“I felt gut pulled to the story”: Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie on Sugarcane

Sugarcane is the new National Geographic documentary unearthing a dark chapter in Canada’s past, precipitated by the discovery of unmarked graves at the site of St Joseph’s Mission, a residential school in British Columbia. Helmed by investigative journalist and filmmaker Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat, whose own family history is intertwined with that of the school and forms a key thread of the narrative, it’s a deeply affecting feature that confronts the unheard harrowing truth of the past through the lens of a community that is still suffering from it – yet endures and flourishes in spite of it.

The Upcoming spoke to the pair ahead of the film’s release in London about how their collaboration came about, bringing together Kassie’s background in covering conflict with NoiseCat’s personal connection to Indigenous life and history. They shared how the form the narrative took was born out of a desire to escape the usual colonial perspectives on First People’s history to instead tell the story from within the community, not being afraid to capture moments of silence as well as revelations and how the past traumas continue to assert themselves in the present. We discussed how the documentary in a way represents only the start of a reckoning, and the ongoing need to confront institutions like the Catholic Church and the complicity of governments in such past atrocities. They also shared the positive reception to the film so far, both formal recognition, including awards from Sundance, and personal reactions from audiences who have found it cathartic and healing to watch. Looking ahead, NoiseCat trailed his upcoming book, We Survive the Night, another deeply personal story, while Kassie plans to continue exploring stories of conflict and reckoning around the world. 

Sarah Bradbury

Sugarcane is released in select cinemas on 20^th September 2024.

Watch the trailer for Sugarcane here: