American Clay

Chris Jackson’s short film, American Clay, is a supernatural period thriller set in 1937. The film’s opening title sequence provides history regarding more than 4,000 Indigenous and mixed-race children who vanished from North America’s residential schools. One girl escaped in 1929, presumed dead, but after nine years of hiding, she returns to unearth the secret buried beneath the clay.

Our tale follows Bernice (Kaitlyn Jackson), a mixed-race 18-year-old with second sight who learns that the world believes she died a decade ago after escaping a residential school. In Los Angeles, she balances fleeting moments of possibility—she’s a talented dancer, prompting a screen test offer from a stranger—with arguments at home with her sister Ruth (Ella Taylor). She uncovers a dark family secret, realizing the school believed she was dead, but her visions continue to haunt her.

Two lawmen close in on Bernice in the suspenseful short film American Clay.

“One girl escaped in 1929, presumed dead, but after nine years of hiding, she returns to unearth the secret buried beneath the clay.”

In what appears to be a dream, Bernice is pursued through the forest by two men (Oliver Fredin and Patrick Perfetto) intent on silencing her. Bernice’s visions jump to her ancestral roots and the ceremonies of her people, almost as a sign of strength. To survive, she must run, hide, and ultimately fight, reclaiming both her life and the truth buried in blood and clay.

In American Clay, director Chris Jackson, working from a script by Aviv Rubinstein and Vi City, drops us into the dreamlike states of Bernice. Through quick edits, we are rushed through a spectrum of emotions—most powerfully the constant fear of being chased by the law. Set against her fear is the strength she feels from her ancestors.

American Clay is a beautifully crafted short film with fantastic performances from its cast, including Kaitlyn Jackson as its lead. In the end, it feels like there’s a bigger story brewing down the road.