Kuessipan

One of the most fiercely beautiful films I've seen in a long time. I earned my living as a translator for over 25 years, and I cannot imagine how young Mikuan's written pieces will be translated from the French. Like the movie itself, they are of this time and place, yet they are imbued with a soulful otherness that echoes and belies at once the harsh reality of life for an Innu community in northeastern Québec.

A movie about two best friends from one of Quebec's Innu community. This movie was an adaptation of the Innu writter Naomie Fontaine and I must say that I now have to read the book. It's too bad there wasn't too much publicity for it or just for a short moment. The actors were authentic. I laughed, I cried, all I can add is, what a beautiful movie !

Very poignant and screaming of truth! The actresses and actors in the community are simply extraordinary, even though they are not professionals. The beginning of the first scene is great. The sparing use of voiceover is perfectly adequate. Great direction from the actors, magnificent writing, good mix of humor-drama-daily life, no pretenses, in short, a film that should be seen by everyone. You will have an enhanced cinematic experience if you have the chance to see this film in a theater where there are several members of the Innu community. This film should be seen by as many people as possible!

I saw this on an Air Canada flight, of all places, with just enough time left in the flight to finish the movie... and I was absolutely transfixed, despite not speaking a word of French. I so appreciate everything that went into this movie, from the writing to the cinematography, to the intent... it was beautiful, and it's stuck in my head so much more so than any box office hit ever will be.

I am a 70ish white US male, perhaps not the target audience for this film. I do have some familiarity with Quebec, the most relevant experience was a train ride from Shawinigan to Riviere-a-Pierre. I normally do not like films with young people, under 40 with their noses stuck to their cell-phones. What was special about this is that they were on an Innu reservation and I do have some background in anthropology. So I managed to get through the film, without particularly enjoying it. However later, this film stuck with me and I realized a very well written and worthwhile film. I particularly liked the ending.