Hey, teacher, leave those kids alone!⦠This week we take a look at the much appreciated film RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS from Canadian writer/director Jeff Barnaby. Set in 1976âs Red Crow Miâg Maq reservation, it tells the story of Aila, played by Devery Jacobs â a hard knock girl pulling herself up by the bootstraps as she navigates her adolescence around an overbearing system designed to keep her in place. One particular example is by government decree, where every Indian child under the age of 16 must attend residential school. In the kingdom of the Crow, that means imprisonment at St. Dymphnaâs, where youâre left at the mercy of âPopperâ, the sadistic Indian agent who runs the school. At 15, Aila is the weed princess of Red Crow. Hustling with her uncle Burner, she sells enough dope to pay Popper her âtruancy taxâ, keeping her out of St. Dâs. But when Ailaâs drug money is stolen and her father Joseph returns from prison, the precarious balance of Ailaâs world is destroyed. Her only options are to run or fight⦠and MiâgMaq donât run.
Rhymes for Young Ghouls had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept 9th, 2013. It was awarded Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival. Itâs first theatrical release was in Toronto, Ontario on Jan 31st, 2014⦠Listen as we peel back the layers on this one and round it all out with our âTop 3 Evil Headmasters in Moviesâ
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