Hair of the Bear: Movie Review

A story of self-survival with extreme violence.

Tori (Malia Baker), a teenager dealing with past trauma and mental health issues, is being driven by her mother to her grandfather’s remote cabin. Tori can’t handle school, her mother can’t handle her, so she’s off to live with grandfather in the woods of Manitoba where hopefully she can learn any type of life skill. Grandfather Ben (Roy Dupuis) is a fantastic character. He’s not just a gruff older conservative, he’s also patient and empathetic. The perfect combination of self-sufficient and understanding.		2025 Directed by: James McLellan, Alexandre Trudeau Screenplay by: Alexandre Trudeau, James McLellan Starring: Malia Baker, Roy Dupuis

Nika & Madison: Movie Review

Two women take on the racist law enforcement.

Nika & Madison, two cousins and former best friends from the First Nations reserve, are brought back together when Madison is sexually assaulted by a white cop and Nika comes to her rescue, only for the two to have to go on the run when they realize their word means nothing with the entire system rigged against them. It’s a drama about racial injustices and how many women are suffering on their own.		2025 Directed by: Eva Thomas Screenplay by: Michael McGowan, Eva Thomas Starring: Ellyn Jade, Star Slade

Ice Skater (AKA: The Drift): Movie Review

At the edge of the world and believability.

Ice Skater pairs the simplicity of the beauty of the arctic with the harsh realities of surviving in the arctic. There is only one actor on screen, and there is only one plotline: survive. I am slightly over-simplifying it, but to make it clear, the entire movie is one person, Emily (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) vs nature. Emily is stranded alone an ice floe which broke off of a glacier and is now slowly drifting south.		2026 Directed by: Taavi Vartia Screenplay by: Taavi Vartia Starring: Thea Sofie Loch Næss