Burying the Hatchet is a 2027 Canadian comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Shawna Purple. It stars Abequa Hoxha as Taya Desjarlais, an Inuk woman trying to build a relationship with her son, Keanu Desjarlais (played by Kuruk Peota) as she abides by the guidelines provided to her by Child Protective Services. The supporting cast includes Dominique Dufour, Adam Beach, Violet Nelson and Brandon Oakes.
Burying the Hatchet premiered at the 2027 Sacramento French Film Festival on October 21, 2027 and was released for streaming and a limited theatrical release on November 30, 2027. The film grossed $60 million worldwide against a $8.5 million budget, making it Purple's highest-grossing film.
Burying the Hatchet received numerous accolades. At the 100th Academy Awards, it received five nominations, including Best International Feature Film and Best Supporting Actor (for Dominique Dufour). It received five nominations at the BAFTA Awards, winning two, three at the Golden Globe Awards, and two at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, with Dufour winning for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, amongst multiple other accolades. The film received generally favourable reviews by both critics and viewers.
Plot[]
TBA.
Cast[]
- Abequa Hoxha as Taya Desjarlais, a troubled and divorced mother trying to rekindle a relationship with her teenage son.
- Kuruk Peota as Keanu Desjarlais, the rebellious and distant son of Taya and Jack Desjarlais plagued by his parents' divorce.
- Dominique Dufour as Christopher Donahue, a worker at Child Protective Services who oversees the Desjarlais case.
- Adam Beach as Jack Desjarlais, the ex-husband of Taya Desjarlais who himself fell into a life of crime.
- Violet Nelson as Aponi Clearwater, a store owner whom Keanu befriends.
- Brandon Oakes as Winston Moonstruck, Jack's partner-in-crime that secretly becomes involved with Taya.
- Paulina Alexis as Sienna Aglukark, Keanu’s sharp-tongued classmate who challenges his cynicism and pushes him toward accountability.
- Michael Greyeyes as Eli Qamaniq, a community mediator brought in by CPS to assess culturally appropriate reunification options.
- Glen Gould as Officer Raymond Pike, a local police officer familiar with Jack’s criminal past and skeptical of Taya’s progress.
- Madison Thomas as Nora Littlebear, a social work intern who empathizes deeply with Taya and quietly bends protocol.
- Billy Merasty as Uncle Joseph, a relative who provides blunt advice with dry humour.
- Michelle Thrush as Dr. Renee Halvorsen, the court-appointed family therapist.
- Dallas Goldtooth as Vic, a radio host whose late-night community show provides ironic commentary on the town’s events.
- Joshua Odjick as Bus Stop Teen
- Marvin Ishmael as Fisherman
- Roseanne Supernault as Court Clerk, present during Taya’s CPS review hearing.
- Alexis Whelan as Coffee Shop Barista
- Cody Lightning as Liquor Store Customer
- Shaun Benson as Streaming Platform Executive, appearing briefly during the film’s epilogue.
Production[]
Shawna Purple conceived Burying the Hatchet in 2024 following a series of conversations with Indigenous social workers and family court advocates in northern Canada. According to Purple, the project emerged from a desire to explore the emotional contradictions within the Child Protective Services system—particularly how institutional care can clash with Indigenous concepts of family, accountability, and healing. Rather than framing the system as overtly antagonistic, Purple aimed to depict it as impersonal, procedural, and often ill-equipped to deal with generational trauma.
Purple wrote the screenplay over the course of eight months, developing multiple drafts in consultation with Inuit cultural advisors and CPS professionals. Early versions of the script leaned more heavily into drama, but later revisions incorporated understated comedic elements, particularly through community interactions and background characters, which Purple described as “how survival often sounds in real life.” The title Burying the Hatchet was chosen to reflect the film’s thematic focus on time, personal cycles, and the idea that healing does not follow linear progress.
