At age thirty-five, Gil Cardinal searches for his natural family and an understanding of the circumstances that led to his coming into foster care as an infant. Foster Child is a documentary--unstaged and unrehearsed--about the process of that discovery, beginning with his fruitless attempt to see his own file. In his search, Gil encounters frustration and loss, but eventually finds his natural family and a renewed sense of his Métis culture.

Awa Gil Cardinal, kâkî nihtawikit apihtawkosisân iskwewah eki okâwiyit mâka mônîyâwah eki ohpikîhikot. Espehtîhtâkosit awa Gil Cardinal nistam wîya kâkî osîhtât cikâscepeyikana. Eki cikâstepayihsot kospî kânitonawât okâwiyah ekwa eki nohte kiskeyitahk tanihki kâke otiniht, ekâ ka kî ohpihîkot okâwiya. Ewako ôma cikâscepeyihcikanis kâ kî osîhtât mistahi eki tehtamihk ota kitaskînahk ekwa mina misôwe akâmaskehk. Mistahi kîh kîspinatam ôma ohci kâmâmiskôtahk môniyaw esehcikewin kamaskamiht nehiyaw ocawâsimisah, kih mîyâw Special Jury Prize at Banff ekwa michet kotakah kispinacikewina. “Ohpikihâkan” ôma kâsehkâtek ciskâscepeyihcikanis mistahi kisteyhtâkwan ôta ohci kâkânatahk. Namoya awîyak piskwac kâhke osîhtaw katisk Gil Cardinal itwew writer ekwa broadcaster Jesse Wente, kospe Director of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office. Wîya Gil kihiyinamâkonaw kanôkôhtâyahk kitâcimôwinananah cikâstepeyiwinihk, ewako oski ispihteyehtâkosôwin.