Seagrass is a 2023 Canadian drama film, written and directed by Meredith Hama-Brown. Hama-Brown's full-length feature debut, the film stars Ally Maki as Judith, a woman who is at a family retreat with her husband Steve (Luke Roberts) and their children following the death of her mother, where she and Steve are coping with tensions in their marriage arising from their status as an interracial couple.
The cast also includes Nyha Huang Breitkreuz, Chris Pang, Sarah Gadon, Hannah Bos, Remy Marthaller, Benjamin Goas, Danielle Klaudt, Miles Phoenix Foley, Gabriel Carter, Kate Gajdosik, Sawyer Proulx, Milania Kerr, Kane Stewart, and Ava Kelders.
Distribution The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and also screened at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival, and the 2023 Atlantic International Film Festival.
Reception Seagrass has received positive reviews from film critics. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Emma Badame of That Shelf wrote that "Hama-Brown’s camera lingers on the gorgeous scenery that surrounds this family in turmoil, and the relentless pounding of the waves against the beaches and cliff faces adds a sense of tension and urgency that belies the tranquility of the rest of their surroundings. As the film finally reaches its climax, and the powder-keg of Judith’s emotion finally explodes, it’s devastating in its simplicity but also in its relatability. It’s clear that in fictionalizing this version of her own experiences and racial identity, the writer-director has struck on something potent and even slightly beautiful about family and parenthood, and the damage done by repeated, generational mistakes."
For Exclaim!, Rachel Ho wrote that "along with cinematographer Norm Li, Hama-Brown offsets the natural beauty of BC's Gabriola Island with an eerie sensibility that makes Seagrass feel like a horror film ripe with Dutch angles. The grain of the 35 mm film used adds to the '90s setting and produces an unrefined atmosphere akin to a home video, as if we've stumbled upon these private moments."Rachel Ho, "'Seagrass' Embraces the Chaos of Family Dynamics". Exclaim!, February 21, 2024.
The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023.
Awards Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Canadian Screen Awards 2024 Best Costume Design Athena Theny "BlackBerry Leads CSA Nominations". Northern Stars, March 6, 2024. Best Hair Isabelle Paganine Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 2023 Outstanding Canadian Feature Film Meredith Hama-Brown Directors Guild of Canada 2023 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award Festival du nouveau cinéma 2023 Prix de la diffusion Québécor Toronto International Film Festival 2023 FIPRESCI Prize Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2023 Best British Columbia Film Best British Columbia Director Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film Nyha Huang Breitkreuz Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film Chris Pang Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film Meredith Hama-Brown One to Watch
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