“My Nation is a matriarchal society, and paying respect to that archetype of a woman and the strength that is there particularly in First Nations women, it’s imperative for me as a First Nations man who loves his mom, and loves his wife and loves his sister, to pay reverence to their struggle and their strength” - Jeff Barnaby – Muskrat Magazine.com, 2014

The debut feature by Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, Rhymes For Young Ghouls follows vulnerable yet defiant Indigenous teenager Aila (K. Devery Jacobs) as she negotiates life in the fictional Red Crow reservation.

Embarking on a journey of vengeance against the corruption and abuses of Canada’s Residential School system, and the sadistic Indian agent policing her community, Aila navigates her way through loss, struggle, forgiveness, self-discovery and, ultimately, redemption.

Barnaby tackles the trauma and brutal legacies of Canada’s Indian Act as well as the de-humanizing and murderous devastation of its residential schools. Adopting an unflinching decolonizing lens, Rhymes For Young Ghouls is ultimately an empowering tale of First Nations resistance against a dystopian world of settler colonial oppression.

This award-winning film combines stunning cinematography and animation, with a strong ensemble cast, and a breakout performance from Jacobs (Reservation Dogs, The Sun at Midnight, Blood Quantum), plus a moody and atmospheric soundtrack featuring The Black Keys and A Tribe Called Red (aka The Halluci Nation).

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