Sugarcane (2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugarcane is a documentary film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024.

 

The topic of this film is the First Nations of Canada and the residential school system with special focus on St Joseph Mission School in British Columbia

 

Sugarcane is the common name of Williams Lake Indian Reserve for indigenous people not far from St Joseph Mission School.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Directors: Julian Brave Noisecat and Emily Kassie

** Distribution: National Geographic Channel

** Language: English

** Subtitles: English

** Run time: 107 minutes

 

Several persons are featured in this film. 

Here are the names of the participants. 

Listed in alphabetical order:

 

** Charlene Belleau

** Anna Lois Lynn Gilbert

** Rick Gilbert

** Louis Lougen

 

** Julian Brave Noisecat

** Ed Archie Noisecat

** Chief Willie Sellars

** Whitney Spearing

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

Here are some results:

 

** 74 percent = IMDb

** 90 percent = Meta

** 86 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

** 100 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

 

Eighteen user reviews are posted on IMDb.

Most of them are positive:

 

** One reviewer offers 60 percent

** Two reviewers offer 70 percent

** Two reviewers offer 80 percent

** Eleven reviewers offer 100 percent

 

Only two reviews are negative:

 

Both offer only 10 percent. According to these reviewers, the film is based on a big lie. These negative reviews do not seem convincing. They will be ignored.

 

I understand the numerous positive reviews, which offer ratings of 80 or 90 or even 100 percent. But I cannot agree with them.

 

The topic is important. 

 

The story deserves to be told, but I cannot offer a positive rating just because the topic is important and just because the story deserves to be told.

 

I agree with two of the 18 user reviews.

 

The first one offers a rating of 60 percent.

The headline says:

 

“Very important subject, not masterfully done”

 

This reviewer says:

 

“Despite its noble intentions and the significance of the subject matter, this film falls short of delivering a masterful narrative with some repetitive scenes.

 

“The pacing felt uneven, with certain segments dragging on while others lack sufficient depth.”

 

The second one offers a rating of 70 percent.

The headline says:

 

“Feel bad for all indigenous people”

 

This reviewer says, “this documentary did not help me to understand their experience. It was poorly done in my opinion.”

 

These critical observations are very precise.

 

This film lacks a clear focus.

 

The directors want to cover an investigation of what happened at St Joseph Mission School in British Columbia, but they use a lot of time on aspects which are secondary to the main topic.

 

This film is neither great nor good. It is average. It deserves a rating of three stars (60 percent).

 

REFERENCES

 

# 1. Books

 

A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System, 1879 to 1986

By John S. Milloy

(1999 = first edition)

(2017 = second edition)

 

This Benevolent Experiment: Indigenous Boarding Schools, Genocide, and Redress in Canada and the United States

By Andrew John Woolford

(2015)

 

Residential Schools and Reconciliation:

Canada Confronts its History

By J. R. Miller

(2017)

 

# 2. Film and video

 

We Were children

(2012)

 

Pour toi, Flora

English title: Dear Flora

(2022)

 

# 3. The following items are available online

 

Joe Leydon

“Sugarcane Review: Enlightening and infuriating look into systematic abuse at an Indian residential school,”

Variety

31 January 2024

 

Peter Bradshaw

“Sugarcane review - trauma and truth unearthed in indigenous children’s schools scandal,”

The Guardian

18 September 2024

 

*****

 

St Joseph Mission School

British Columbia, Canada

This school was a part of 

the residential school network 

from 1891 to 1981

 

*****

 

Students in front of

St Joseph Mission School

British Columbia, Canada

This picture was taken around 1943

 

*****

 

 

Leonardo da Vinci (2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leonardo da Vinci is a documentary film – a miniseries with two episodes – which premiered on US television (PBS) in November 2024.

 

This film is a biopic of the famous Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Creator: Ken Burns

** Directors: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and Davis McMahon

** Writers: Sarah Burns and David McMahon

** Narrator: Keith David

** The voice of Leonardo: Adriano Giannini

** Languages: English, French, and Italian

** Subtitles: English

** Run time: 116 + 104 minutes = 220 minutes

 

Several experts are interviewed in this film. Here are the names of the participants. Listed in alphabetical order:

 

** Carmen Bambach – an art historian

** Francesca Borgo – an art historian

** Serge Bramly – a biographer

** Vincent Delieuvin – an art historian

 

** Claire Farago – an art historian

** Paolo Galluzzi – a historian

** Morteza Gharib – an engineer

** Adam Gopnik – a writer

 

