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Beans

[Movie] Moments that Mattered: 2021 Edition

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Sometimes, the year’s best moments don’t always happen in the best films. 

Even though we associate the best moments with awards-calibre films, that’s simply not always the case. The most memorable moments that hit us differently can happen at any time, whether we’re sitting in a blockbuster film with a giant bucket of popcorn or streaming an indie drama online. Whether or not awards are involved is almost irrelevant. The stories we hear all speak to us, if we’re willing to listen. 

With that being said, it’s time to examine the year that was through the moments that mattered (to me, at least). Interestingly, this year’s picks have some strange connections, including a surprising amount of cars and dinner scenes throughout my picks but there’s also a whole lotta grace. While many of these picks may not have made my Top 10 of the year, these were the moments that struck a chord with me for any number of reasons. So, let’s get to it.

As always, this article is rated ‘S’ for Spoilers…

Honorable Mention (without context) goes to:

  • The Final Concert – CODA; The Magic Trick – Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes; Conversation on a Chimney Stack – Poupelle of Chimney Town; Debating at the Dinner Table – The Eyes of Tammy Faye;

10.) Caaaaaaaars in Spaaaaaaaaaace – F9: The Fast Saga

Alright, a number of you are already ready to stop reading but hear me out. Over the years, the Fast and the Furious films have become their own unique franchise that celebrates insanity. From heists with cars dragging massive safes through city streets to world-saving spy escapades, the franchise that began about illegal street racing has become marked by over-the-top, adrenaline-fueled adventures in madness. Although the films themselves rarely makes any sense any more (if they ever did), they also continue to make money by the trunkload.

But F9 was the movie that connected in a different way.

For years, fans have been joking about the crazy logic-leaping effects that have been building in the series. Clamouring for more and more ridiculousness, the ongoing joke became that these would-be superheroes would make the jump to space. It was utterly preposterous.

And then they did it.

In F9, Diesel and Co. showed that they were in on the joke and wanted their fans to have their moment. By allowing their Ludacris and Tyrese to drive their car into space to destroy a satellite (!!!), the film demonstrated a relationship with their fans that few other franchises are willing to establish. In doing so, this non-sensical leap into the upper atmosphere validated their dedicated fans and included them in the process. Coming at a time where we’ve all been divided into our homes, this brought people together. (In fact, F9 was the highest grossing film during the pandemic until recently…) This brought fans into the process in a way that makes it noteworthy. (Now if the rumours of a team up with Jurassic World are true…)

9.) Blockade Drive – Beans

Back into an automobile but for an entirely different reason. In Tracey Deer’s Beans, Montreal’s Oka Crisis in the early 90s is put on display but tells the story from the eyes of the children and families that were affected. Conversations surrounding racial attacks on Indigenous populations are central to the film’s intensity but none of them are more terrifying than one simple drive.

As Lily attempts to gently drive through a blockade, their car is nearly frozen by angry protestors. With children in the car, Lily continues her efforts to get them to safety. However, as they move through the crowds, their vehicle is subjected to some of the most harrowing abuse that you will see onscreen. When their vehicle eventually reaches police, they find no safe harbour there either.

It’s a genuinely terrifying moment.

While simply being ‘terrifying’ isn’t enough to get on this list, there’s an honesty to this film which demands attention. Coming on the heels of the ‘Every Child Matters’ movement, Beans is a powerful film that serves as a reminder that history is almost always told from a perspective of power and inevitably means that others are suffering as a result. 

8.) Staring at the Mountains – The Power of the Dog

In Power of the Dog, Cumberbatch is garnering awards consideration for playing against ‘type’. As the gruff cowboy Phil Burbank, the ‘once and future Dr. Strange’ shows his incredible talents as an actor as he infuses his character with a mix of cruelty and timidity. Whether he’s bullying young Peter (Kody Smit-McPhee) or attempting to hide his inner yearnings, Cumberbatch is a sight to behold in the role. However, one of his best moments is also his most subtle.


