BURNING CANE

The 2019, 78 minutes, Colour.
Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers, Dominique Mc Clellan, Braelyn Kelly Emyri Crutchfield.
Directed by Philip Youmans.

This is a brief film which received quite some acclaim from critics. It was written and directed by a 19-year-old student filmmaker, Philip Youmans, from Louisiana and drawing on his experience of life there and his Baptist upbringing.

It is a portrait of life in Louisiana, in the rural towns with the cane crops. But the focus is on a group of characters, African- American characters in this context.

Karen Kaya Livers is striking as an elderly woman, Helen, introduced with a long monologue about finding some healing for her dog. She is in contact, especially in church, with the local Minister, played with some force by Wendell Pierce. He conducts the services, encourages the choir, sings, preaches quite hard-hitting sermons which serve as background voice-over. However, he has had a history of domestic violence in his family, is an alcoholic, a harsh arguer, needing to be rescued by Helen.

The other story is about Helen’s son, unemployed, violent towards his wife, exploitative of his son, a young boy, encouraged to drink alcohol and to sit and watch television with his father, including some pornography.

Helen, however, has some friends with whom she can talk and in whom she can confide.

So, a slice of Louisiana life, strikingly photographed, well-performed, thoughtful and challenging.

1. Title? The visual images? Films and plantations?

2. The Louisiana towns, homes, church, workplaces, isolation? The visuals, the colour photography?

3. The work of the writer-director, 19 years old, film student, drawing on his Baptist background?

4. The character studies? Monologues, conversations, crises?

5. The opening, Helen introducing the story, her age, character, the monologue, her concern about her dog, attacking the invading dog? Possibilities for healing the dog? Her life, her relationship with her son, his family? Her support of the church? The conversations with her friends? Her concern about the Reverend, his drinking, rescuing in?

6. The Reverend with his sermons, the voice-over, the serious themes, the religious dimensions, the role of God, obedience, churchgoing? The hymns, choir?,

7. His drinking, the background of his violence towards his wife, his reliance on Helen, going into town, the shopping, the drinking, stranded in the countryside, Helen rescuing him? Yet continuing his work in the church, his sermons and exhortations?

8. Helen and her son, Daniel’s story, out of work, his wife working, his resentments, his violence towards her, the blood? With his boy, watching the television programs, the pornography? The alcohol? His son’s age, experience, the father plying his son with alcohol, the consequences?

9. Helen, desperate, her willingness, her strong stances, physical disability?

10. A slice of life, the religious background, evangelical, fundamentalist, images of God, of worship? Ordinary people, African- American people, the south, hardships, poverty?