Where the Spirit Lives

Where the Spirit Lives

1990
1h 36m
6.0

6.0/10

4 votes • View on IMDb

"A moving tribute to a young girl's courage and indomitable spirit..."

Overview

In 1937, a young First Nations (Canadian native) girl named Ashtecome is kidnapped along with several other children from a village as part of a deliberate Canadian policy to force First Nations children to abandon their culture in order to be assimilated into white Canadian/British society. She is taken to a boarding school where she is forced to adopt Western Euro-centric ways and learn English, often under brutal treatment. Only one sympathetic white teacher who is more and more repelled by this bigotry offers her any help from among the staff. That, with her force of will, Ashtecome (forced to take the name Amelia) is determined to hold on to her identity and that of her siblings, who were also abducted.

Status: Released

Language: EN

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Production Information

Production Companies
Atlantis Films CBC Amazing Spirit Productions Ltd.
Production Countries
Canada
Spoken Languages
English

Quick Facts

Release Date June 6, 1990
Status Released
Language EN
IMDb ID tt0103244

Cast

Michelle St. John
Michelle St. John

Komi / Amelia

Kim Bruisedhead Fox
Kim Bruisedhead Fox

Anataki

Marianne Jones
Marianne Jones

Komi's Mother

Gus Chief Moon
Gus Chief Moon

Ka - moos - ee

Clayton Julian
Clayton Julian

Pita / Abraham

Margaret Cozry
Margaret Cozry

Grandmother

Marge Fox
Marge Fox

Anataki's Mother

Ann-Marie MacDonald
Ann-Marie MacDonald

Kathleen

Sean Mulcahy
Sean Mulcahy

Priest

Sam Malkin
Sam Malkin

Mr. Crawford

Doris Petrie
Doris Petrie

Miss Weir

Chapelle Jaffe
Chapelle Jaffe

Miss Appleby

Key Crew

Eric Jordan
Producer
Heather Haldane
Producer
Keith Ross Leckie
Writer
Paul Stephens
Executive Producer
Bruce Pittman
Director
Scott Shepherd
Producer
Mary Young Leckie
Producer