Portraits from a Fire is a Canadian comedy-drama film, directed by Trevor Mack and released in 2021.Marsha Lederman, "VIFF 2021: Indigenous filmmakers are here to teach, and be taught, long-lost language lessons". The Globe and Mail, September 30, 2021. The first narrative feature film written and directed by a Tsilhqot'in filmmaker, the film stars William Magnus Lulua as Tyler, an amateur filmmaker living with his father Gord (Nathaniel Arcand) on a Tsilhqotʼin reserve in northern British Columbia, whose life is upended following the revelation of a long-hidden family secret.Fish Griwkowsky, "Portraits from a Fire lights up the 35th annual Edmonton International Film Festival". Edmonton Journal, September 28, 2021.
The cast also includes Asivak Koostachin as Aaron, as well as Sammy Stump, Pauline Bob-King, Melanie Bobby, Leighton Bingham, Kacin Hance and Crystal Harry in supporting roles.
Production The film was shot in 2019 on Tl'etinqox-t'in territory around the community of Anaham.Patrick Davies, "Mack wraps up shooting Portraits From A Fire". Williams Lake Tribune, September 4, 2019.
Mack has indicated that the film was inspired by a desire to tell a First Nations story that had nothing to do with colonialism or the Indian residential school system, as well as by a desire to reclaim the Tsilhqot’in language, which during his early life was typically spoken by people in the community only when they needed to discuss something they did not want their children to hear or understand.
Many of the supporting roles in the film are performed by local residents of Anaham rather than professional actors.
Distribution The film had its official theatrical premiere on October 3, 2021 at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival,Craig Takeuchi, "Vancouver International Film Festival returns to cinemas for 40th-anniversary edition". The Georgia Straight, September 8, 2021. although it was screened on the online platforms of the 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film FestivalColleen Romaniuk, "Cinéfest Sudbury unveils its 2021 program; will follow a hybrid format". Sudbury Star, August 26, 2021. and the FIN Atlantic Film FestivalJordan Parker, "FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival films to watch". Halifax Today, September 15, 2021. in September.
It was also selected as the opening film of the 2021 Edmonton International Film Festival, and was screened at the 2021 ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival,"imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival returns to Toronto with in-person, virtual events". Toronto.com, September 16, 2021. and the 2021 American Indian Film Festival.
It premiered commercially on November 1.Kelly Townsend, "Photon Films acquires Trevor Mack’s coming-of-age drama". Playback, October 6, 2021.
Critical response Alisha Mughal of Exclaim! rated the film 8/10, writing that "Wachell's cinematographic storytelling is equally complemented by Mack's endlessly interesting telling of Tyler's past: his mother appears to Tyler as though she were a figure on a damaged VHS tape, her face constantly on the edge of comprehension. At times, Tyler veritably steps into her story as though stepping onto a film's set. This blurring of the line between reality and representations of reality, vague memories you think are yours, do a brilliant job of showing the story without telling and without belabouring the point. Ultimately, Mack shows in his visual style how the past really is passed down through bloodlines so it becomes intuition, how generational pain will survive until someone does something about it, how secrets kept hurt more than the truth ever can, and how art can save so many lives."Alisha Mughal, "'Portraits from a Fire' Is a Spellbinding Debut". Exclaim!, November 11, 2021.
Jim Slotek of Original Cin rated the film B+, writing that "Portraits From a Fire is a sweet movie, with flashes of digital artiness, some dark moments and nicely drawn characters with a shared wry sense of humour. The location shoot, the Tl'etinqox (Anaham) Reserve, adds to the atmosphere with its lived-in reality. There’s a working-class hominess to it that could stand for small towns anywhere in Canada. Except this one’s called a 'rez'."Jim Slotek, "Portraits From a Fire: A Teen Rez Film Auteur Finds His Focus in a Sweet, Subtle, Imaginative Tale". Original Cin, November 8, 2021.
For the National Post, Chris Knight rated the film 3.5/5, writing that "Portraits from a Fire boasts some superb production values in the larger film, but wrapped around a simple, heartfelt tale that is clearly close to the heart of its 29-year-old director. Tyler may mispronounce the name of the French film festival as “Khan-ness,” but Mack surely knows how to say it. And I wouldn’t be surprised to run into him there one day."Chris Knight, "Portraits From a Fire review: The kid making the picture stays in the picture". National Post, November 10, 2021.
Awards Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result American Indian Film Festival 2021 Best Director Trevor Mack Vincent Schilling, "American Indian Film Festival: 126 films, 30 nominees, 6 winners". ICT, November 7, 2021. Best Supporting Actor Asivak Koostachin CAFTCAD Awards 2022 Best Costume Design in an Independent Feature Florence Barrett Directors Guild of Canada 2021 DGC Discovery Award Trevor Mack "TV & Film News – DGC reveals Discovery Award long list of emerging directors to watch". Broadcast Dialogue, September 23, 2021. Edmonton International Film Festival 2021 Best Canadian Feature Film Portraits from a Fire Adam Laskaris, "New Indigenous comedy-drama hits theatres in November". Windspeaker, October 27, 2021. Indiescreen Awards 2022 Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award Trevor Mack, Kate Kroll, Rylan Friday Victoria Ahearn, "Anand Ramayya among winners at 16th annual Indiescreen Awards". Playback, February 14, 2022. Leo Awards 2022 Best Picture Victoria Ahearn, "Portraits From a Fire among big Leo Award winners". Playback, July 12, 2022. Best Director Trevor Mack Best Cinematography Kaayla Wachell Best Costume Design Florence Barrett Best Editing Elad Tzadok Best Musical Score Conan Karpinski, Andrew Dixon Best Sound Matt Drake, Nolan McNaughton Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2021 Best British Columbia Film Portraits from a Fire Dana Gee, "The Power of the Dog named year's best feature by Vancouver Film Critics Circle". Vancouver Sun, March 8, 2022. One to Watch Trevor Mack Vancouver International Film Festival 2021 Best BC Emerging Filmmaker
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