National Canadian Film Day returns this year on April 16 celebrating the best in Canadian film past and present. Across the country, Canadians can take in a free screenings of classic CanCon such as C.R.A.Z.Y. and Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen, as well as some recent bangers like Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story and Bergers (Shepherds).
Special guests participating in CanFilmDay this year include North of North creators Stacey Aglok-MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, as well as the show's star Anna Lambe, plus actors/filmmakers Sook-Yin Lee and Cody Lightning.
As is becoming tradition for CanFilmDay, Exclaim! has compiled a list of five Canadian directors whose narrative feature debuts made us feel joy, sadness and everything in between. These are filmmakers who have brought something to the table that will create a better Canadian film landscape.
It's a precarious time for our country and CanFilmDay will be an excellent way support our cultural and artistic contributions to the world of film. So stand up for Canada by sitting down and watch a great Canadian film.
Find an event near you to take in Canadian cinema, or simply hunker down and pop up your favourite Canadian movies on April 16 and beyond. Elbows up, baby!
Ian Harnarine, Doubles
(VOD/Digital)
Food engenders a uniquely visceral bond to our culture and families — something filmmaker Ian Harnarine impresses upon his audience in the heartfelt Doubles. Starring Sanjiv Boodu as a young Trini street vendor seeking a change in his life and career, he attempts to reconnect with his estranged father who migrated to Toronto. Harnarine eloquently weaves a story together about hardship, familial challenges and the bonds created in the name of food.
Harnarine's attention to detail and eye for capturing the love and richness on our plates recall Ang Lee's ability to make food a well-rounded and significant character in his films. The story itself isn't an autobiographical tale, but Harnarine establishes a personal touch throughout the film.
Kaniehtiio Horn, Seeds
(VOD/Digital)
Funny and thrilling all at once, Kaniehtiio Horn's Seeds brings the home invasion subgenre into the Kanienʼkehá:ka community. Horn stars in the film as Ziggy, a budding social media influencer whose housesitting assignment turns into a battle over her family's crops.
The actor from Letterkenny and Reservation Dogs uses her comedic sensibilities to their fullest in the film, bringing a biting wit to serious issues like colonization, the insidious side of "influencing" and the environment. Horn told Exclaim! last year that she was "fucking angry" at the state of the world, and Seeds certainly comes with a side of rage. Horn impresses with the ability to bring levity to the darkness in a manner that emphasizes the challenges within.
The Yukon Film Society will be screening Seeds at the Yukon Theatre in Whitehorse on April 16 as part of CanFilmDay. Find more information here.
Maryse Legagneur, The Last Meal (Le dernier repas)
(VOD/Digital)
I discovered Maryse Legagneur's The Last Meal (Le dernier repas) only a couple months ago as part of the Kingston Canadian Film Festival and was floored by not only the film, but by the fact that it had gone under the radar, at least in English Canada.
The film stars Marie-Evelyne Lessard as Vanessa, a young woman living in Montreal who discovers that her estranged father, Reynold (Gilbert Laumord), has been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. In an effort to repair their relationship, Vanessa tries to make her father's favourite Haitian meals. During her visits to the hospital, Reynold recounts his life in Haiti, including his violent and traumatic incarceration.
Legagneur effectively offers audiences two films for the price of one: a daughter struggling to forgive her dying father for his treatment of her and her mother; and a historical drama about one of history's darkest chapters. It's an ambitious undertaking that Legagneur fulfills with precision and heart.
Ally Pankiw, I Used to Be Funny
(Crave / Hoopla / VOD/Digital)
Combining forces with one of Hollywood's (and in many ways, Canada's) emerging talents, Ally Pankiw's dark comedy I Used to Be Funny explores the psyche and life of a young comedian, Sam played by Rachel Sennott, following a traumatic event.
Pankiw relays Sam's mindset going back and forth between past and present, revealing fragments of why Sam eventually breaks down. There's a sophistication in how Pankiw handles the subject matter and projects it cinematically that betrays a debut effort. Sennott's performance buoys Pankiw's direction, and vice versa — the two work together in an incredible tandem that creates an assured and confident film.
D.W. Waterson, Backspot
(Crave / Hoopla / VOD/Digital)
Backspot became an unexpected favourite last year, simply because I wasn't expecting myself to resonate so deeply with a movie about high school cheerleading. D.W. Waterson's film so viscerally brings their audience back to high school, with all the insecurities and core memories, with Devery Jacobs playing Riley, a member of a competitive cheerleading team. Backspot journeys with the team as they approach their latest meet, exploring the politics and inner workings of the team.
While the cheerleading sequences and team dynamics take centre focus, Waterson struck a particular chord with their rendering of Riley's relationship with her mother. The variety of emotional notes Waterson plays with generates a tune that many of us will feel to our core as both heartbreaking and sentimental. The filmmaker balances the quiet with the pomp to deliver a thoughtful and fabulous addition to the coming-of-age canon.
Backspot will be screening at the Toronto Public Library Sanderson Branch on April 16 as part of CanFilmDay, find more information here.