FilmNation Entertainment became involved during development after reviewing an early draft, drawn to the project’s balance of intimate storytelling and broader social relevance. Financing was secured in early 2026, with the budget finalized at approximately $8.5 million.
Casting prioritized authenticity and lived experience, particularly for the film’s Inuit and Indigenous characters. Abequa Hoxha was cast as Taya Desjarlais early in development, with Purple citing her ability to convey emotional restraint and volatility simultaneously. Hoxha worked closely with Purple to shape Taya’s physical mannerisms, speech patterns, and emotional guardedness.
Kuruk Peota was cast after an extensive search for a young actor capable of portraying emotional withdrawal without melodrama. Peota had limited screen experience prior to the film, and Purple encouraged a largely improvisational approach during rehearsals to preserve naturalistic performances. Dominique Dufour was cast as Christopher Donahua, the CPS caseworker, after Purple rewrote the role to avoid stereotypical portrayals of bureaucratic antagonists. Dufour approached the character as “professionally empathetic but emotionally cautious,” a performance that later received significant critical attention.
Supporting roles were filled by a mix of established Indigenous actors and newcomers. Adam Beach and Brandon Oakes were brought in to add gravitas and unpredictability to the adult male figures in Taya’s life, while Violet Nelson, Paulina Alexis, and Madison Thomas were cast following chemistry reads emphasizing ensemble balance rather than individual prominence. Several minor roles were cast locally in filming locations, including community members with no prior acting experience, in keeping with Purple’s emphasis on grounded realism.
Pre-production took place between November 2026 and February 2027. Cultural consultants were present throughout the process, reviewing dialogue, set dressing, and narrative choices to ensure respectful and accurate representation of Inuit and Indigenous community dynamics. Purple also conducted workshops with the cast focused on restorative justice practices and family mediation, which informed several improvised moments later retained in the final cut.
Principal photography began in March 2027 and lasted 34 days. Filming primarily took place in northern Ontario and parts of Nunavut, with additional scenes shot in Quebec to accommodate production logistics. Locations included small coastal towns, frozen roadways, modest residential interiors, and municipal buildings, many of which were real, functioning spaces rather than constructed sets.
Purple and cinematographer (uncredited in the article body) favored natural lighting and long takes, particularly during conversations between Taya and Keanu. Handheld camera work was used sparingly, mainly during moments of emotional instability or legal confrontation, while static framing dominated domestic scenes to emphasize emotional stagnation. Several scenes were shot in Inuktitut without subtitles during early cuts; however, selective subtitling was later added in post-production to balance accessibility with immersion. Weather conditions frequently affected the shooting schedule, with extreme cold influencing both pacing and performance, elements Purple later stated she intentionally incorporated into the film’s visual language.
Post-production concluded in July 2027. Editing focused on restraint, with Purple removing several explanatory scenes in favor of ambiguity. The final cut runs 95 minutes, reflecting Purple’s intention to “leave emotional space for the audience.” Daniel Cohen and Danielle Frazer composed the score collaboratively, blending minimalist piano motifs with ambient soundscapes inspired by wind, ice, and distant radio transmissions. Music is used sparingly, often yielding to environmental sound or silence.
Release[]
Burying the Hatchet premiered on October 21, 2027, at the Sacramento French Film Festival, where it was selected as the festival’s closing-night presentation. The premiere marked Shawna Purple’s first appearance at the festival as a director and was accompanied by a post-screening discussion focusing on Indigenous family representation in contemporary cinema. Early reactions from festival audiences were described as subdued but attentive, with extended discussions noted following several screenings.
Following its festival debut, Sewell Studios announced a hybrid release strategy designed to balance awards eligibility with accessibility. The film received a limited theatrical release beginning November 30, 2027, opening in select Canadian cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Winnipeg, as well as a small number of U.S. markets known for supporting independent and international cinema. The theatrical rollout expanded modestly in subsequent weeks based on strong per-screen averages.
