re presented with filmmakers confident in controlling the pace of moving pictures. We’re shown short yet purposeful glimpses into the lives of individuals affected – directly or indirectly – by the events being explored, and we are left with intensely intimate portraits on screen. We are also introduced to the land as a character in itself. The camera isn’t afraid to linger on a moment, with characters maybe only being a small part of the frame or out of the frame entirely. In this sense, what we would generally consider “B-roll” in so many documentary projects is treated with such respect that it inevitably becomes elevated to something much greater – not simply an afterthought, but something intrinsic to the personhood and the very notion of “story”. They also purposefully preserve certain imperfections, be it the shakiness of handheld footage or a temporary loss of focus. These moments aren’t seen as a hindrance to the project, but rather essential for telling an authentic story. Even the editing incorporates these moments into thoughtful transitions from shot to shot, and so adeptly encapsulates the journey of many whose stories are being told: having no choice but to take something broken and turn it into something beautiful.

As oral storytelling is so central to Indigenous ways of knowing and being, it makes sense that we are given these stories from these individuals without much, if any, editorialization. We hear from folks who share how they’ve “felt dirty” their whole life or people who have had seven of their ten siblings take their own lives. It’s our job to sit and listen, just as the filmmakers themselves are doing. In some of the most emotional moments of the film, we simply hear the words being spoken by Julian Brave Noisecat’s mother without actually seeing her on screen. Instead, we have a slow pan of the land as we absorb the pain in her voice.

How Can I Watch Sugarcane?

This is truly a special project from two filmmakers who are some of the most talented storytellers of their time. They’re 31 and 32 years old, and I can quite honestly only begin to imagine the stories yet to come. Right now, Sugarcane is available to watch on Disney+ in most major markets around the world, and it can also be watched on Hulu in the United States.

Julian Brave NoiseCat is a writer, filmmaker and student of Salish art and history. His first documentary, SUGARCANE, directed alongside Emily Kassie, follows an investigation into abuse and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat’s family was sent to near Williams Lake, British Columbia. A proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen and descendant of the Lil’Wat Nation of Mount Currie, he is concurrently finishing his first book, We Survived the Night, which will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in North America, Profile Books in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, Albin Michel in France and Aufbau Verlag in Germany. NoiseCat’s journalism has appeared in dozens of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Yorker and has been recognized with many awards including the 2022 American Mosaic Journalism Prize, which honors “excellence in long-form, narrative or deep reporting on stories about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the present American landscape.” In 2021, NoiseCat was named to the TIME100 Next list of emerging leaders alongside the starting point guard of his fantasy basketball team, Luka Doncic. Before turning full-time to writing and filmmaking, NoiseCat was a political strategist, policy analyst and cultural organizer. In 2019, he helped lead a grassroots effort to bring an Indigenous canoe journey to San Francisco Bay to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Alcatraz Occupation. Eighteen canoes representing communities from as far north as Canada and as far west as Hawaii participated in the journey, which was covered by dozens of local and national media outlets, including The New York Times. In 2020, he was the first to publicly suggest that Deb Haaland should be appointed Interior Secretary. Working with leaders from Indian Country as well as the progressive and environmental movements, NoiseCat helped turn the idea into a sophisticated inside-outside campaign that drew support from celebrities, activists and even a few conservative politicians. When Haaland was sworn in she became the first Native American cabinet secretary in United States history.

EMILY KASSIE