Beans

About Beans

Beans is a dramatic movie released in 2020. It is based on the true story of an indigenous Mohawk girl known as Beans, who is forced to grow up too fast during the explosive Oka Crisis. The film bravely illuminates the ongoing struggle for indigenous rights globally and serves as a stark reminder of the widespread discrimination and violence against indigenous peoples.

Making / Production

The film was directed by Tracey Deer, an acclaimed indigenous filmmaker. She skillfully uses her personal experience to provide an authentic representation of the plight of indigenous communities. The production managed to capture the deeply disturbing, real-life racial tensions in a dramatic, engaging, and intriguing format.

Actors

• Kiawentiio Tarbell as Beans: She portrayed the main character with profound authenticity, vividly depicting believable struggle and resilience.
• Violah Beauvais as Ruby: An impressive performance in the role of Beans' younger sister, presenting a complex, innocent character caught up in the chaos.
• Rainbow Dickerson as Lily: She convincingly played the character of the girls' mother, wrestling with the dual challenges of protecting her children and standing up for their community’s rights.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie Beans is based on real events that took place during the 78-day standoff between two Mohawk communities and government forces in 1990 in Quebec, Canada.
• Director Tracey Deer brought her own experiences to the film as she was part of the Mohawk community that was involved in the Oka Crisis.
• This was Kiawentiio Tarbell's first leading role in a full-length feature film.

Awards

Beans bagged several awards, including the DGC Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and Feature Film 2021, the Canadian Screen Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary and also won the Honourable Mention at Berlin International Film Festival in the Crystal Bear category.

Quotes

• "If you push a person too far, they're gonna push back." – Beans
• "Don't ever let someone decide who you are." – Beans’ Mother

Music, Soundtrack

• "War Dance" - A Tribe Called Red
• "Child of the Earth" - Tanya Tagaq