Kayak to Klemtu

My partner and I enjoyed this film a lot. While slightly formulaic, the story is about much more than spreading somebody's ashes. The film is about a character's rediscovery of their past, their connection to a place, and their spirituality. The spreading of ashes is simply the premise or vehicle that gets the characters started on their quest (a plot device, if you will). Anybody who has ever questioned their place in their own life journey or who has felt connected (or wanted to) with nature will appreciate the soft and touching story here.

Had to watch it in class, this movie's plot it literary the characters going to spread their uncles ashes. Their is literally nothing keeping you watching the movie, and Lorne Cardinal's acting was so bad, it was cringy. Only reason. I watched it was cause I was forced to.

I dunno if this is ethical - & I'm not even sure that I care - but having just seen this beautifully-shot & highly affecting lil gem for the 2nd time, I must take issue with any reviewer who goes out of their way to trash it with such unaccountable "HATE" that I cannot in good conscience leave undebated..

(To do so would feel like a crime - & I ain'T the criminal here!)

Course, this film has a very clear - REAL LIFE - premise - one that's close to my heart, being a born-&-bred BCer whose BF is back in my good books BECAUSE he made a point of hitting 'Record' specially for me (unaware I'd seen it once before).

But I happily watched it again - not least since the film's salient points (eg. 1st Nations' gallant fight to defend Earth's last-bastion biôme of unspoiled nature in its rarely-seen prime VS. #BigOil's Goliathan irreversible harms) are even more prescient today..

Presented in a pared-down plot-line tightened by the urgency of kayaking-to-the-hearing-on-time, the viewer's put smack in the midst of a family's dynamics, like one of the characters. This sense of immediacy - of being among real people on an important mission - is heightened by the true-to-life authenticity of uncanny actors, along with masterful camerawork that keeps us closely feeling everything, intimately. Such an inspired departure from Hollywood-fake is, for me, a breath of fresh air..

As is Ta'kaiya Blaney's innate portrayal of Ella, the 14-year-old tasked by her recently-deceased fond uncle to speak out against oil tankers travelling the Inlet: feisty yet down-to-earth - sings like an angel - & proves her uncle's wisdom choosing her as Klemtu's eloquent defender..

Equally award-worthy is the cinematography, for capturing with breathtaking clarity the unimaginably wondrous beauty of BC's coastal waters & biodiverse shores - with heart-stopping views of native wildlife, like the herd of honking sea lions, that amplify Nature's unequivocal case (/DIVINE RIGHT) in this fight VS. Humans' lesser instincts: we're made a part of their sacred trip, setbacks & all, holding my rapt attention start to end..

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[It's telling that the "extreme hate" reviewer repeatedly mentions a character that doesn't even exist: I.e. There's no "teacher" portrayed in this movie!! - proving they barely saw what they were watching, yet managed to work up a nasty hating frenzy that actually rec'd 6 'likes' by fellow sellouts: SAD]