Luna: Spirit of the Whale

I saw this movie 2007Apr18 at the Toronto Sprockets fest. Its a kids/family movie and I'm not a kid so I can't give you the kid's point of view. As an adult I found it better than most Disney stuff but nothing amazing. I liked the story (without giving much away is about a human spirit in an Orca whale). It was unique and seemed authentic. There is also parallel story which doesn't invoke any sea mammals. I sometimes felt I was watching an episode of the Beachcombers -- but maybe all dramas set in the Canadian West coast will have that feel for some viewers. This is meant to be a criticism. All in all this is a film most families will like.

Having worked very closely with the First Nations people along the Remote Coast of British Columbia, I really enjoyed this story. The Mowachaht / Muchalaht people are very welcoming and open as well as very much into their history and culture. Mike Maquinna is very accurately portrayed towards the end of the film with the way he is in real life. He has a true passion for his people and is one of the most level-headed and down to earth chiefs that I have ever met. Anyone who is interested in learning about First Nations culture, beliefs, and values, this is a must see. I gave it a nine simply because it would have been nice to see a little bit more of the culture of the people and use this as even more of an educational film. One of Luna's favorite things was to follow the vessel Uchuck III, and it would have been good to see that in there a little bit more along the coast up into Yuquot (Friendly Cove). Other than that, I'd say it's a great story and would highly recommend it!