As the major motion picture starring Prince George’s own Grace Dove made its Prince George debut Thursday night at the House of Ancestors, the second viewing of Bones of Crows saw students at College Heights Secondary School take in the impactful movie Friday morning.
The movie directed by Marie Clements and based on true events is about Aline Spears, a Cree woman who survives residential school to become a code talker for the Canadian Air Force during World War II and how the trauma of residential school affected her for the rest of her life, which she faced with resilience and resistance. The movie speaks to the emotional, physical and sexual abuse that was experienced by the Indigenous children at residential school and how that impact is felt through the generations.
At College Heights Secondary there came a very special moment after viewing the movie and the Q&A that followed with Michelle Thrush, the actor who portrayed January, Aline Spears heart-broken mother in the film.
Michelle got a glimpse of how deeply the movie affected one student in particular.
Temi Bankole, Grade 11 student, and Michelle shared a few quietly spoken words and with open arms the actor who just portrayed the traumatized mother who had her children ripped from their happy home, comforted the teen by embracing her while they shared a few tears. It was beautiful to see the connection and understanding that took place between the two.
“When I was watching the movie I was just thinking of myself as one of the kids taken away from my family and put in a place worse than prison,” Temi said. “Not even animals would be treated the way the children were. I was just thinking why would this happen? Why did they think that this would be right? This movie offers a perspective on this and we need to be kind to everyone. That’s how we’re going to accomplish healing.”
Michelle said it made her very proud to be part of the movie.
“I have spent 35 years as an actor and this is probably the biggest honour I have ever had,” Michelle said.
Michelle and director Marie Clements have been friends for years so to work on this film with her was so special, she added.
“I’m just so blessed to be able to work with her,” Michelle said. “I am hoping that every Canadian can see this movie because the first step in Truth & Reconciliation is hearing the truth and we all need to start sharing that truth because there’s still a need for more people to understand what happened in residential school and how it continues to impact Indigenous people today. This is what we are healing from – this intense history.”
Another student who was invested in the film was Renee Moscrip, Grade 11, who said she’s always been interested in residential school history that was introduced to her in school when she was in Grade 6.
“I think the movie was amazing,” Renee said. “A lot of times we see documentaries on the subject but we’ve never seen the history told as a story in a way that you connect with the characters. I think it was really great. This is part of our history that we need to hear and most people still don’t even know. I am constantly wanting to learn more about this part of our history because I don’t want to repeat it – our generation doesn’t want to repeat it.”
Bones of Crows is a Canadian drama film, directed by Marie Clements, that is on tour to Indigenous based communities before its theatrical release early in 2023 and ahead of the five part mini-series that will be aired on CBC next fall.
The movie has aired in Prince Rupert and Terrace, Hazelton and Prince George and goes to Haida Gwaii to end its run.
To catch a glimpse visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOaN5kmMzqQ.
