About Beans

Beans is a poignant movie released in 2020 that provides a gripping snapshot of an Indigenous uprising known as The Oka Crisis. The movie captures what it means to grow up quickly in tumultuous times. It revolves around 'Beans', a twelve-year-old girl on the brink of adolescence. As events around her spiral, she finds herself being forced to transition from innocent childhood to become the tough Mohawk warrior that her community needs.

Plot Summary

The ordeal begins when their peaceful community is thrust into the public spotlight during a heated protest where land rights are being disputed. Propelled by the building tension and emotional chaos around her, Beans finds herself thrown into circumstances where she has to make difficult choices. This pushes her rapid transformation from a carefree girl to a hardened warrior.

Making / Production

The movie adopts a realistic approach that lays bare the stark realities of life and struggle in an indigenous community during times of conflict. Directed by Tracey Deer and produced by Meredith Vuchnich and Anne-Marie Gélinas, the film brilliantly portrays the participation of Indigenous communities' in shaping their destineties.

Actors

• Kiawentiio Tarbell as Beans: She excellently portrays the character’s transformation from an innocent young girl into a warrior amidst the political turmoil.
• Violah Beauvais as Ruby: As Beans' younger sister, she delivers a strong performance depicting the innocence and vulnerability of childhood during conflict.
• Rainbow Dickerson as Lily: She plays Beans' mother, providing a powerful portrayal of a mother's emotions and protective instincts amidst chaos.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film is inspired by actual events. The Oka Crisis was a real land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, in Canada in 1990.
• Tracey Deer, the director, was only 12 years old during the actual Oka crisis and the film, Beans, mirrors many of her own experiences.

Music, Soundtrack

• The film features a blend of traditional Mohawk music and contemporary tunes that perfectly complements the film's tone and setting.
• The score, composed by Mario Sévigny, resonates with the movie’s undercurrents of tension and resilience.

Quotes

• "We are people of the land, it is our duty to protect it."
• "They are trying to make us afraid, to push us around. But we are Mohawks, we don't get pushed around."