A movie that was partly filmed in Greenwood is having its world premiere this week in Toronto.
How We Stand (which was originally titled Tombs) is screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. The plot synopsis reads:
“Inspired by true events, How We Stand weaves together the story of three sisters and their mother who travel across the country for the promise of a better life. When the mother is unexpectedly killed after they arrive in Los Angeles, the sisters are abruptly separated tearing the family apart. After losing contact with each other for many years they somehow are drawn together to the place where they lost their mother and were originally separated … the old concrete waterways of Los Angeles known as The Tombs.”
The movie was written and directed by Marie Clements and stars Amber Midthunder, Cara Jade Myers, Eric Johnson, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Isabel DeRoy-Olson, Gary Farmer, and Gil Bellows.
A review of the movie appeared this week in Indiewire, where Marya E. Gates gave the film a B+ and described it as an “ambitious effort that … seeks to examine hidden and violent sociopolitical aspects of recent Indigenous history through a deeply personal lens.”
In an interview with Vista Radio last year, Clements said Greenwood would stand in for Oklahoma and Los Angeles.
Asked why she chose Greenwood, Clements replied “Why not Greenwood? We went on a location scout and kind of fell in love with Greenwood. It’s a bit of a time capsule with these beautiful buildings that really spoke to us and we wanted to put that on screen.”
Clements, who lives on Galiano Island but works in Vancouver, said it is just coincidence that Greenwood was one of the principal locations for Snow Falling on Cedars, filmed in 1998.
It’s not clear when the movie might see a wide release or if any screenings are planned in BC.
