I Heard the Owl Call My Name (1973) - full transcript

♪ God rest you merry gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay ♪

♪ For Jesus Christ our savior
was born upon this day ♪

♪ To save poor souls from Satan's power ♪

♪ When we were gone astray ♪

♪ O tidings of comfort
and joy, comfort and joy ♪

♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪

♪ Now to the Lord sing
praises, all you within this place ♪

♪ And with true love and
brotherhood each other now embrace ♪

♪ This holy tide of Christmas,
all others doth deface ♪

♪ O tidings of comfort
and joy, comfort and joy ♪

♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪



(rattling)

In the beginning was the
word and the word was with God,

and the word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him,

and without him was not
anything made that was made.

In him was life and the
life was the light of men.

(rattling) (birds squawk)

♪ Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace ♪

♪ Hail the Sun of Righteousness ♪

♪ Light and life to all he brings ♪

♪ Risen with healing in his wings ♪

♪ Mild He lays his glory by ♪

♪ Born that man no more may die ♪



♪ Born to raise the sons of Earth ♪

♪ Born to give them second birth ♪

♪ Hark, the herald-angels sing ♪

♪ Glory to the new-born king ♪

(rattling) (waves crash)

George P!

The village is gonna have a priest again.

We just heard they're sending a priest.

(organ music)

- Merry Christmas, Mark.
- Merry Christmas, my lord.

The cathedral looks
beautiful at Christmas time.

[Bishop] And you're
sorry to be leaving here.

No, my lord, but, well...

[Bishop] I know you're
disappointed in your assignment.

No, my lord.

But I'd like to ask you, why there?

Is it because I've been ill?

I'm alright now.

Well, I want to serve the church actively.

And you think serving a
Kwakiutl village will be restful?

Is that what you think?

A holiday?

It's quite the opposite.

You will work harder
than you have ever worked.

Then, why there?

Because you are so well-schooled.

You're so well-trained.

And so well-read and because, (laughs)

You know nothing.

And the Indians will teach
you, as they taught me.

(bell rings)

Mark.

If you run out of money
or supplies, I can help you.

But if you're confused and
afraid and lonely up there,

that's out of my reach.

That's for you to fight, win if you can.

Three days out of Vancouver
up the coast, you'll be

in the world of Indians
and loggers and wilderness.

I'll try to make it my world, too.

Oh, your Indian deckhand.

He's been working our world for a year now.

Learn from him, Mark.

He knows more about that boat

and the coast than we'll ever know.

You'll find him watching you.

(chuckles) You'll find
them all watching you.

And in their own time,
they will accept you.

Or reject you.

Jim.

I'd like you to meet Mark
Brian, your new vicar.

- Jim Wallace.
- Glad to meet you.

Jim, will you be sure
to say hello to George P

and Marta for me?

Tell 'em I miss 'em, think of 'em?

I will.

We're ready?

All ready.

Now, watch.

God bless you, Mark.

("Amazing Grace")

My dear bishop.

Yesterday I watched
traffic jams and skyscrapers.

Today I saw an eagle fishing.

It swooped down near
the boat and caught a fish,

but the fish was too
heavy to lift from the water,

and the eagle couldn't
loosen its grip, so it drowned.

It was a life and death
struggle, but so small,

and played out so quietly.

Jim and I watched it.

He seemed to be a part of it all.

Shall I take it a while?

If you don't mind my asking,

how did you get the name Jim Wallace?

How do white men get their names?

From their fathers and grandfathers.

Me, too.

I get my name from the same people.

Your fathers and grandfathers.

They came here 100 years ago and said,

"All you Indians gotta be
registered, what's your names?"

Some of the Indian fellows,
(speaks foreign language).

The white guy said, "What?
I can't pronounce that.

"From now on, your name is Wallace.

"Next."

And that's how I got my name.

(birds squawk)

I know your people live
where they've always lived.

I know a few things I've
learnt from the bishop.

He was vicar of your village.

Before I was born.

[Mark] How big is Kwakiutl?

Jim, how big is your village?

White man always say
that, "How big is your village?"

You just don't get it.

[Mark] Well, tell me, I'll get it.

My village is so big that
it never gets rained on.

Because the rain is my village, too.

