Beans
Beans takes place at the height of the 1990 Mohawk Resistance at Kanehsatà:ke (also known as the Oka Crisis), a 78-day standoff between Indigenous land defenders, Quebec police, the RCMP and the Canadian military, over the proposed expansion of a golf course on to a Mohawk burial ground. Twelve-year-old Tekehentahkhwa (nicknamed “Beans”, played by Kiawentiio) is forced into an early coming of age by these events, as her innocence turns to anger over the treatment of her people.
Drawing from her own experiences as a child, director Tracey Deer provides a poignant and engaging chronicle of these real-life events that shook the nation, as well as a much-needed look at how the traumatic events impacted youth in the community.
Beans premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Picture.
Content Note: This film includes coarse language, violence, and thematic elements that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Director
Tracey Deer (Mohawk)
Deer is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and writer who has directed documentaries such as Club Native and Mohawk Girls, which was adapted into a TV series that ran for five seasons and earned numerous CSA nominations. Her narrative feature debut, Beans, won eleven awards, including Best Picture at the CSAs. She has also directed episodes of Hudson & Rex, Rutherford Falls, Three Pines, and Outlander.
Writers
Meredith Vuchnich, Tracey Deer (Mohawk)
Cast
Brittany Leborgne (Mohawk), Rainbow Dickerson (Rappahannock), Violah Beauvais (Mohawk), Dawn Ford, Kiawentiio (Mohawk)
Producer
Anne-Marie Gélinas
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English