Haunted melodies

Produced by Les Orphelins, for 117 Records, this beautifully shot short film is titled Tipatshimushtunan, which means ‘tell us’ in Innu-aimun, an Algonquian language spoken by over 10,000 Innu in Labrador and Quebec.

The film begins with the heart-breaking testimony of one of the 150,000 children who were taken from their families, uprooted from their homes and forced into religious schools, where some of them suffered abuse. 

It then segues into a musical celebration revealing the creation, in 1984, of the Innu Nikamu music festival which is held at the old Maliotenam residential school. 

A slow burn, the film packs a punch with the revelation of grim findings in the grounds of the school. But ultimately it’s a story that recognises the redemptive power of music and community and honours the sad loss of 215 young souls.