Hank Williams First Nation

I had a great time watching this movie. I do wish that I spoke Cree, or that I would have brought a Cree speaker with me. There is a scene where it would have been handy. You can infer what the conversation is about, but the woman beside me was killing herself laughing and I only had a little chuckle at the parts of the conversation that were in English. The acting in this film is superior for the most part. However, there was one role that I would re-cast if it was up to me -- the teacher. Her acting was poor and actually quite distracting, but I am sure that it was well intended. Her role in general was a little confusing. There seemed to be some inconsistencies around her character. That said, Sorensen did an excellent job capturing the spirit of the north, and Da Silva (especially) brought his words to life. I laughed and almost cried. Support this Canadian gem; you will not be disappointed.

No smoking No swearing No belittling sarcasm No drinking No angry temper-tantrums No hurtful put-downs No forcing change No judgmental discrimination No grad dress No Hank Williams No subtitles for the Man Speaking Cree

This movie flows like water over rocks in clear air. It has strength and resilience because of events which occur before the film begins, during the film, and after the film closes. It carries us along for a time with the lives of these people, and provides us with a hopeful promise of a new tomorrow at the same time recognizing the enormous impact of a far-reaching past. The characters maintain their integrity throughout. The Music is also Great!

First off, let me say this movie was wonderful and beautiful and I'd recommend it everyone! No sex, no violence, no sensationalism...what a refreshing relief!

Like one or two have posted, at the time of viewing the movie, I at first thought I'd have liked to have known what the local politician was saying in Cree. However, I realized that not knowing added to the magic of the film.

Writer/director Aaron Sorensen (as well as Gordon Tootoosis and Colin Van Loon) spoke after the screening in Vancouver, and said they had intended that scene to be spoken in English, but it just wasn't working during the shoot. He told the actor to say it all in Cree, and it's just a delightful scene! I'm glad they didn't give subtitles, because it was a joy watching the interaction between the characters, and listening to the "feeling" of the exchange. Sorry -- hard to put into words!

As it turns out, amazingly the script is on the movie's website. There, the scene is given in the original English. When I saw it I was about to read it. Couldn't bring myself to do it!

Of all the beautiful poetry I've read in my life, and all the movies I've scene, I've almost never had one line stand out so powerfully:

""We might not be through with the past, but the past is through with us" ~~ Spoken by "Sarah" (Stacy Da Silva)

After the film, Aaron Sorensen said that both the DVD and the CD should be out later this year. Keep an eye out for it! You won't be disappointed.

Linda

At A Theatre Near You! By Larry Chartrand of Lakeland Video Productions

Hank Williams First Nation Comedy Drama, rated PG. 92 minutes in length. A Canadian Film produced in Alberta. Directed by Aaron James Sorensen, starring Stacy Da Silva as Sarah Fox, a grade 12 valedictorian, and Sarah's grandfather, Adelard Fox, played by Gordon Tootoosis.

This movie goes against the Hollywood style and is totally Canadian. Without giving away the story, a boy and his uncle leave their northern Alberta reserve bound for Nashville in search of the truth. Is Hank Williams Senior really dead?

We are drawn into a world of parallels, that is more the focus of this film, than its' title. The different scenes that play out are bundled together with the common theme of young and old, as seen from a native point of view. Hank senior & Hank III, a cow moose with her calf, Adelard raising his granddaughter Sarah, dilapidated vehicles next to shiny new trucks, Sarah yearning for her paternal mother, to name only a few parallels. I was lost at one point in the movie, when about 5 minutes played out in Cree language, with no translation. There was obvious humor, because the Cree audience was laughing, but I had no clue. I later realized, what a brilliant way to make a statement.

The story line itself is solid and develops into a good ending, yet leaves the viewer with a lot of questions. Is Hank senior dead? What happens to the cow moose? Where are the traditions? These truths don't affect every ones lives on the surface, but they are important to individuals. As I said, the real story lies hidden in the parallels. The conflict is between old and new, the modern versus traditional.

This film is fun to watch, will likely get you thinking, and now that you know what to watch for, you can count up how many parallels there are. 3 ½ Stars out of 5.

There's a joke or two about "Indian time" in this movie, but in reality, the whole movie moves in "Indian time". Conversations are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Altman's overlapping dialog. Here a character speaks and the other characters pause for a couple of seconds thinking about what's been said before making the next comment. It's all very unhurried and laconic. For example, at one point we here on the radio, "So that's your forecast . . . It's cold today . . It'll be cold tomorrow . . . It'll probably get colder after that. But this here's February, so what'd you expect?" The music is terrific, but I don't think any actual Hank Williams' songs are used. Everyone talks about playing Hank Williams, but somehow it never seems to happen on camera. All of the characters in this film are so real, that by the end you feel like you've spent a week getting to know your cousin's neighbors in a town you've never visited before. You should also be aware that the quest to visit Hank Williams' grave is not really the centerpiece of the movie. The movie mostly takes place in the Cree Nation community it starts in. The quest is mostly there to give the locals something to talk about. I was deeply moved, to the point of tears, by this movie.