Based on a Cree family's true story, Silent Tears is a gripping drama that chronicles a very tough northern winter for nine-year-old Anne, her parents and siblings. Hunger sets in when her father, Roger, becomes sick and can no longer tend the trapline. When a horrendous tumour begins growing on the back of his neck, Anne's mother, Sarah, has to operate to remove it and save his life.

While Sarah cares for Roger and the younger children, Anne takes on more responsibility, checking the traps herself.

Eventually Roger is cured and he burns the tumour so that its terrible effects will never again be visited on the family. As Anne watches the fire consume the source of her father's pain, she discovers an appreciation for the mystery of the natural world and recognizes the rebirth symbolized by the ritual fire.

In Cree (with English subtitles) and English.