We Were Children

I recently watched the movie, We Were Children on the APTN website. This was probably one of the saddest movies I've ever watched in a really long time. While also being a documentary, this movie was able to get across a very important message, the problem with residential schools. Residential schools is a problem that affects us as Canadians. This type of injustice happened on Canadian soil and what makes it worse is that Christians are also part of this. I as a Catholic have always believed in the religion and what it teaches me but seeing what those priests and nuns did, it hurts me. Residential schools were created to "kill the Indian in the child" by teaching them English and refusing to allow them to do any Aboriginal practices. Through residential schools, people aren't being treated as humans and are being forced to be someone they're not. I as a Catholic Canadian feel ashamed as this was done by people who are just like me. I am really happy to see that most of these schools are gone but if they still exist, I wish they can be get rid of immediately.

This movie focused on two survivors, Lyna and Glen. They both experienced residential schools yet still being able to come forward and share their stories. I like how the director let the people tell the stories themselves yet have visuals for the audience to understand better. If the movie was just done by actors then it wouldn't seem as believable but with the occasional cuts of the real people being interviewed, that made the story that much more believable. I am really dissapointed that something like htis happened on Canadian ground and I hope that more people could learn about this issue and stand up for it.