Film Review: Bones and Crows

By Mahil Senathirajah

Canada has an appalling record of human rights violations stemming from the forced separation of up to 150,000 Native children from their parents and their subsequent abuse at residential schools run by an unholy alliance of the Catholic church and Federal government.  The policy was driven by a twisted philosophy of assimilation anchored by “beating the Indian out of them”.  The recent discovery of hundreds of child graves has shocked the sensibility of the nation and the Trudeau government has established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

It is against this backdrop that Bones of Crows is set, a U.S. premiere for SBIFF.  It tells the story of two sisters sent to residential schools, the abuse they suffered and the divergent paths their lives take.  The scope of the film is ambitious spanning decades, starting in the 1940s, as the sisters make their way in the world and construct their lives as best they can.  The film is a multi-generational saga imbued by multi-generational trauma.

Given its subject matter and sweep, the project could easily have resulted in a film with a choppy, fragmented narrative and a heavy handed political agenda.  Instead, it is a moving and engrossing story that has the elements of many family sagas; love, marriages, jobs, mother-daughter relationships, self-destruction and loss.  The director, Marie Clements, focuses on character rather than plot, constructing unhurried and emotionally nuanced scenes that allow the audience to deeply understand and care about the sisters.  The film does not focus on the mechanics of the abuse.

The specificity of the time and place and Cree culture all contribute the universality of the film’s themes of personal struggle and healing.  Pieces of the larger struggle also permeate the film including a clip of Pierre Trudeau obliquely acknowledging the issue in the 1970s and a 20 year old unsatisfying visit to the Pope (in 2022, Pope Francis finally issued an apology and toured Canada).  There is also nuance in the portrayal of the school leaders who, while exhibiting a sickening casual cruelty, are multi-dimensional.

The film is graced with some breathtaking cinematography capturing the simultaneous beauty and isolation of snow swept landscapes in rural Northern Canada.  Although there are some flaws, the performances are uniformly compelling and the score, story structure, pacing and set design are accomplished.

The cumulative effect is an immersive, lyrical and emotionally resonant film exemplifying the notion that “the personal is political” and focusing on the personal.  And, while there is tragedy, there is also some triumph and optimism for the future.  The audience at yesterday’s screening was clearly moved and the Q&A with the filmmakers and lead actress was lively and furthered the optimism.

Bones and Crows is showing again on Saturday, February 11 and 3 pm at the Metro 4 theaters.