Many people in the United States often joke about “moving to Canada,” as if doing so will free themselves of enduring legacies of capitalism and imperialism. Moving north, even in the hypothetical, almost seems like a respite from America’s ills. However, this generalization only serves to disguise Canada’s own issues by erasing its continuing oppression and abuse of indigenous women. Director Kim O’Bomsawin addresses this gap in knowledge in her searing new documentary, “Quiet Killing.”
According to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police report from 2014, nearly 1,200 Aboriginal women have been murdered or deemed missing in Canada. Of course, this number is still quite an underestimation. Further, as the documentary notes, a First Nations woman is eight times more likely to be killed than any other Canadian person. Expertly edited and narrated, the film follows a variety of different indigenous women whose lives have been irrevocably changed by this violence. Its particular strength is in connecting systemic issues to individual plights through interviews with these women.
O’Bomsawin, who is of Abenaki origin, graduated with a master’s degree in sociology, then started her work as a documentary filmmaker. Unsurprisingly, this background has allowed her to gain a much deeper understanding of society and its resulting impact on the human condition. O’Bomsawin also previously worked on numerous productions for Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Canal-D, and Radio-Canada. Her transition to documentary was motivated by her desire to show the world the internal lives of indigenous women.
In the opening of the film, photos of countless faces of victims around the country are tacked onto a black wall. It is overwhelming, and almost de-sensitizing, to see so many lost lives through this visual. Fortunately, “Quiet Killing” allows for viewers to deeply empathize with this issue by featuring women who are not only dealing with their own trauma, but are starting their own grassroots movements for other indigenous women. Through these firsthand profiles, “Quiet Killing” looks to be a bold, compelling, and utterly necessary documentary. O’Bomsawin has directed a piece that will stay with each viewer long after they leave the cinema.
Upcoming screenings:
October 6 and 8, 2018 – Vancouver International Film Festival – Vancouver, Canada
October 14, 2018 – Reelworld Film Festival – Toronto, Canada
Published monthly, Under the Radar offers a chance for us to highlight works by and/or about women that haven’t received big releases or significant coverage in the press, but are wholly worthy of attention. To recommend a title for this feature, please email womenandhollywoodinterns@gmail.com.
