Education
Black And Indigenous Realities
Black & Indigenous Realities explores themes of resilience, hope, and justice, focusing on both Black and Indigenous experiences. It includes the films Mighty Jerome and Rustic Oracle, a 70-minute conversation with filmmakers Charles Officer and Sonia Bonspille Boileau (Mohawk), lesson plans, and support resources.
The lesson plan explores Black & Indigenous realities, solidarity, and resistance.
The national conversation, recorded on April 4, 2021, remains a powerful and relevant resource.
Learn more about the films and special guest speakers below.
This Resource Is:
- Free of Charge
- Suitable for Grades 9 -12
- Presented in English.
About the Films
Mighty Jerome
Harry Jerome, a Black Canadian athlete, was the country’s most promising track star during a time of political turmoil and racial conflict, when a life-changing leg injury led everyone to believe that his racing days were over. A triumphant story of courage and redemption.
Rustic Oracle
In this heartfelt feature, 8-year-old Ivy is trying to understand what happened to her big sister after she vanished from their small Mohawk community. A story of hope, growth, awakening and love.
ABOUT The GUESTs
Please note: Guest biographies reflect their roles and achievements at the time of recording.
Charles Officer
Director of Mighty Jerome
Charles Officer is an actor, screenwriter and director based in Toronto.
Many of Officer’s films explore inequality, racism and Black experiences in Canada, especially in Toronto. His first feature film, Nurse.Fighter.Boy, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for 10 Genies. Charles’ films include the documentaries Mighty Jerome, The Skin We’re In and Unarmed Verses, and the recent crime thriller Akilla’s Escape. In addition to directing numerous television shows and short films, he has also appeared as an actor on screen and stage.
Officer originally studied visual art and worked as a graphic designer and a professional hockey player in the U.K. before entering the Canadian film industry.
Sonia Bonspille Boileau
Mohawk
Director of Rustic Oracle
Bonspille Boileau is a bilingual Kanien’kehá:ka and Québécois filmmaker and a graduate from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Over the last decade, she has developed and produced television projects in both English and French, ranging from children’s programming to socially driven documentaries, to the psychological thriller Le Dep.
Bonspille Boileau’s 2010 documentary Last Call Indian was nominated for best feature-length documentary at the 2011 Gemini Awards. In 2017, she was presented with the Women in the Director’s Chair Feature Film Award.
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