A film about the abuse of Indigenous peoples and their story of resilience is coming to a Chilliwack theatre.
Bones of Crows, an official selection of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), will be screened at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Oct. 1.
The film tells a multi-generational epic and story of resilience through the eyes of Cree matriarch Aline Spears. Removed from their family home and forced into Canada’s residential school system, young musical prodigy Aline and her siblings are plunged into a struggle for survival. Over the next hundred years, Aline and her descendants fight against systemic starvation, racism and sexual abuse — and to build a more just future.
There will also be a canoe ceremony and photography exhibition.
The day will begin with a traditional canoe-dipping ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Hope Slough led by Chief Johnathon Prest and Elder Eddie Gardner with Sqwá First Nation. It symbolizes a blessing and connection to the natural world and will honour the canoe’s journey and the deep-rooted ties between the land and the community.
The canoe will be brought to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre where it will be installed as a permanent reminder of our shared commitment to cultural preservation, the Chilliwack Arts and Cultural Centre Society stated.
In the main lobby of the cultural centre, people can take in a collaborative photography exhibit by Fred Meyerink and Gracie Kelly that explores the intersections of land, culture and community.
The film starts at 7:30 p.m.
A sweeping drama grounded in historical truth, Bones of Crows weaves together underrepresented moments in Canadian and Indigenous history, including the Indigenous contributions to WW2, the ongoing cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
TIFF – Bones of Crows is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).
Warning: Bones of Crows contains disturbing content and sexual violence.