Standing in the prairies and staring at the mountains in the distance, Burbank seems lost in thought. His friends push him to know more but they cannot penetrate his gaze. When he’s finally asked if there’s something specific that he’s staring at, Burbank simply remarks, “Not if you can’t see it, there ain’t”. To him, there’s a mystery in the mountains that few can comprehend. However, this also speaks to the turmoil that swirls within him as well. Knowing that he can never truly be himself, there’s a piece of him in those mountains that he wishes someone else could ‘see’. In a brief moment of humility, this brutish beast of a man expresses an inner struggle that he believes will never truly be fixed. Like the enigma of the rolling hills, Phil Burbank is one who believes he will never fully be understood and his character remains broken by loneliness.

7.) Walt Whitman – Nine Days

Directed by Edson Oda, Nine Days tells the story of souls who are looking for employment. In a premise not entirely dissimilar to Pixar’s Soul, Nine Days shows the process that it takes for a ‘pre-soul’ to get the job of a human person. However, unlike Soul, Days spins its focus to the employer (as opposed to the employee) and their dalliances on earth. 

As Will, an angelic creature broken by the sudden death of one of his chosen employees, Winston Duke spends much of the film attempting to understand the meaning of life because he’s never experienced it himself. As he weeds out the potential nominees for the new position, Will continues to be drawn to the seemingly reckless Emma (Zazie Beetz), a young woman who simply doesn’t ‘fit in the box’. As Will tries desperately to convince himself that nothing is of value, Emma seems to live in such a way that he cannot. 

In the film’s final moments, Will finally relents his anger and pain. However, his celebration of life takes the form of a recitation of Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’. As Will bears his soul through Whitman’s words that “every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you,” a rebirth slowly begins to break through his hardened heart. The power of Whitman’s art provides a moment of sheer joy that pierces the desert within him. 

Once dead, Will’s soul is now alive. 

In this brief moment, Duke demonstrates such energy that one cannot help but experience the ecstasy along with him. His playfulness becomes an infectious force of nature, highlighting the joy of life and the fuel of suffering simultaneously. While the film itself is a fascinating piece, it’s this finale that truly drives everything home and sparks life within it.

6.) ‘Therapy’ – Tick, Tick… Boom!

Andrew Garfield is having a moment in 2021. After three noteworthy performances in the last few months, Garfield has re-established himself as one of Hollywood’s most underrated performers. From entering the Spidey-verse to playing a corrupted televangelist, Garfield’s range has been on full display since the award’s season push began. But his performance in Tick, Tick… Boom! outshines them all.

As Broadway’s brightest son Jonathan Larson, Garfield demonstrated humility, passion and limitless energy all in the same performance. Perhaps the best example of this mix though comes through his performance of Larson’s ‘Therapy’. Fueling his performance with conflicted love and rage, Garfield attempts to navigate his relationship issues with his long-time girlfriend. In this moment, he feels focused, present and even honest. 

However, this performance is juxtaposed with his own live performance with Vanessa Hudgens where he displays an entirely different type of energy. Playfully bouncing around the screen, Garfield showcases the normalcy of these relationship struggles without ever taking away its impact. Suddenly, a moment that’s steeped in intensity and sadness is infused with joy and liveliness. By performing the song well after the event has finished, Garfield highlights the fact that so many of the things that we deem as important are often less so when we look back upon them. It’s an unbelievable juxtaposition that is simply incredible to watch unfold onscreen, unravelling the complexities of relationships while also revealing the fact that distance often creates perspective.

5.) Staircase Descent – Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright has made a career out of creating gorgeous films with incredible soundtracks. But Last Night in Soho may be his best work to date. Co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, Soho is a love letter to the 60s but also manages to hold them accountable at the same time. Though we tend to look back at our history with rose-coloured glasses, Soho reminds us that nostalgia isn’t always healthy. In fact, our love of an era could be covering up the suffering caused by a time of toxic masculine dominance. 

And it all begins with a staircase.

Here, Wright exemplifies and foreshadows much of the film’s ‘through the looking glass’ mentality. As Eloise (Thomasin Mackenzie) descends the steps into the nightclub as the soul of Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy), Wright leans into the nostalgia love for the 60s while revealing that we’re going to see it through new eyes. Yes, Sandy is a stunning sight who captivates the room but Eloise’s reflection reminds us that there is a fractured image here. In one single shot, we are enchanted but also understand that all is not right. It’s a moment that may be visually stunning but, more importantly, it’s symbolic of the ride into revisionist history that we’re about to be taken on.