And the wind.

And the sea.

Get it?

I think so.

All the history of my
tribe and all of its legends...

That's my village, too.

And me, I am the village.

And the village is me.

And you don't get it.

(peaceful music)

Who's that?

An old prospector, he
works these mountains.

[Mark] By himself?

[Jim] For 30 years.

Name's Bill Murphy, no family.

30 years.

Alone.

Hi there, preacher!

I'm your new vicar, Mark Brian!

And don't call me preacher!

[Bill] Good luck, preacher!

(peaceful music)

My dear bishop.

Kwakiutl surprised me
around a bend of shore,

standing where it's always stood.

It didn't wave to me.

Hardly seemed to notice.

I thought the people might be waiting,

but it was me waiting and wondering,

what does this place want of me?

(chatter in foreign language)

(chatter in foreign language)

(melancholic string music)

(chatter in foreign language)

My first church, Jim.

Come see your first vicarage.

(woman sings in foreign language)

She's a professional mourner.

The figeritch is being used.

Used?

Who is he?

My cousin.

Three days ago, he fell
off the wharf between boats.

Nobody saw him.

Why isn't he buried?

We have to wait for the
RCMP to give a burial permit.

Will you take me to his mother, please?

This is his mother.

Does she speak English?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

(mother speaks foreign language)

What did she say?

(mother speaks foreign language)

She says she heard the owl call his name.

Huh?

[Jim] It means, she knew
her son was going to die.

I'm sorry.

Shall we say a prayer together?

Oh lord, Jesus Christ,
who didst take little children

into thine arms, and bless them.

Open thou our eyes.

We beseech thee.

Oh, Lord, help me to have the courage...

(woman sings in foreign language)

(baby cries)

(baby cries)

Oh, heavenly father, whose face the angels

of the little ones do
always behold in Heaven,

grant us steadfastly
to believe that this child

hath been taken into the safe
keeping of thine eternal love.

Through Jesus Christ, our lord.

Amen.

The lord bless you and keep you.

The lord make his face to shine upon you,

and be gracious unto you.

The lord lift up his countenance upon you,

and give you peace, both now and evermore.

Amen.

(rattling)

(George sings in foreign language)

(bright music)

(church bell tolls)

Good morning.

In case we haven't met, I'm Mark Brian.

Now, before we begin, I have to say,

that I don't sing very well
without an accompaniment.

So, is there anyone who can play the organ?

It does work.

No.

(bird squawks)

♪ Christ, the royal master ♪

♪ Leads against the foe ♪

♪ Forward into battle ♪

♪ See his banners go ♪

♪ Onward, Christian soldiers ♪

♪ Marching as to war ♪

♪ With the cross of Jesus ♪

♪ Going on before ♪

Take and eat this in remembrance

that Christ died for thee.

And feed on him in thy heart
by faith with thanksgiving.

Take and eat this in remembrance
that Christ died for thee.

And feed on him in thy heart
by faith with thanksgiving.

I've been at Kwakiutl a week now.

I came at a time of sorrow,

for a child had been taken from you,

and the village was in mourning.

We know that the little
boy we buried is with Christ.

Now, mourning has been put aside,

and you started your work again.

What concern me, therefore,

are the living children of Kwakiutl.

I seen them this week,

so willing and eager for life,

that I must ask you,

if what is here in this village is enough.

Enough for them in the years ahead.

You are great fishermen.

Your people have put out to
sea for countless generations.

And I would ask you, this morning,

to help me to build a boat.

A different kind of boat.

One that will carry your children,

on the difficult journey from this village

to the white man's world.

I know that we can build such a boat.

We can build it together.

With education, faith in God and his help.

Faith in ourselves.

I hope you understood
what I was trying to say.

You're saying our
village is sick and dying,

and all our children should leave.

- No!
- We're not sick.

I feel pretty good!

Any of you who can, do come
to my house for some coffee.

(melancholic music)

(melancholic music) (birds squawk)

Oh, hello, I'm Mark Brian.

Ah, yes, the vicar.

I'm Alan Spender.

Yes, they said you were coming today.

Well, old Sam's at you already, is he?

When he's drunk, he
beats his wife and daughter.

When he's sober, he begs
for money to buy liquor.

