Bones of Crows is a gripping indictment of the abuse of indigenous people’s at residential schools all across Canada which hits home because we allows the viewer to feel it on a personal level
It’s the story of Aline Spears and her siblings who are forcibly removed; through threat and other nefarious means by church and local authorities from their home and sent to residential schools where they were subjected to abuse of all kinds.
From writer/director Marie Clements this film is a power condemnation of the abuse of Indigenous peoples like we haven’t seen because we get emotionally invested in the character of Aline from minute one.
As we see her story span generations we see her struggle as a fledgling young musician, to her in WWII where her abilities with her native language are actually seen as an asset and her struggles well after the fact as we see her children and siblings grasp with the realities of what she went through.
Actress Grace Dove carries a good chunk of the film as Aline and really gives the story gravitas in an excellent performance that makes the trauma suffered by indigenous people feel like it’s happened to someone we know, which is what makes the intensity of this story hammer home all the more.
Bones of Crows is a must see because it allows the obvious politics and trauma around this issue to fall away into something that is personal and poignant which is truly what it needs.
David Voigt is a Toronto based writer with a problem and a passion for the moving image and all things cinema. Having moved from production to the critical side of the aisle for well over 15 years now at outlets like Examiner.com, Criticize This, Dork Shelf (Now That Shelf), and to.Night Newspaper.
He’s been all across the continent; serving on the FIPRESCI Jury at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, covering festivals out side of Toronto like Calgary Underground Film Festival, CUFF Docs, Slamdance, Fantasia, SXSW, DOC NYC, Santa Barbara Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival and many others
However, In the uncertain world of modern film journalism, David also knew that he needed to have a hand in writing and cementing his own contributions on the global film scene.
Having eclipsed the 10 year anniversary of his own outlet, In The Seats, where he’s been striving to support film (and TV) from all walks of life and his podcast “In The Seats With…” where after 5 & ½ years and over 750 episodes he’s talked with a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, behind the scenes artisans and so much more on the art of storytelling for the screen, which is spawning the launch of a new show in the Spring of 2026. “ITS: Soundtracks” will focus on the use of soundtrack and score in film which he believes is a combination that is the cinematic equivalent of Peanut Butter and Chocolate.
All this as well as hosting and moderating a variety of big screen events around the city, covering film in all its forms is just a way of life for him.