4.) The Hug – MASS

Written and directed by Fran Kranz, MASS feels like a one-act play and features four of the year’s best performances in its leads. Though much of the awards talk has centered on Ann Dowd, each star holds their own in captivating performances and a riveting script. 

Based on the simple but powerful premise of two couples (one couple, the parents of a victim and the other, the parents of the attacker) attempting to pick up the pieces after the tragedy of a school shooting, the film almost never leaves a single room and allowing the performers to go to work. Seemingly trapped in one small space in a church basement, these parents are left to hash out the complex and complicated feelings that come with tragedy of this magnitude, including all of its rage and uncomfortable silence.

But the final scene.

After the victims come to an impasse between them and grace finds its way through the pain, they begin to leave the church basement and return to their lives. But during that time, a hug between mothers becomes a sign of healing. Like a flower in the desert, life—uncomfortable life—returns where there was none. It is a symbol of hope and redemption unlike anything else you’ll see this year and breathes life into the moment in the most powerful of ways.

3.) The Last Supper – Pig

The ‘Nicolas Cage’ project has been a fascinating watch over the last decade. Fully willing to take on roles that dive into the ridiculous, the Oscar winner has become synonymous with and celebrated for B-projects and bizarre roles. 

But then, there’s Pig.

As a former chef forced back into his old life in order to find his lost pig, Cage’s performance here is nothing short of remarkable. On paper, the film seems like another entry into his crazy career. Bearded and disheveled, Cage’s Robin is a man who strikes fear into the other members of the culinary world. (In fact, structurally, the comparisons between Pig and John Wick are undeniable.) But then, the film goes in an entirely different direction. 

In what becomes one of the year’s best films, Pig takes an old trope and completely turns it on its head. Whereas these sorts of sorts of films always seem to end in a murderous rampage, Robin instead changes the world through the power of delicious meals. Without spoilers, the film’s final meal feels like it will fall into disaster but instead ends in a moment reminiscent of Babette’s Feast. This space around a dinner table opens the door for truth to be revealed yet never submits to the possibility of violence. In this role, Cage shows a nuance and courage that we have missed from him—and a grace that suggests there may be hope for us all. 

2.) Spider-Men – Spider-Man: No Way Home

And the grace line continues… With Spider-Man: No Way Home, expectations for Marvel were high. With old villains and cameos throughout the film, there was no doubt that No Way Home was gearing up to be a nostalgia-fest. So, we figured it was going to be fun, to say the least. But I wasn’t prepared for what we got.

Instead of just Spider-Madness, No Way Home‘s emotional arc and genuine character growth surprisingly gave us one of the best films of the year. Rather than simply use those cameos as stunt-casting, they actually felt like a necessary experience. Yes, it was undoubtedly fan service… but it wasn’t only fan service.

No scene summarized this more than the scene on the rooftop.

As all three iterations of Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland) met face to face on the roof, every fan revelled in the moment. But the scene illustrated the film’s powerful message of hope, grace (there’s that word again) and wrestling with guilt and pain. Maguire and Garfield provide Holland’s Spidey the chance to grieve while also feeling supportive and helpful. But they also help him to regain his perspective. This is a film about saving the worst of us, regardless of what we think they ‘deserve’. Here, Garfield & Maguire show their own emotional battle scars and still manage to remind Holland of his calling in the most loving of ways. 

I know that there are people who are clamouring for this to garner Oscar attention but that’s simply not going to happen. However, the moment—that moment on the rooftop—is easily one of the most special gifts that we were given in 2021. Nostalgia is fun… but this film understood that it’s meaningless without repairing the soul.

1.) Birth Story – Titane 

I really wrestled with this pick. Titane is one of those films which is difficult to recommend to the casual viewer due to its insanely graphic nature and wild premise. However, it’s also brilliant, touching and shockingly soul-filled. Brilliant performances from Agathe Rouselle and Vincent London take an example of body horror and elevate it into something truly special. As Alexia/Adrien, Rouselle fully immerses herself in the character with intensity and humility. However, the real story here is London. As grieving and broken father Vincent, London instills a grace-fuelled performance that breaks the heart and soul. As a result, what begins as the story of one young woman’s traumatic relationship with her car (yep, that’s real…) transforms into a modern representation of the Prodigal Son. 

