Older Than America (2008)

A woman's haunting visions reveal a Catholic priest's sinister plot to silence her mother from speaking the truth about the atrocities that took place at her Native American boarding school... See full summary »

Director:

Georgina Lightning

Writers:

Georgina Lightning, Christine K. Walker

Stars:

Adam Beach, Tantoo Cardinal, Bradley Cooper

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Beach	...	Johnny
Tantoo Cardinal	...	Auntie Apple
Bradley Cooper	...	Luke
Glen Gould	...	Steve Klamath (as Glenn Gould)
Dan Harrison	...	Walter Many Lightnings
Georgina Lightning	...	Rain
Chris Mulkey	...	Paul Gunderson
Wes Studi	...	Richard Two Rivers
Stephen Yoakam	...	Father Bartoli (as Steve Yoakam)
Sarah Agnew	...	Mary
Joe App	...	Boarding School Priest
Jeri Arredondo	...	Young Adult Irene
Noah Kol Balfour	...	Little Many Lightnings (as Noah Balfour)
Dennis Banks	...	Pete Goodfeather
Raven Bellefleur	...	Little Irene (as Raven Maizy Bellefleur)

Storyline

A woman's haunting visions reveal a Catholic priest's sinister plot to silence her mother from speaking the truth about the atrocities that took place at her Native American boarding school. A contemporary drama of suspense, Older Than America delves into the lasting impact of the cultural genocide and loss of identity that occurred at these institutions across the United States and Canada.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | boarding school | country name in title | title spoken by character

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 February 2012 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

American Evil

Filming Locations:

Cloquet, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Older Than America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Harsh Truths

This movie really is not a view of life in boarding schools, per se. I don't believe it was intended to be. It is a metaphor for the effects still felt today by nearly all Native Americans here in the U.S. The movie "is" a period place. All of the issues that the story touches base on are those that Natives all over Indian Country are dealing with today. It is not the direct reflection of one single reason why Natives today face the afflictions of poverty, alcoholism, abuse, unemployment, illiteracy, and loss of identity as a culture, but the culmination of many. Forced attendance into an institution specifically designed to strip away everything it means to be "Indian" just so happens to be the primary area of focus in this film. The sub-plots add depth to the characters as well as much needed comic relief. Even though this film is classified as a drama, it should be shown in every history class across the United States, right after the lesson on the first "Thanksgiving".