A dramatic film, Rustic Oracle, which sheds light on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is premiering at Kelowna's Landmark Cinemas Grand 10 in the coming weeks.

The Canadian feature, written and directed by Mohawk filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Bioleau (Le dep, Last Call Indian) follows the story of a missing Indigenous girl, which is told through the perspective of her seven-year-old sister.

Young Ivy then goes on a road trip with her mother Susan to search for her older sister who had disappeared abruptly from their First Nations community. 

The film's original rollout was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However Rustic Oracle will be premiering at Kelowna's Landmark Cinemas Grand 10 between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1.

The film made its world debut during the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival and was selected for 14 national and international festivals. Rustic Oracle garnered a whopping 26 awards including Leo Awards for Best Film and Best Lead Performance; Best Film and Best Female Lead at the Dunedin International Film Festival; and Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the American Indian Film Festival.

Rustic Oracle was filmed in southwestern Quebec's Kanesatake Mohawk Territory. The film is set in the late 1990s where Ivy struggles to understand what happened to her older sister Heather. With little clues or help from the authorities, Ivy and her mother take measures into their own hands as they embark on a difficult journey to find Heather. 

Despite the painful circumstances of the pair encountering ignorance and racism, Ivy and mother Susan grow closure during the quest. Rustic Oracle is more than just a story about loss, it's a story of how a mother and daughter come together to love and care for each other under hard circumstances. 

"The film shares a story experienced by countless Indigenous families who have faced the trauma caused by the disappearance of a loved one," says Bonspille Boileau. "Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls has become such a big social issue, we’ve lost touch with the actual people that have lived it."

"The film aims to ensure that the fear and helplessness that are felt by so many families in this country are not drowned by the politics, the data and the buzzwords. It is easy to forget that each 'stolen sister' is exactly that – someone’s sister, daughter, niece, cousin, or best friend."

Rustic Oracle features an array of Indigenous actresses including Carmen Moore, Lake Kahentawaks Delisle and Mckenzie Kahnekaroroks. It is produced by Nish Media, distributed by 7th Screen.