Screening of the film Beans (2020) by Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer for Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Tuesday, September 30, from 5:30 to 8:30
Location: OLE 222
Based on true events, twelve-year-old Beans is on the edge: torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence; forced to grow up fast and become the tough Mohawk warrior she needs to be during the Oka Crisis, the turbulent Indigenous uprising that tore Quebec and Canada apart for 78 tense days in the summer of 1990.
The film won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Picture at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, along with the John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award. It was nominated for the Prix Iris for Best Screenplay at the 24th Quebec Cinema Awards in 2022. It has received international acclaim.
Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIlC3zT1gw4
Director’s notes
"This project goes back a long way for me. I was Beans. I was twelve-years-old when I lived through an armed stand-off between my people and the Quebec and Canadian governments known as The Oka Crisis. The Mohawk Nation of Kanesatake and Kahnawà:ke stood up to a formidable bully - and won. That summer I knew I wanted to become a filmmaker and vowed to one day tell this story."
About the filmmaker: Tracey Deer is a Canadian filmmaker and producer of Mohawk descent. She is known for her work in both documentary and narrative film. Deer gained prominence with her debut feature film, Beans (2020), which is a semi-autobiographical drama that explores the Oka Crisis of 1990 from the perspective of a young Indigenous girl. Deer has also been involved in various other projects that focus on Indigenous stories and perspectives, reflecting her commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices in the media. Her work often addresses themes related to Indigenous identity, resilience, and social justice.
About Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.
Co-sponsored by the Canadian Consulate in Boston and the Délégation du Québec à Boston
For more information please contact Department_WorldLanguages@uml.edu