Church hosts film
POMFRET — A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life—SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie—will be shown at 2 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Great Hall at Christ Church Pomfret. Christ Church on Rt. 169, in cooperation with the Pomfret Historical Society, is offering the screening at no charge. For tickets to attend the free screening of SUGARCAN, visit: https://kinema.com/events/Sugarcane-unoywy. Reservations requested but not required. Overflow parking is available across the street at the Rectory School.  The cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning, SUGARCANE is set amidst a ground-breaking investigation into abuse and death at an Indian residential school. 
According to NoiseCat and Kassie, the film is meant to empower viewers to break cycles of intergenerational trauma by bearing witness to painful, long-ignored truths—and the love that endures within their families.
“Indian residential schools nearly annihilated the Indian way of life—a life imperiled by the pain and injustices of colonialism, yes, but also, overwhelmingly, a beautiful life full of family, culture and love,” said Kassie and NoiseCat in a press release advancing the documentary. “Our film aims to transform these dark truths into powerful legends that can endure and be remembered by future generations.”
During production, NoiseCat’s story became an integral part of this beautiful multi-stranded portrait of a community. By offering space, time, and profound empathy, the directors unearthed what was hidden. Kassie and NoiseCat encountered both the extraordinary pain these individuals had to suppress as a tool for survival and the unique beauty of a group of people finding the strength to persevere. 

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