Gail Maurice, Tamara Podemski, Dana Solomon, Melanie Bray Star in ‘Blood Lines’ Indigenous Drama (Exclusive)

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As a gamer with a keen eye for Indigenous representation in media, I am genuinely thrilled about the latest project, Blood Lines. Having grown up in a world dominated by pixels and virtual realms, it’s heartening to see real-life stories like these being brought to life on the big screen.

Actor Tamara Podemski, along with Dana Solomon and Melanie Bray, are featured in the Indigenous drama titled Blood Lines, which has recently completed filming in northern Ontario. They share the screen with writer-director Gail Maurice.

Maurice took charge of writing, directing, and producing her second feature film. Previously, she showcased her acting skills on TV series such as Cardinal, Barkskins, and Trickster. Her first feature, titled Rosie, which was an extension of a previous short film with the same name, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2022. This movie was included in TIFF’s year-end list of Canada’s Top Ten films that year, and it also won the Audience Choice Award at the ImagineNATIVE Film Festival the same year.

In “Blood Lines,” Maurice assumes the character of Leonore, a mother who’s been away, whose return disrupts the life of Beatrice (Solomon), a determined Métis woman who works at a grocery store and spins tales. Derica Lafrance portrays Chani, a captivating figure who makes her way into the lives of Beatrice and Leonore, while Podemski steps into the role of Pehmee.

The movie titled “Blood Lines” takes place in the modest Métis settlement of Wapamon Sipi and features Margaret Maurice, Mary Burnouf, and Bertha Durocher as its main actresses. Notably, these three actresses, along with Maurice, converse in the native Indigenous language of Michif within this independent film production.

Maurice pointed out that there are fewer than 1,140 individuals worldwide who speak Michif, and he’s one of them. He views language as a reflection of culture and personal identity. By incorporating his language into his films, he aims to educate people about the continued existence of our community, or more simply, to raise awareness.

She collaborated on the creation of “Blood Lines” alongside Paula Devonshire and Jamie Manning. This movie is set to be distributed theatrically in Canada by Elevation Pictures, who have Teddy Schwarzman of Black Bear as a financial backer. Meanwhile, Crave and CBC have already secured broadcasting rights for the film before its release.

Financing for the Canadian film came from Telefilm Canada, The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, Canada Media Fund, Indigenous Screen Office, Ontario Creates and Ontario and federal Canadian film tax credits.

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2024-10-04 19:55