Night Raiders (2021 film)
Night Raiders is a 2021 Canadian-New Zealand science fiction dystopian film written and directed by Danis Goulet. Set in a dystopian version of North America in the year 2044, the film centres on Niska (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers), a Cree woman who joins a resistance movement to the military government in order to save her daughter. The film stars Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, Alex Tarrant, Amanda Plummer and Violet Nelson. Taika Waititi serves as an executive producer. The film had its worldwide premiere at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in March 2021. Plot summary
In the year 2044, Canada is militarily occupied by the "Southern Nation" (or "Regime"). Major cities lie in ruins with much of the population living in squalor and poverty. The Regime uses drones for both military and propaganda purposes including tracking dissidents and food drops. Parents are coerced into sending their children to military academies where they are trained and indoctrinated into loyal soldiers. Niska and her eleven year old daughter Waseese are forced to abandoned their improvised bus home after a drone discovers their dwelling. Waseese also suffers a serious leg injury after stepping on a leg trap. Despite their injuries, mother and daughter manage to travel by canoe to a wartorn city. After evading drones and Regime soldiers, the two find shelter with Niska's friend Roberta, who attempts to treat Waseese's injury. With Waseese's condition deteriorating, Niska makes the painful decision to surrender her daughter to the Regime. Waseese is sent to a military academy where she and other children endure brutal training, beatings and solitary confinement. She is also renamed Elizabeth. Following an escape attempt, Waseese is talent-spotted by a recruiter, who intends to send her to the elite Emerson Academy. Ten months later, Niska obtains help from a man named Randy, who obtains false identification for them to infiltrate the Regime's academy and rescue Waseese. During the rescue attempt, Niska is captured by a group of Cree, who have been conducting secret night-time raids to rescue their kidnapped children from the academy. The female Cree leader Ida tells Niska about a Cree prophecy of a stranger coming from the north to lead them to a place called Bigstone. Ida believes that Niska is the prophesied stranger who would lead their children to safety. However, other members of the tribe including Leo disagree. Niska later returns to the city with Leo where the Regime orders a mandatory evacuation of the population. They manage to find Roberta and join civilians being evacuated on a bus. Following a struggle, Niska and Leo manage to escape Regime forces but Roberta is killed by her son, who has been brainwashed into a soldier. Realizing the danger of the indoctrination process, Niska convinces Ida and Leo to help rescue her daughter in return for leading the tribe's children to safety in the north. With the help of the hacker Charlier, Niska and Leo infiltrate Waseese's academy. They managed to free Waseese and several children but Leo stays behind to make a last stand against the Regime soldiers. Regime forces lay siege to the Cree camp with soldiers and drones. However, Waseese uses her psychic powers to hijack the drones, causing the soldiers to flee. A soldier attempts to kill Waseese but Niska shields her daughter and is fatally wounded. In the epilogue, the narrator identifies Waseese as the prophesied guardian whom her mother Niska brought to them. 