residential school
36 movies and shows
Shi-Shi-Etko
Fri, 01 May 2009
Young native Indian Shi-Shi-Etko will soon be taken away from her home to begin her formal western education at a residential school, which were designed to solve the Indian "problem". Her mother, father and grandmother want her to remember her native roots and they wait for her return in the spring to continue passing down those ideals to her. In the meantime, the Indian community is barren of children.
Indian Horse
Fri, 13 Apr 2018
Follows the life of Native Canadian Saul Indian Horse as he survives residential school and life amongst the racism of the 1970s. A talented hockey player, Saul must find his own path as he battles stereotypes and alcoholism.
A Common Experience
Thu, 13 Jun 2013
A poetic exploration of the multi-generational affects of Canada's Indian Residential School system, based on the personal trials of Aboriginal playwright Yvette Nolan.
Christmas at Moose Factory
Fri, 01 Jan 1971
A study of life at Christmastime in Moose Factory, an old settlement mainly composed of Cree families on the shore of James Bay, composed entirely of children's crayon drawings and narrated by children.
Bones of Crows
Fri, 02 Jun 2023
Cree matriarch Aline Spears survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. She uses her uncanny ability to understand and translate codes into working for a special division of the Canadian Air Force as a Cree code talker in World War II. The story unfolds over 100 years with a cumulative force that propels us into the future.
The Last Stop
Sat, 29 Apr 2017
The Élan School was a for-profit, residential behavior modification program and therapeutic boarding school located deep within the woods of Maine. Delinquent teenagers who failed to comply with other treatment programs were referred to the school as a last resort. Treatment entailed harsh discipline, surveillance, degradation, and downright abuse. Years later, the patients who were institutionalized in this facility still carry the trauma they endured, with mixed opinions on the impact of their experience.
Rhymes for Young Ghouls
Mon, 09 Sep 2013
In 1976, a Mi'gMaq teenager plots revenge against the sadistic Indian agent who imprisoned her in a residential school where rape and abuse are common.
Bill Reid Remembers
Sat, 30 Apr 2022
Renowned Haida artist Bill Reid shares his thoughts on artistry, activism and his deep affection for his homeland in this heartwarming tribute from Alanis Obomsawin to her friend's life, legacy and roots.
Lakota Nation vs. United States
Sat, 11 Jun 2022
Poet Layli Long Soldier crafts a searing portrait of her Oyate’s connection to the Black Hills, through first contact and broken treaties to the promise of the Land Back movement, in this lyrical testament to resilience of a nation.
The Eyes of Children
Tue, 25 Dec 1962
Christmastime at the Roman Catholic-run Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
Consume
Sat, 25 Nov 2017
Residential school survivor Jacob struggles to hang onto his family as his demons threaten to manifest.
Holy Angels
Wed, 18 Oct 2017
Documentary about the Holy Angels Residential School in Alberta, where hundreds of First Nations children were imprisoned.
Stories Are in Our Bones
Sun, 08 Mar 2020
In this layered short film, filmmaker Janine Windolph takes her young sons fishing with their kokum (grandmother), a residential school survivor who retains a deep knowledge and memory of the land. The act of reconnecting with their homeland is a cultural and familial healing journey for the boys, who are growing up in the city. It’s also a powerful form of resistance for the women.
Haida Modern
Tue, 01 Oct 2019
In the 50 years since he carved his first totem pole, Robert Davidson has come to be regarded as one of the world’s foremost modern artists. Charles Wilkinson (Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World) brings his trademark inquisitiveness and craftsmanship to this revealing portrait of an unassuming living legend. Weaving together engaging interviews with the artist, his offspring, and a host of admirers, Haida Modern extols the sweeping impact of both Davidson’s artwork and the legions it’s inspired.
Handcrafted Hopedale
Thu, 01 Oct 2015
If you want to find world-class artisans, the small northern Labrador community of Hopedale offers you some of the best. Created through the St. John's International Women's Film Festival's FRAMED film education series, in partnership with the Nunatsiavut government, this film focuses on three prominent local craftspeople- two carvers and one traditional sewist.
I am the Warrior: A Residential School Story
Wed, 01 Sep 2021
"I Am the Warrior: A Residential School Story" depicts the struggling relationships between a mother and daughter fox after the mother has suffered through residential school and has passed the trauma on to her daughter.
The Good Canadian
Tue, 30 Sep 2025
The world knows the image of the good Canadian. But what if there was a dark secret behind a national identity? THE GOOD CANADIAN exposes the truth behind the idea of a True North strong and free. In this unflinching and eye-opening documentary, directors Leena Minifie and David Paperny move us through the corridors of systemic inequity, from the Indian Act to residential schools, to modern-day family separation. Fusing shocking footage with detailed interviews with experts, advocates, whistleblowers and politicians, THE GOOD CANADIAN challenges national myth-making, while offering Canadians the chance to forge a new identity from the truth.
Home from School: The Children of Carlisle
Tue, 23 Nov 2021
“Kill the Indian to save the man” was the catchphrase of The Carlisle Indian Industrial School, a boarding school opened in Pennsylvania in 1879. It became a grim epitaph for numerous native children who died there. In 2017, a delegation from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming attempts to retrieve the remains of three Northern Arapaho children buried far from home in the school cemetery, on a journey to recast the troubled legacy of Indian boarding schools, and heal historic wounds. This documentary film is produced by The Content Lab LLC, with support from The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, The Wyoming Humanities Council, and Wyoming PBS.
Among the Forest
Sun, 01 Jan 2017
A young boy finds himself alone in the forest, fighting for survival, after escaping a residential school.