In the first segment of this six-part interview, Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie share their perspectives when asked by the interviewer, Kakoli Mitra, on how they took care of others and themselves when listening to and receiving the traumatic stories and emotions of First Nations survivors of the Canadian residential school system. Julian explains how caring and respect for Elders is a pivotal part of his culture as a First Nations person and how, therefore, his compassion for others — as portrayed in Sugarcane — is a natural part of who he is. Emily describes how holding a camera while filming people’s stories leads her to try to create space for people that is from a place of empathy.
Sugarcane: First Nations’ Resilience and Trauma amid Institutionalized Genocide (1 of 6)
Oscar-nominated filmmakers, Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emilly Kassie, talk about the substantive issues explored in their latest documentary, Sugarcane, including the genocide of Indigenous peoples in North America, Canadian residential schools, European colonialism, and their hopes for their film’s impact.
Other parts of this series
Julian Brave NoiseCat (he) is a writer, Oscar-nominated filmmaker, champion powwow dancer, and student of Salish art and history; his first book, 'We Survived the Night,' will be published by Alfred A. Knopf on October 21, 2025.
Indigenous North America | Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation (of the Secwépemc (Shuswap))
United States
First Resilience
Emily Kassie (she) is an Oscar-, Emmy-, and Peabody-nominated filmmaker and investigative journalist; her work for The New York Times, PBS Frontline, Netflix, and others ranges from America’s immigrant detention system to the Taliban's crackdown on women.
Europe
United States
