Where does one begin to talk about Scarborough? Perhaps with the way film makers Nakhai and Willamson capture the "lived in" moments of their subjects' lives in ways that make them feel so incredibly honest? Perhaps with the ways it tackles the issues it raises so succinctly and organically that you never once feel like you are being lectured to? Perhaps with the stunning performances of its three young leads and the supporting adults. Scarborough is a breathtaking film that will break your heart while perhaps inspiring a bit of hope.
Scarborough isn't nihilist despite how unflinchingly it looks at the ways poverty kills people. This is the story of three young children who find each other while in a community literacy program, the only place their parents can get them fed and provide them with some socialization and learning. Scarborough shows the way little things have an impact while also critiquing the larger systems that perpetuate the crime of poverty. But in all this there are moments of great love that is life saving. Don't get me wrong, the film never tries to sell us the "love will save the day" message, but it shows us the ways just how meaningful these connections are for everyone.
The cast is amazing. The young actors took my breath away, each embodying their characters so fully, playing complex and difficult roles, yet exhibiting the kind of honesty and authenticity that we rarely see in professionals. The supporting roles are filled with wonderful actors as well from the quiet strength that Blood and Nakhai bring to their characters to the resistance that Kanani embodies in hers.
But I was most impressed with the way the film wasn't afraid to tackle how whiteness plays into poverty and violence. The film lays breadcrumbs throughout, never slamming us over the head, but quietly and effectively holding a mirror up to Canadian society in a way that we have to see. The power of this story telling was incredible.
But as I said Scarborough isn't bleak. Yes it will make you cry. But perhaps it will also make you see the small reasons to hope. Beautiful and captivating all the way through Scarborough is deserving of all the praise it is getting.
Scarborough
Starring: Liam Diaz, Essence Fox, Anna Claire Beitel, Aliya Kanani, Cherish Violet Blood, Ellie Posadas
Directors: Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson
Writer: Catherine Hernandez
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