The film stars Michelle St. John as Amelia, a young Kainai girl captured and confined to the residential school system of the 1930s. The system was an attempt to have aboriginal youth to assimilate into the majority European-Canadian culture. Amelia resists assimilation and plans her escape. The film's cast includes Ann-Marie MacDonald and David Hemblen as teachers at the school.
Plot
In 1937, a young Kainai girl named Ashtoh-Komi (Michelle St. John) is kidnapped along with several other children from a village as part of a Canadian policy to educate Aboriginal children and assimilate them into Canadian/British society. She is taken to a boarding school, where she is forced to adopt Western, Eurocentric ways and learn English, often under harsh treatment. Combined with the rejection of her peers (as she is a so-called "Bush Indian" who has not learnt white customs), Komi attempts to escape one night on foot with her little brother, Pita (Clayton Julian). However her plan is quickly foiled as the Indian Agent assigned to the school, Taggert (Ron White), catches up and brings them back to the school, where Komi is subjected to further punishment. Eventually Rachel (Heather Hess), Komi's only ally among the students, plead with the teachers to free her by promising to teach Komi to behave.
One teacher, Kathleen Gwillimbury (Ann-Marie MacDonald), is portrayed as sympathetic and she becomes repelled by the bigotry of others at the school. She offers Komi help in the form of giving her English lessons which culminate in cultural exchange, where Kathleen learns Kainai words from Komi in exchange for her learning their English counterparts. Now Amelia, Komi improves her English quickly with the kindness and support of her teacher, gradually adjusting to the school environment while retaining her Kainai identity. However, when Amelia learns that the teachers lied to her by telling her her parents had died, she decides to escape again, this time successfully.
The idea for the film originated when the producers and screenwriter were working on the 13-episode CBC television series Spirit Bay, which focused on native children growing up on a Northern Ontario Indian reserve. They "kept hearing bitter stories about residential schools"[1] and were inspired to tell a story about that system in a film.
Primary financing for the film's $2.6 million budget was provided by Telefilm Canada ($1.25 million) and the CBC ($500,000), who secured first rights to the film. Other financing came from the Ontario Film Development Corporation, Mid-Canada TV, and Atlantis Releasing. Canadian film director and producer Norman Jewison "personally contributed $12,500, half the cost of making a theatrical print for film festivals",[7] with the other half supplied by the Ontario Film Development Corp.
Although created for television, the film was shot in 35 mm[1] and as a result was able to be screened in theaters. It was shown at various film festivals in Canada and the United States from 1989 through 2002. It was also screened at some colleges and universities, as part of college film festivals,[10][11] classes,[12] or special events related to Indigenous or Native American studies.[13]
^Hartl, John (May 3, 1991). "Assimilating the Indian Population". The Seattle Times. Seattle, Washington. p. Tempo section, 25.
^Adilman, Sid (October 7, 1989). "Little movie that was a big hit at film fest bound for small screen". The Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. p. J1. ProQuest436057948. – via ProQuest(subscription required)
^"Blackfoot girl's story told in $2.6 million film". The Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. September 27, 1988. p. Entertainment section, B3. ProQuest435774540. – via ProQuest(subscription required)
^"Mercyhurst College Film Festival". Erie Times-News. Erie, Pennsylvania. September 26, 2000.
^"Indian Film Festival Begins Nov. 1 at UND". Grand Forks Herald. Grand Forks, North Dakota. October 22, 2011. p. C6.
^Cohen, Betsy (April 18, 2005). "Talks at University Cover Wide Range of Topics". Missoulian. Missoula, Montana.
^"Keepers of Fire Powwow April 17 – 18 at University of Wyoming". US Fed News. April 2, 2010.
^Sachs, Lloyd (October 1, 1989). "Cinema of the Great White North". Chicago Sun Times. Chicago, Illinois. p. Show section, 10.
^Coto, Juan Carlos (September 29, 1989). "Film Fest Features Wood Retrospective". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 8BR.
^Russell, Candice (October 20, 1989). "Word's Really Out on Fourth Film Fete: Film Festival Schedule". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. Features Showtime section, 3.
^Stone, Judy (November 9, 1989). "American Indian Festival Opens Tonight". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California. p. E4.
^Strickler, Jeff (May 11, 1990). "Probing the blackness of Hiroshima 'Rain'". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. Variety section, 1E.
^"Summer of '90 A Memorable One on the Big Screen". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seattle, Washington. July 20, 1990. p. What's Happening Section, 8.
^Russell, Candice (October 28, 1990). "60 Independent Films, Seminars and Galas Will Send Greater Fort Lauderdale Film Festival Goers Reeling". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. Features Arts & Leisure section, 1G.
^Stone, Judy (November 8, 1990). "New Films Faithful to Indians". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California. p. E4.
^Millar, Jeff (April 29, 1992). "WorldFest Houston: Film Fest Offers World Premiere Tonight". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas. p. 4.
^Bell Gease, Heidi (December 10, 2001). "Indian Film Fest Coming to Rapid City". The Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota.
^Ishoy, Ron (December 14, 1990). "Majors Feel Right at Home in Lauderdale". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. Living Today section, 1E.
^ abAnderson, Bill (December 5, 1990). "CBC's Love and Hate, Avonlea lead Geminis". Waterloo Region Record. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. p. H1. ProQuest275185740. – via ProQuest(subscription required)
^Zerbisias, Antonia (December 4, 1990). "CBC celebrates at k.d.'s cafe as it sweeps Gemini awards". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. p. D1. ProQuest436315677. – via ProQuest(subscription required)
