Older Than America – cultural genocide is not ancient history

Posted on 19 October, 2009 | No Comments

by Gwen Ragno

I have a lot of respect for anyone who can write, direct and star in her own film, especially when the subject is something highly personal — that is exactly what Georgina Lightning did with Older Than America (same goes for Karen Skloss on Sunshine). This film is about the brutal treatment of Native American children in Christian boarding schools by priests and nuns attempting to “civilize” them. These boarding schools were mandatory for all native children in both the U.S. and Canada (where Lightning grew up) as recently as the late 70′s. Lightning said her goal in making the film was to teach people that this sort of cultural genocide not a thing of the past, and that families and communities are still very much suffering from it.

Older Than America is a suspense drama about the cover-up of boarding school abuse in a Northern Minnesota Cree reservation. The plot is centered on a Native American woman named Rain (played by Georgina Lightning herself) whose mother, aunt and uncle all attended a Catholic boarding school. Rain begins seeing visions and spirits that eventually lead her to expose the abuse and murder that took place at the school and had long been covered up. The characters in the film demonstrate the trans-generational trauma that these boarding schools cause, even after being shut down. Even those who survive often end up alcoholic, institutionalized or suicidal. Though the film itself is a work of fiction, it is based on the real experiences of Georgina Lightning and her family and tribe members. She said that it was difficult to get people to share their stories with her, particularly her own uncles, because they were just too painful.

The subject seemed to me like it would lend itself to a documentary treatment rather than a dramatic one, and actually someone asked Georgina about that in the Q&A session after the film. She answered that her goal is to reach the masses — people who are totally oblivious to the issue. The sorts of people who watch documentaries, she said, are generally more aware and compassionate anyway.

One major effect of the film was that two weeks after the film opened in Canada, the Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal apology to the Native Americans affected by the boarding school system. Soon after, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created, allocating $160 million for the “healing of boarding schools.” Lightning seemed to have her doubts about whether the money will be spent effectively or not, but said it is definitely a step in the right direction to acknowledge the problem.

At the end of the Q&A session, Ibtisam Barakat, the Palestinian filmmaker who represented Lemon Tree at Citizen Jane this year, stood and talked about the parallels between what Native Americans are going through here in North America and what Palestinians are experiencing in the Middle East.

Older Than America may not be particularly groundbreaking plot-wise or technically, but the just fact that it is made by a Native American director makes it noteworthy.  She treats the native culture with the utmost respect and reverence, something extremely rare in the film industry. On top of all that, the message and mission of the film are truly courageous and in my opinion it’s about time these issues are addressed in a new way.

For more information, visit the film’s website, www.olderthanamerica.com

See the rest of our coverage of the Citizen Jane Film Fest.

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