This module will introduce you to a full length National Film Board production that was broadcast on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in March 2013. "We Were Children" was highly anticipated as a means for the stories of Residential School survivors to be shared and brought to national attention. The film was well produced and an effective means of giving a voice to many survivors and their families who watched the film in the comfort of their living rooms.
Excerpt taken from the website:
Warning: This film contains disturbing content. Parental discretion and/or watching this film within a group setting is strongly advised. If you need emotional support, please contact Health Canada.
In this feature film, the profound impact of the Canadian government’s residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of 2 children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years. As young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools, where they suffered years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse – the effects of which persist in their adult lives. We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit.
Directed by Tim Wolochatiuk and written by Jason Sherman, We Were Children is produced by Kyle Irving for Eagle Vision Inc. and David Christensen for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
The following trailer is the for We Were Children:
The 80 minute full length film can be found here:
We Were Children, Tim Wolochatiuk, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
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