Simultaneously, Burying the Hatchet became available on major streaming platforms in territories where a theatrical release was not planned. The decision to prioritize a concurrent streaming launch was framed by the distributors as a means of ensuring accessibility for Indigenous and remote northern communities, many of which lack consistent access to arthouse cinemas.
Reception[]
Box office[]
Despite a modest theatrical rollout, Burying the Hatchet proved to be a significant commercial success. The film grossed $60 million worldwide against a production budget of approximately $8.5 million, making it Shawna Purple’s highest-grossing film to date. During its limited theatrical release, the film posted strong per-theater averages in Canada and select U.S. markets, particularly in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Winnipeg, where repeat attendance and community group screenings contributed to sustained box office momentum.
Industry analysts attributed much of the film’s financial success to its hybrid release model. While theatrical earnings were steady rather than explosive, the film demonstrated exceptional longevity on streaming platforms, where viewership remained high for several months following release. Its availability in English, Inuktitut, and French significantly broadened its domestic reach in Canada, while international streaming performance—particularly in parts of Europe—exceeded initial projections.
The film’s awards visibility further boosted its commercial performance, with noticeable spikes in digital rentals and streams following major nominations and wins. By the end of its initial release window, Burying the Hatchet had surpassed expectations for a character-driven Canadian comedy-drama with a limited theatrical footprint.
Critical response[]
On review aggregation websites, Burying the Hatchet received a solid but not exceptional critical response, reflecting generally favourable rather than rapturous acclaim.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78%, based on reviews from approximately 240 critics, with an average rating of around 7.1/10. The site’s critical consensus notes that the film is “anchored by strong performances and thoughtful restraint, even if its measured pace and emotional distance limit its impact for some viewers.” The audience score registered slightly higher at 81%, suggesting warmer reception among general viewers than critics.
On Metacritic, Burying the Hatchet received a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 45 critic reviews, indicating “generally favorable reviews.” While several critics praised Shawna Purple’s direction and the film’s refusal to sensationalize its subject matter, others cited its subdued tone and narrative minimalism as factors preventing it from reaching higher acclaim. In Canadian year-end rankings, the film frequently appeared on top 10 lists, though typically in the lower half, often placing between 6th and 9th among domestic releases of 2027. Internationally, it was less prominent on global best-of lists but was commonly included in honorable mentions, particularly for its performances and screenplay. Overall, critics largely agreed that Burying the Hatchet was a well-crafted, emotionally intelligent film whose strengths lay in subtlety and authenticity, even if it stopped short of being considered a standout or definitive work of the year.
Response from Canadian parents[]
In Canada, Burying the Hatchet prompted notable discussion among parents experiencing or having recently gone through divorce, particularly those navigating shared custody and CPS oversight. Many parents responded positively to the film’s depiction of family separation as an ongoing, procedural reality rather than a singular traumatic event, with viewers noting the accuracy of the film’s portrayal of mandated parenting plans, supervised visitation, and the emotional strain of compliance.
Several parent advocacy groups and online parenting forums referenced the film in discussions about co-parenting and state involvement, with viewers describing it as “uncomfortably familiar” in its attention to small bureaucratic details, such as check-ins, evaluations, and the power imbalance between parents and caseworkers. The character of Christopher Donahua, in particular, was cited as resonant for parents who felt their own experiences with CPS workers were shaped by professionalism rather than overt hostility.
Reactions were not uniformly positive. Some parents criticized the film for what they perceived as emotional distance, arguing that it underplayed the anger and volatility often present in contested divorces. Others felt the narrative favored introspection over resolution, leaving certain conflicts unresolved in ways that mirrored real life but proved frustrating for some viewers. Among Indigenous parents, responses were often more layered, with several noting appreciation for the film’s acknowledgment of culturally specific family structures and mediation practices. While not universally embraced as representative of all experiences, Burying the Hatchet was widely discussed as a rare mainstream portrayal that reflected the slow, uncertain, and often exhausting nature of rebuilding parent-child relationships after divorce.