You're a great man, Sam,
may your tribe increase.

This is my last term
here, if I can stand it.

The isolation pay almost
makes it worth while, almost.

[Mark] Do you teach all seven grades?

- Yes.
- Then where do they go?

They go nowhere.

The boys fish, the girls marry
the boys and so on and on.

Well, I for one would be
nowhere at all, if it hadn't been

for a teacher of seven
grades who took an interest.

This is nowhere at all.

Look, I teach seven grades.

You dispense your sacraments.

I'm not here only to
perform the sacraments.

What are you here for?

Look at that house of
yours, it's falling down.

The village flows right around it.

They don't care if it falls down.

They don't need it, it's irrelevant.

So are you, vicar.

And so am I.

(dog barks) (melancholic music)

Yes, you are ridiculous, you know.

Irrelevant and ridiculous.

You're a joke.

You and me both.

(glass smashes)

(children laugh)

(laughs)

Hello.

Hello.

What are you called?

I'm Mark Brian, I always
break windows like that.

It's good exercise.

Come on.

Tell me your names. (Children laugh)

Good exercise.

[Mark] Oh, hello.

These are my new friends.

They're John and Lisa, my cousins.

- I'm Keetah.
- I'm Mark Brian.

Jim Wallace told me about you.

"Keetah's a princess," he said,

"from a proud family who
took no English name.”

Is that true?

Yeah.

He also said he was gonna marry you.

Jim has no manners, I'm to marry Gordon.

Who's Gordon?

Gordon Hudson.

He's going to a school in Port Alberni.

We only see him in the
summers or on holidays.

He's the first boy from
Kwakiutl to go to high school.

[Mark] The first?

Don't the others go to school?

Everything they need is here.

The world's changing, Keetah.

Not in the village.

Not so much.

Keetah, once there were totem poles here,

and no planes flying overhead
and nothing to do but fish.

Now all the totem poles have gone.

The world's crowding in, Keetah.

Now the children could learn to be,

well, to be more than fishermen.

Some are loggers.

There's a logging camp near here.

But they don't like Indians so much.

[Mark] But there are
so many other things.

Now, if the children went to school...

My people like being fishermen.

And they don't like the world crowding in.

But is the world such an awful place?

It gives you 1,000 things
you can choose to be.

You can go buzzing from
one part of it to the next

in a few hours.

You talk like Gordon talks.

When he makes me afraid.

Sometimes I'm afraid
he won't come back here.

His grandfather, George P, is afraid, too.

The village is his place.

(woman speaks foreign language)

Come, Lisa.

With more learning,
there'd be less fear, Keetah.

(melancholic music)

Ellie?

Ellie.

What's the matter?

Look at me.

What happened?

Hey!

I'm goin' to Martin's.

Martin's.

Martin's place, I'm goin'.

Come on, Sam.

If you beat your
daughter again, I'll take her

out of this house, I'll find
another home for her, right?

If he hits her again,
you let me know, okay?

Okay, come on in now, don't be a fool.

- This is my house!
- This is my parish!

[Wife] What'd you do that for anyway?

[Sam] This is my house.

[Wife] You're supposed
to respect, you know that.

[Sam] I still don't care, I
don't want him in my house.

♪ Last night I found a peanut ♪

♪ Found a peanut last night ♪

♪ Cracked it open, cracked it open ♪

♪ Cracked it open last night ♪

♪ Last night I cracked it open ♪

♪ Cracked it open last night ♪

♪ It was rotten, it was rotten ♪

♪ It was rotten last night ♪

♪ Last night it was rotten ♪

♪ It was rotten last night ♪

♪ Ate it anyway, ate it anyway ♪

♪ Ate it anyway last night ♪

♪ Last night I ate it anyway ♪

♪ Ate it anyway last night ♪

[Mark] My dear bishop.

I'm just beginning to separate
the people of Kwakiutl,

and see individuals.

Notice that there's a whole
life going on in each house.

In each face.

- Hi, David.
- Oh!

- Oh, you just made that?
- Yeah, I just made that.

That's a great seller, that.

Very good, you'll be rich. (Chuckles)

On special days, the men of Kwakiutl

fish for the whole village.

Each family gets its share.

