Monkey Beach

This screening took place on Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 8:00 pmYukon Arts Centre

In bringing Eden Robinson’s beloved novel to the screen, Loretta Sarah Todd offers us a modern epic underpinned by themes that have long defined heroic journeys.

Waking up in her East Van apartment nursing another hangover, Lisa (Grace Dove) is served notice by her cousin’s ghost (Sera-Lys McArthur), "Your family needs you." Reunited with her Haisla kin in Kitamaat Village, she realizes that she’s meant to save her brother (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.

Loretta 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.

- VIFF

In Haisla and English with English subtitles

Recommended for ages 12+. Some mature subject matter, language, drinking and smoking.

Screens with: A Golden Voice Dir. Jenn Strom, Patrick Shannon, 2021, BC, 5 mins

It's been over 20 years since the work of one of Canada’s most iconic Haida artists: Bill Reid, has been explored on film. Featuring playful visual effects and pristine new footage of Reid’s jewelry and sculptures, this short illuminates the artist’s creative journey and coincides with his 100th birthday. WORLD PREMIERE.