** Walter Isaacson – a biographer

** Martin Kemp – a historian

** Ross King – a historian

** Kerry James Marshall – an artist

 

** Charles Nicholl – a biographer

** Ingrid Rossellini – a writer

** Guillermo del Toro – a filmmaker

** Carlo Vecce – a biographer

 

** Monsignor Timothy Verdon – an art historian

** Francis Wells – a surgeon

** Mary Zimmerman – a theater director

 

There are two episodes:

 

Episode # 1

Leonardo: The Disciple of Experience

This episode covers the time 1452-1500

Run time = 116 minutes

 

Episode # 2

Leonardo: Painter-God

This episode covers the time 1500-1519

Run time = 104 minutes

 

This film covers the life and work of Leonardo from the beginning in 1452 until the end in 1519. The life and the work of Leonardo are covered in great detail.

 

Leonardo was a renaissance man who worked and experimented in several fields. He was an artist, an engineer, an inventor, and a scientist. In this film, all four aspects of his life are explored.

 

What do reviewers say about this film? 

 

This is the first time Ken Burns has chosen to cover a topic which has no connection with the history of the USA. Will it be praised in the same way as his work on the American Civil War?

 

One month after its premiere it is clear that this film will not be praised in the same way as his work on the American Civil War

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 79 percent which is a good rating.

 

Eleven user reviews of this product are posted on IMDb. When we look at these reviews, we can see that this film about Leonardo da Vinci is getting mixed reviews.

 

Here are the headlines and the ratings offered by each reviewer:

 

** 30 percent = Not his best

** No rating (but probably 30 percent) = Should have been great, but wasn’t

** 40 percent = Just okay

** 50 percent = Idiotic

** 50 percent = Was a real effort to watch both episodes

** 50 percent = Little fresh content in a less-appealing package

** 60 percent = The most interesting man made boring

** 70 percent = Subtitles?

** 70 percent = Leonardo’s notebooks the star: Mona Lisa was short-shrifted!

** 90 percent = A most inquisitive mind

** 100 percent = A review of reviewers

 

As you can see, the user reviews range from a low point of 30 percent to a high point of 100 percent.

 

What is wrong, according to the negative voices?

 

One person complains, because subtitles are used in this film when a foreign expert is interviewed.

 

Some participants are French, while others are Italian. Most of them speak in their first language.

 

According to this person, Ken Burns should have used an English voice-over when foreigners are speaking.

 

This person says it is impossible to read subtitles and watch the images at the same time.

 

Another person says the structure of the film is flawed, because there is too much focus on Leonardo’s notebooks and his unfinished projects and not enough focus on the famous Mona Lisa painting.

 

The person who offers a rating of 100 percent praises the film and complains about the negative reviews:

 

** When you complain about subtitles, you are behaving like spoiled children!

** When you say there is not enough focus on the Mona Lisa painting, you fail to appreciate that this painting has already been covered in great detail by other filmmakers!

** When you say there is too much focus on Leonardo’s notebooks and his unfinished projects, you fail to appreciate two basic facts:

 

(1) The notebooks are an important historical source, because they are written Leonardo himself. They are an important key to discover his ambitions, his hopes and his dreams.

 

(2) Ken Burns and his team want to present an accurate, balanced and comprehensive account of Leonardo’s life and work. 

 

An account which excludes the unfinished projects would be one-sided and not comprehensive.

 

An account which only covers the famous works like the Mona Lisa painting would not be an honest account of his life and his performance.

 

According to the person who offers a rating of 100 percent, the negative voices do not have a good case. Their criticism is superficial and unfair.

 

I understand the position of this person and I agree with it.

 

Ken Burns and his team have created an accurate, balanced and comprehensive account of Leonardo’s life and work.

 

If you are interested in the history of art - in particular the history of the Italian renaissance - this film is definitely something for you.

 

It is highly recommended

 

REFERENCES

 

# 1. Books

 

Leonardo da Vinci:

Flight of the Mind

By Charles Nicholl

(2004 = hardcover)

(2005 = paperback)

 

Leonardo da Vinci

By Walter Isaacson

(2017 = hardcover)

(2018 = paperback)

 

# 2. Film and video

 

Leonardo: The Man Who Saved Science

(2017)

 

Being Leonardo da Vinci

(2019)

 

Decoding Leonardo

(2019)

 

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The famous Italian artist

Leonardo da Vinci

(1452-1519)

 

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The trio behind the film about

Leonardo da Vinci

(From the left)

David McMahon

Sarah Burns

Ken Burns

 

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