These people have brought
me back to that feeling of family.

Something I've not had since I was a boy.

- Good fishing today.
- Good fishing.

Good luck.

Come, swimmer, I'm glad to
be alive now that we have come

to this good place where
we can play together.

Take this sweet food.

- How do you know that prayer?
- I read it in a book.

Your people call the halibut, old woman,

(speaks foreign language),
for they respect the salmon.

A swimmer.

But the swimmer always dies.

When they're born and tiny,

the current takes them downstream.

They fight it.

They go backwards trying to swim.

Then they turn and face their dangers,

then the current takes them to the sea.

Nobody knows where they go.

How far they go.

One day, their bodies tell 'em to go back.

They go back to where they were born.

They spawn and they die.

See?

They're dyin' now.

Still tryin' to swim.

But they'll die.

And the current will take
their bodies out to the sea.

Tail-first, like before.

It's sad.

Not sad, it's a life
of adventure, Keetah.

When the swimmer dies,
he's spent himself completely,

for the end he was
meant for, it's a triumph.

You belong to the salmon people.

You're a swimmer.

(melancholic music)

(chatter in foreign language)

- What's that?
- That means water.

- Water.
- Water.

(speaks foreign language)

(chatter in foreign language)

Yes! (Laughs)

That, stones, the rocks. (Bird calls)

(speaks foreign language)

What does it mean?

The raven.

Legend says that the raven stole the sun

from a chief who kept it in a box.

And he put it in the sky for us.

And the owl...

He calls your name
when you're going to die?

Yes, yes.

And when a child die in the olden days,

the mother would kick the body three times.

And say, "Don't look back.

"Don't turn your head.

"Walk straight on, you are
going to the land of the owl."

Most of our legends has death in them.

It's something we know about.

(dog barks)

- Hello, Marta.
- Hello.

Oh, that smells good.

- Is it ready?
- Yes.

Oh, wonderful.

Thank you.

You look pretty bad.

I'm no fisherman, Marta.

I'm no handyman about the house, either.

You going out tomorrow?

Yes, tomorrow I take the
boat to the other villages

and the logging camps.

Here.

For you.

To keep your head warm
when you're out in the boat.

Oh, thank you.

How do I look?

Exactly like an egg.

(both chuckle)

("Rock of Ages, Cleft For Me")

♪ Rock of ages, cleft for me ♪

♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

♪ From thy riven side which flowed ♪

♪ Be of sin the double cure ♪

♪ Cleanse me from its guilt and power ♪

♪ Not the labors of my hands ♪

♪ Can fulfill thy law's demands ♪

♪ Could my zeal no respite know ♪

♪ Could my tears forever flow ♪

♪ All for sin could not atone ♪

♪ Thou must save, and thou alone ♪

♪ Amen ♪

I don't see many Indians in this camp.

Can't figure of them.

They don't stay very long, you know?

What's your turnover with these men?

How many of them stay?

Two months?

One month?

Well...

How many of them take a look at this

and don't even stay one day?

We've got some good
strong boys at Kwakiutl.

You think about it.

("Amazing Grace")

(door creaks)

(baby cries)

Ever since the birth, she's
been bleeding and bleeding.

Couldn't get her out in our
boat because of the storm.

Sarah?

Sarah.

Your baby...

Is well.

Don't leave her, Sarah.

Your little girl is very well.

(Sarah speaks foreign language)

("Amazing Grace")

The owl has called her.

The almighty and merciful
lord grant you absolution

and remission of all your sins,

true repentance, amendment of life,

and the grace and
consolation of his holy spirit.

Amen.

(speaks foreign language)

(Jim laughs)

Jim, you have no manners.

You mean I'm not a
white man like the vicar.

Or like Gordon.

Gordon will always be Indian.

You don't know what
he does in Port Alberni.

What does he do?

He reads a lot.

Reads a lot?

He hasn't got time.

All the white girls are
chasing him. (Laughs)

The girls?

That's true, white girls
love to chase Indian boys.

And I don't blame them. (Chuckles)

(playful music) (children laugh)

Hey, hey!

Soccer isn't one of your sacraments, is it?

Now look, I've told you to
stay right away from my place.

I like a bit of peace
and quiet after school.

