A Cree woman, Gwen (Michelle Thrush), drinks a coffee while exploring the AirBnb that her sister Connie rented. Carmen Moore plays Connie, the second of five reunited siblings she found, four of whom decided to show. After fiery Gwen and A-Type Connie, there’s athletic Marianne (Alex Rice) and happy go lucky Anthony (Michael Greyeyes). Sometimes, they check on their children to talk about how strange the experience is of reuniting with siblings. Things come to a head, though, as Connie reveals that she met their estranged mother before she passed. By being around each other, the titular family in Meadowlarks remembers levels of trauma they experienced.

Meadowlarks is a film that people of all generations and races can enjoy because of its relatable characters – I can relate to Anthony because I see aspects of myself in him in his appearance of happiness. Obviously, underneath that happiness are bad things that happened to him and his siblings who endured the Scoop. Not to be “what about men on this,” but boys specifically have their own hardships within adoption systems. Viewers can probably see themselves in Gwen too, with her fashion, showing heart despite moments of being standoffish. Others can probably see their sisters in Connie or their aunties in Marianne, both gathering pieces of themselves temporarily lost.

AirBnB Canadian cinema has been around for a decade now, maybe more, Meadowlarks being an example. And AirBnB cinema is a subgenre of dinner table cinema where viewers wait for characters to argue. Thing is, it’s following genre conventions, and it’s easy to be cynical when watching a film such as this. I feel bad that I’m seeing this film in this light because of its heavy historical subject matter. But as films of this genre goes, it also mixes up the impactful drama with some light comedy. Because yes, it is not a good idea to have a crash out at night in a forest where bears may roam.

Meadowlarks is, over and under, an ensemble character piece, and the four main actors do commendable jobs together. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about cinematic elements here as visuals and sounds are competent. These actors expel their anger and reach out to each other in what may be the best stage. The AirBnB is in Blackfoot and Nakoda territory with truly beautiful landscapes that exist for cameras to capture. The sound design here is also great especially during that scene where Connie’s trying to cross a bridge. The film lets audiences hear the ropes giving but also shows the siblings there, helping their sister out.

Meadowlarks is available to watch in select Canadian theatres.

Image Credit: Courtesy of TIFF