France TV wins award for documentary exposing horrors of colonialism in French Guiana

The documentary "Catholic Boarding Schools of French Guiana: The Wound" has been awarded the “Student Jury Medal” at the “World Revolutionaries” film festival in French Guiana, Report informs.

Produced by France TV, the film explores the little-known history of the “Homes Indiens”—Catholic boarding schools that operated in French Guiana from 1930 to 2023. Approximately 2,000 children, mostly from the indigenous Amerindian communities, were forcibly removed from their families and placed in these institutions, with the stated goal of assimilation into French society.

The documentary reveals that the children were only taught French language and history, while use of their native languages was strictly prohibited. Those who spoke their mother tongues were severely punished. This assimilation policy was part of a covert agreement between the French government and the Catholic Church, with the state funding the institutions under the pretense of providing social assistance.

One nun, Anne-Marie, recounts in the film that they were given direct orders to teach the children only in French. To legally fund the program—since social assistance was meant only for French citizens—the government registered many of the indigenous children as orphans, even though their families were alive.

The long-term psychological damage and cultural disconnection left deep scars. Survivors describe the experience as a haunting memory, a “nightmare that cannot be erased.”

Agnes, one of the few surviving victims now 94 years old, was taken to a boarding school at age 11 after her mother’s death. She says she has never fully recovered from the trauma of being torn from her village and identity. Another survivor, Kadi, lost all connection with her native Kalina language after years in the school and admits, “We used to sing songs, but we didn’t know what we were singing. We prayed, but didn’t know who we were praying to.”

The boarding school system, aimed at erasing indigenous identity through forced Christianization and language suppression, has been compared to similar colonial assimilation practices in Canada, Australia, and South Africa.

In September 2022, journalist Helene Ferrarini published a book exposing this hidden chapter of colonial violence. Her research contributed significantly to the awareness and discourse surrounding this issue.

Local indigenous associations now call the boarding schools a colonial crime and are demanding the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They argue that this would help address the intergenerational trauma and begin a healing process.

The film also uncovers that Amerindians were exploited as cheap labor during the construction of the Kourou spaceport, further underlining systemic abuse.

The full documentary is available to watch on the official France TV website until November 11, 2025, at the following link:
https://www.france.tv/france-5/la-case-du-siecle/7116110-pensionnats-catholiques-de-guyane-la-blessure.html.