Last night myself and a group of friends went to the Roxy Theatre to watch Beans. I was incredibly moved by the adept depiction of a complex, racially loaded Canadian crisis. This brilliantly directed and acted film is inspired by the Oka Crisis.
Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer's coming-of-age film Beans shows audiences what it was like to be an Indigenous child in Quebec during the turbulent conflict known as the Oka Crisis. Beans follows a 12-year-old Mohawk girl named Tekehentahkhwa, nicknamed Beans, who lives in the Kahnawake community when the Oka Crisis breaks out.
The story begins with Beans living a regular adolescence while striving to be accepted by a cool, edgy crowd of teens. She soon grows disillusioned by the hatred and violence directed at her people during the crisis and evolves from an innocent girl to a despairing young woman hungry for vengeance. The story ends with great hope and an opportunity for us all to change our perspectives.
Don't miss this film playing for a limited engagement at the Roxy Theatre in Saskatoon.
- Paul Buffel