Posing as Vincent’s long-lost son, Alexia manages to hide from her pain under his protection. Of course, eventually, the ruse is uncovered. Even so, although Vincent knows that Alexia is not related to him, he refuses to give up on her. In fact, it makes him more determined to fight for her. (“I am God to you,” he informs his staff. “And that makes him Jesus. If you harm him, you deal with me.”) 

As she gives birth to the child that exists solely as a result of her pain and trauma, Vincent accepts the child as his own. The film’s final shot of him holding the metallic-studded baby is easily the most touching and beautiful moment set to screen this year. It doesn’t matter that he has no relation to the child. It doesn’t matter how the child came to be. All that matters is that the child matters.

The love of this father changes their lives.

Horrifying and humbling, Titane’s Birth Story is one of those moments that leaves a mark on the soul. Even though the film is one of the most difficult watches in recent memory, the story of Alexia is also one of the most poignant and powerful experiences I’ve had in a theatre in some time. Coming at a time when we’re divided by so many issues and controversies, there is simply a stunning beauty to this moment that breaks through the most hardened of hearts.

To hear our episode of SF Radio that talks about our Top Movie Moments with Seeing & Believing‘s Kevin McLenithan, author Wade Bearden and several guests, click here (YouTube) or here (podcast).

This article has also been posted in partnership with InTheSeats.ca.

Rewriting the History Books: 1on1 with Tracey Deer (BEANS)

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I remember the Oka Crisis. Or, at least, I thought I did.

As a pre-teen, I vaguely remember hearing the stories of the Mohawk people who protested the building of a golf course. I remember seeing it on the news and hearing the testimonies of those who were worried that things would escalate. Because I was so young though, I didn’t understand what was really going on or issues such as media bias. Maybe none of us outside the situation really did.

Thankfully, in her stunning new film Beans, writer/director Tracey Deer offers some much-needed perspective on the events that took place that summer. Set against the drama that took place in 1990s Quebec, Beans (Kiawentiio Tarbell) is a young girl who lives on the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawa:ke. Staying with her loving parents (Rainbow Dickerson and Joel Montgrand) and her little sister (Violah Beauvais), Beans lives a life of innocence and safety on the reserve. However, when a proposed expansion to a golf course threatens their burial ground, an armed stand-off develops between the Canadian government and Mohawk population, exposing the racist undercurrents of the local population against the Indigenous population. Unprepared for the hatred that she experiences, Beans must re-examine who she is and transform herself into her own kind of warrior.

Although Beans itself is a fictional story, the film showcases many true events that took place during the events of the Oka Crisis. Having grown up during that time herself, Deer used her personal experiences to shape the characters and story.

“’The film is inspired by true events’ is how we phrase it because all of the events depicted of the Oka Crisis in the film did happen,” she explains. “But my family in the movie is a fictional family. Beans, my protagonist, played by the incredible Kiawentiio is the emotional through line. The coming-of-age journey that she goes on is very much my coming-of-age journey. But I have placed the character in these various historical events [and] I wasn’t at all of them myself. Some of the things that she does and her experiences are not identical to my own, but the emotional through line, the feelings and the growth and the shattering of innocence, all of that, is pulled directly from my own coming-of-age summer.”

While Oka was a massively important event in Canadian culture, Deer notes that history has only ever told it from one side. However, Beans allowed her the opportunity to tell a more complete picture of what really took place and the damage that it caused her family.

“[Voice] is so important. It’s one of the big reasons it was so important to me to make this film,” says Deer. “The way the media [covered] that event 30 years ago did not at all jive with the experience I was having of it. The way they would talk about the Mohawk protesters. These were my neighbors, my cousins, my uncles, my aunties, and to call them terrorists and send the army in against them, it didn’t make any sense. So, it was important to me to show the other side of it—the inside out view of it—so that people could see what it was really like… For so long, the policy of the powers that be [in] the government is to squash us, divide and conquer and take. Oka was really that watershed moment where Indigenous people stood up and said ‘no more’. I’m so proud that we did that. I learned so much about our strength and our resiliency from that summer. I learned so much about the importance of voice and to have my voice heard.”

