| Details | (Canada, 2020, 105 min.)
Director: Loretta Sarah Todd (Cree/Métis)
Written by: Johnny Darrell and Andrew Duncan and Loretta Sarah Todd
In partnership with The Americas Film Festival New York, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian presents Monkey Beach as the closing film of the 2021 festival.
Waking up in her East Van apartment, Lisa (Grace Dove) is served notice by her cousin’s ghost (Sera-Lys McArthur): "Your family needs you." Reunited with her Haisla kin in Kitimaat Village, Lisa realizes that she’s meant to save her brother, Jimmy (Joel Oulette), from a tragic fate she’s foreseen since childhood. Of course, there’s also the matter of contending with the mystical creatures lurking in the nearby woods. And so begins a captivating allegory about learning to coexist with both the ghosts that haunt us and spirits who might enlighten us.
In bringing Eden Robinson’s beloved novel to the screen, Loretta S. Todd offers a modern epic underpinned by themes that have long defined heroic journeys. Todd’s first feature narrative unfolds through a thrilling array of temporal shifts and stylistic flourishes. A film about reconnection with the land, its denizens and the secrets it holds, Monkey Beach is also a testament to Indigenous women’s ability to not just endure trials but emerge from them empowered. For mature audiences. Contains some scenes of violence, strong language, and discussions of sexual violence.
Followed by a live-streamed Q&A with director Loretta Sarah Todd and actress Grace Dove at 6:30 p.m. accessible via TAFFNY’s outlets:
https://www.facebook.com/TAFFNY
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3-8ozt-UCQKYIUEhr_P3w
https://www.taffny.com/closing-night-film-2021
Program presented in cooperation with The Americas Film Festival New York (TAFFNY)-Closing Night.
Image credit: Ricardo Hubbs |
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