Doesn't anything sink in, Charlie?

David?

Your head gets harder every day.

You're all turning into totem poles.

You don't listen, what are you good for?

- Totem poles.
- Wait a minute.

I don't care what you
think about this place,

but your attitude is hurting these kids.

You wanna make them feel small, don't you?

You like them to be afraid,
they're not clowns, you know!

They're not your clowns,

and I won't have you
belittling them, not in my parish!

- Where's the ball?
- Right here!

Come on, come on.

(melancholic music)

You see?

In the old days,

they used to put a person's
best possession on the grave.

Eight years ago, this boat
went down and two men died.

We never found their
bodies, just this cabin.

So, it's their grave.

One of the men was Gordon's father.

The other was mine.

They died together.

But Gordon and I will
live together, so that

something of them will
still be alive in the village.

Yes.

("Amazing Grace")

My lord, thank you for
sending me to Kwakiutl.

In 10 months, the Indians have given me

a lifetime of learning.

I wonder what I give them in return.

(birds squawk)

More of them come to my
church, ask my help, share with me.

But there is still much
that is out of my reach.

I want to be able to touch each life,

because they've all touched mine.

(melancholic piano music)

Winter's come again and
I'm afraid it's slowed me down.

I'm a bit weak, tired.

The doctor in Tufina
says he needs more tests,

so I'll see him again soon.

Meanwhile, I pray for wisdom.

Young Gordon Hudson has come home,

and the village is different because of it.

They love him, but I think
they resent how he's changed.

And as they feared,

he's decided to leave the village for good.

And Keetah is going with him.

Keetah?

You'll be as lonely and
afraid in the city as I was

when I first came here.

But it passes.

It passes.

Here you are, David,
I'd like you to have these.

I've had some of them for
years, I don't suppose you'll

want to read them all now,
but I hope you will one day.

There's a couple of
Dickens, a copy of Vanity Fair,

Saint Augustine, Spinoza.

Thank you.

When will you be off?

Right after the Christmas holidays.

Well, David, I think you
made a very good choice.

And, uh...

I hope things work out very well for you.

Thank you.

You're proud of what
you're doing, are you?

Sending our children away.

I couldn't discourage him.

Going on to school will
give him the opportunity...

What is opportunity?

Opportunity is something
that can make change

a good thing.

You will destroy our village.

Those young people who
leave do not come back.

That's not so, George.

Please, let's have no bad feeling.

("Amazing Grace")

My lord.

Mark.

Marta has written me.

Marta?

Why didn't you tell me how ill you were?

Oh, it's nothing.

[Bishop] Yes, it is something.

No, really, it's nothing.

I've been meaning to have some more tests,

but I've been so busy.

Well, you will have...

You'll have some time to
yourself now, because...

Your work here...

Is over.

Over?

But I've just begun.

I can't leave now.

Mark.

When you were ill a year ago...

[Mark] I recovered, I'll recover again.

The doctors told me...

Please, my lord, let
me finish my work here.

You don't have time.

You're nearly out of time.

The doctors told me a year ago,

"The man should be active," they said,

"but it's a matter of time."

Mark, maybe I was
wrong not to have told you,

but that was my decision.

I'm just run down.

I could have kept you
with me in Vancouver.

But there was no family to consider.

Just this eager, young man who...

Who was running out of time. (Mark sighs)

And what could I do for him?

See, I felt this village was the
place where you could come

closest to life.

As I did.

I learned enough, Mark, about life here,

to be ready to die.

But I was here 10 years.

You've only had a year.

Was I wrong?

Yes.

You were wrong to send these people...

A dying man.

It isn't a dying race.

You've served them well, Mark.

And now, I want you to
come with me to Vancouver.

I want you to stay with me.

Give me till Christmas.

Let me have a Christmas here.

(man sings in foreign language)

George P's giving a
grandson his Indian name.

It's very important.

Do you have an Indian name?

(woman speaks foreign language)

Oh, that's pretty.

(dramatic percussive music)

(man sings in foreign language)

(group sings in foreign language)

My dear bishop.

I remember an old man from the village.

He'd been in the city and he'd come back.

And he said to me, "away
from here, I couldn't sleep.

"I couldn't eat.