“I learned a lot of negative things [and] devastating, destructive things that almost destroyed me. I was suicidal at 15 because of all of that rage and all of that hatred was just living inside me. That was that sense of innocence. That sense of safety, the ability to dream, all of that was stolen from me that summer. And I don’t want that stolen from any more indigenous children. So, it’s important that we tell the story like it is and Canadians step up to right the wrongs of history and make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself.

Embedded within Beans lies a powerful question about the nature of resistance. Torn between her father’s more aggressive stance and her mother’s insistence on integrity, Beans must wrestle with what it means to stand up against injustice. By showing this tension, Deer wanted to highlight the value of both perspectives but also show the damage that hatred can do to the soul.

“It’s really the tight rope that I have walked my entire life,” she considers. “I would say certainly as an Indigenous filmmaker, I firmly believe that violence is like a disease. Hatred is a disease. When we put it on to others, it then grows in others and then it’s put in and then it continues. I say that because I know that that was my experience. I learned to hate that day when those rocks were thrown at us, when the back window was burst open and my sister got cut with glass. That is the moment that I learned to hate. Unlike Beans, who lashes out quite a bit in the movie, I wanted to show what that hate looks like. But, for me personally, that hate lived inside me and it started tearing me up.”

“We have to have a line that says violence is never the answer. We need to stand up for ourselves and we do need to be strong. As her mother says, you need to be able to stand up for what’s important to you. And I believe, for me, that is the line that there is a way to stand up and not feed the cycle. And I feel you see that in the scene where the women deescalate the violence. There are ways to do that and we have to get much better at doing that. I think we’re a society that turns to violence and turns to retribution and vengeance way too easily.”

Through Beans’ childlike lens, Deer remembers how these events affected her own childhood and reshaped her understanding of the world.

“That’s exactly what my adolescence felt like. It was a really carefree, fun childhood up until that summer,” she remembers. “That summer really, really shattered that when I realized that who I am is not welcome in the wider world. There’s no place for me. When those people threw those rocks at me, they told me I was worthless. They considered me and my family worthless. So, how as a child, how do you process that? How do you understand that? Okay, I am so worthless that they are allowed to throw rocks at me and the cops stand by and let that happen.”

“This film takes place during the backdrop of the Oka crisis, but incidents like this are happening across the country to this day, right?,” she continues. “Our children are being told by our society, by our country that they are not welcome. And we are told every day that it is not safe for us in the wider world. That is really what I wanted to get across, because I think that sense of entitlement and sense of safety is something that the majority of Canadians take for granted. It is a given that with the right motivation and the will, you can pursue your dreams. You have a tonne of examples of people just like you, who were doing every single thing in the world. So, if they can, why can’t you? You can do it. I want people to understand that that’s not the country that they present to us. If your child was Beans, and this is what she was going through, how would you feel about that? I believe we all have the ability to make a difference. We all have our personal sphere of power, so we can all do something about this. I want people to see this devastating journey that Beans goes on and leave the theater wanting to do what they can to prevent it from happening to any other young indigenous child.

Having said this, the obvious question remains whether or not things have changed in Canada since then. Considering the horrors of abuse that have taken place against the Indigenous children continue to lead the headlines, there remains a great deal of work to be done to heal the pain that has been caused. Even so, Deer also says that she believes some progress has been made.

“The film is a historical movie, you know. It took place 30 years ago but, as you said, the themes are all incredibly current,” she contends. “That makes me really sad and it makes me really angry because, on many levels, I don’t think we’ve come very far as a country in the way that the country handles Indigenous issues. I don’t think the country and the leadership are very good at listening to Indigenous people. I think that’s one of the big things that has to happen for change to happen is [that] Canadians need to become much better listeners and not be so quick to judgment or so quick to think that they know what the solution is. I think it’s just about listening and then doing, based on what you’ve heard.”

“Now, on the other hand, the thing is [that] I don’t want to be all just doom and gloom and dire. I do think there has been progress on some levels. I see it right now. I see that there’s an openness in this country to be hearing from us. There’s a willingness to take down those walls. It’s hard to take down those walls because those walls protect you from feeling implicated[and] responsible, but you are. This is your country, and these things are still happening across the country. The coming of age story for our indigenous kids is still incredibly similar to the story that you see in Beans. So, more work needs to be done. I do think that I am encouraged. I am an optimist, and I always look for ways to be helpful. And I am hopeful. I want to believe in this country and believe in Canadians because I need to. I need you all to do the work. It’s not on us to make things better for things that we didn’t because it’s up to Canadians to do that. So, my answer is twofold. We have not come far enough, but things are happening that are giving me hope.”

