Sugarcane

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Directing Award at Sundance 2024, SUGARCANE is a gutting, unshakeable film on the horrors of Indian residential schools, centering on the abuse suffered at the hands of the St. Joseph Mission in British Columbia and the decades of silence that followed.Awarded the U.S. Documentary Jury Award for Directing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, SUGARCANE recounts the investigation into the history of abuse within a school system on the Sugarcane Reservation in British Columbia, Canada. But beyond the harrowing story of the injustices that occurred within the school against generations of Indigenous children, SUGARCANE becomes a powerful discussion about the lasting impact of shame and the intergenerational trauma that comes from systemic abuse. A work of brave and disquieting humanity, the film attempts to grapple with violent history that may never be fully documented and how survivors process injustice without resolution. —C.F. Content Warning: This film contains material that may be difficult for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.