George Baumann

Essentially, this film depicts the deep, soul-wrenching agony of guilt, felt by a young man whose youthful recklessness causes the accidental death of a young boy, and the aftermath of this terrible event, as experienced by various members of their small, tight-knit community, including the boy's father, the elders, and the women who helped raise him. The film's treatment of this unfortunate 'crime' is uniquely Indigenous, and gives the viewer some deep insights into the morality of these highly admirable people. The extreme anguish felt by the young man is made obvious through his attempt to punish himself, with self-inflicted injuries and self-expulsion from the community. The ending is something of a surprise. (No spoilers here!) I saw this movie 2 1/2 years ago, but I remember it as if I saw it yesterday, despite the fact that the script is spoken entirely in the Haida Gwaii language, with English subtitles. Note: There are fewer than 30 Haida Gwaii native speakers left on planet Earth.