Beans is now available in theatres.

To see our complete conversation with Tracey Deer on YouTube, click here.

To hear our conversation with Tracey Deer, click here.

Beans: Torn Between Peace and Protest

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It’s not necessarily a good sign to refer to a film as ‘timely’.

It’s not that the term is a description of a film’s poor quality. (Often, it’s the opposite, in fact.) However, the use of ‘timely’ usually refers to the fact that the issues of injustice raised within the film are still relevant in today’s culture, rightly or wrongly. In this way, the film at hand usually takes an additional meaning as a cry for help for a group who needs to be heard in a time of suffering.

Beans is one of these films.

Set against the drama of the Oka Crisis of 1990, Beans (Kiawentiio Tarbell) is a young girl who lives on the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawa:ke, Quebec. Staying with her loving parents (Rainbow Dickerson and Joel Montgrand) and her little sister (Violah Beauvais), Beans lives a life of innocence and safety on the reserve. However, when a proposed expansion to a golf course threatens their burial ground, an armed stand-off develops between the Canadian government and Mohawk population, exposing the racist undercurrents of the local population against the Indigenous population. Unprepared for the hatred that she experiences, Beans must re-examine who she is and transform herself into her own kind of warrior.

Coming at a time when injustices against the Indigenous population lie at the forefront of Canadian conversations, Beansis a stunning and thought-provoking examination of history from an alternate perspective. While the coverage surrounding the Oka Crisis frequently portrayed the Mohawk people as villains, Beans tells the story through the eyes of the oppressed. (Incidentally, Deer highlights this false narrative by the media by using actual news coverage from the time.) In doing so, writer/director Tracey Deer offers an intimate story from the perspective of someone who lived through it herself as a youth. Though the characters are fictional, the story takes pages out of her experiences and reframes the incident through the eyes of innocence. 

Caught between her family and the terrifying events that swirl around her, Beans’ world is shaken by the unjust hatred thrust upon them. By choosing to tell the story through the eyes of young Beans, the events within the film become even more horrifying for the viewer at times. (This is especially true in one particular moment where her family is being harassed within their car, a scene which may be one of the most harrowing onscreen moments of the year.) 

A film this intense requires a lot from its young star but Deer has found an incredible talent in young Kiawentiio. As Beans, Kiawentiio absolutely shines. Despite being featured in almost every scene, she shows a maturity in her performance that grounds the film. Balancing both youthful innocence and justifiable rage behind her eyes, the actress feels present throughout the film which leans into its authenticity.

As she navigates the painful events that unravel before her, Beans’ journey is very much a battle for her soul. After bearing witness to the racist attacks at the hands of local citizens, Beans is left without answers. Though she has lived a relatively quiet life on the reserve, her experiences of the horrors of injustice force her to re-evaluate the way she sees the world. When she falls in with a group of young rebels who refuse to accept the behaviour that they’ve seen, they teach her how to hate her oppressors and take action against them. At the same time though, Beans is also told by her mother that she needs to be ‘better than they say she is’ by taking a more peaceful approach to insurrection. For her mother, the best response to these racist attacks is to demonstrate her integrity by the strength of her character as opposed to violence. 

In this way, Deer takes an interesting approach to the conversation surrounding the proper responses to injustice. Instead of advocating for either method as the correct one, Deer recognizes the need for both non-violence and force. Through Beans’ journey, she points out that, while the non-violent approach may be best, there are also times when other methods may be necessary in order to bring about change. As a result, Deer manages to hold both responses in tension with one another with grace and understanding.

Sharply written and executed, Beans is easily one of the best (and most important) Canadian films of the year. By sharing her experiences through the eyes of young Beans, writer/director Deer has created a story that’s both personal and poignant. Most importantly though, her emphasis on racial injustice against Canada’s  Indigenous population provides an added layer for a country seeking to chart a new path of healing for a nation torn apart by the pain of the past. 

In short, Beans provides a voice that is timely.

To hear our conversation with writer/director Tracey Deer, click here (YouTube) or here (audio).

Beans is available in theatres on Friday, July 23rd, 2021.