107 minutes – Documentary, Indigenous History
Language: English, Secwepemctsín
Festival release date: January 20, 2024 – Sundance
Release date: September 27, 2024 (Canada)
Production companies: Impact Partners, Fit Via Vi, Kassie Films, Hedgehog Films
Canadian distributor: Films We Like
U.S. distributor: Variance Films
Worldwide distributor: National Geographic Documentary Films

In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse endured by children at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities. Set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, Sugarcane illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere. Sugarcane  tells the story of a community enduring and surviving through the legacy of residential schools. With intimate interviews and breathtaking visuals, the film is an emotional and powerful account of heartbreak, resilience, and survival.

Sugarcane is a US-Canada coproduction. It marks the directorial debut of Julian Brave NoiseCat.

NOTE: The release of the film coincides with Orange Shirt Day (September 30), a national movement in Canada that honours the survivors of residential schools and recognizes the lasting impact of this dark chapter in Canadian history. Click the link to see a list of theatres playing Sugarcane.