"At night, I dreamt of
the sands of Kwakiutl,

"and I knew I had to return,

"for the village is the only
place where I know myself."

My lord, I look at these people
who know themselves so well,

who have a place where I have none,

and it tears me apart.

For already I am rehearsing
how to say goodbye to them.

(group sings in foreign language)

- Brian.
- Spencer.

Can your sacraments compete with theirs?

They don't have to,
Spencer, they don't have to.

(suspenseful music)

Marta?

I heard the owl.

[Marta] Yes.

It called my name.

Yes.

(suspenseful music)

(peaceful music) (birds squawk)

(dog barks)

(bell rings)

("Amazing Grace")

(knocks)

Hello!

Come in!

Goodness, what brings you back here?

Sit down, we'll have some coffee.

Are you alright?

I couldn't stay there in the city.

It wasn't my place.

What happened?

I want you to know that
I'm carrying Gordon's child.

I hope I am.

Is that so that he'll
have to come back here?

He'll never know about it.

But I want something of him
to be left alive in the village.

I know that, in your eyes,
what I've done is wrong.

And that I'm not welcome in the church.

No, Keetah, no, I'm not...

(church bell tolls)

♪ Silent night ♪

♪ Holy night ♪

♪ All is calm ♪

♪ All is bright ♪

♪ Round yon virgin ♪

♪ Mother and child ♪

♪ Holy infant ♪

♪ So tender and mild ♪

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪

Merry Christmas.

I like your Christmas tree, it's real nice.

Thank you. ♪ Silent night ♪

♪ Holy night ♪

- Merry Christmas, Keetah.
- Merry Christmas.

♪ All is calm ♪
- Merry Christmas.

It's such a precious
gift, the birth of Christ.

At this holy time, I'm so
thankful to be here with you.

I'm thankful, too, for everything,

that I've received from
each of you this year.

Last Christmas, I didn't know Kwakiutl.

I certainly couldn't pronounce

any of the words in your language.

Now I think I could probably
manage one or two. (Chuckles)

In my first sermon, I remember
talking to you about a boat,

that would carry your
children from the village

to the white man's world.

Well, I was wrong to talk that way.

I've learnt this year of the
strength of your life here.

I know it's not slipping away.

I know your children won't let it die.

What your children
are building is not a boat

that will carry them away,

but a bridge, so that they, and all people,

can go back and forth,
learning from each other.

Without fear.

(solemn organ music)

♪ Hark, the herald-angels sing ♪

♪ Glory to the newborn king ♪

♪ Peace on Earth and mercy mild ♪

♪ God and sinners reconciled ♪

♪ Joyful all ye nations rise ♪

♪ Join the triumph of the skies ♪

♪ With the angelic host proclaim ♪

♪ Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪

♪ Hark, the herald-angels sing ♪

♪ Glory to the new-born king ♪

(knocks)

Come in.

I know about your sickness.

I am chief of this village.

Marta is its grandmother.

We ask you to stay,
stay with us to the end.

This village is your
home, it is your place.

Thank you.

(suspenseful music)

My dear bishop.

I ask your permission to stay here.

I know I'll miss you.

You were like my father, my
whole family, for so many years.

Now my family is immense.

Every rock and tree.

Every bird and fish and bit of moss.

Here, we all seem to have
found our small place on Earth.

Thank you, my lord, for
sending me to Kwakiutl.

Are you going out?

Just a short trip in the boat.

[Jim] Should I come with you?

No, I'll be alright.

I hear you're building a new house.

Yes.

Who for?

For my family.

When I marry Keetah, her baby will be mine.

She's been to the city,
Jim, and it didn't work.

But she did reach out.

You take care of her.

Why are you telling me this?

Because I care for you both.

Are you sure you're okay?

Sure, I'm one of the salmon
people, remember. (Chuckles)

I'll be fine.

Oh, lord, whose days are without end,

and whose mercies cannot be numbered.

Make us so we beseech thee,

deeply sensible of the shortness

and uncertainty of human life.

And let thy holy spirit
lead us in righteousness

and holiness all our days.

That when we shall have
served thee in our generation,

we may be gathered unto our fathers.

(strong wind whistles)

Edgar.

The mission boat.

("Amazing Grace")