Position: production designer, 1st assistant
director, art director, boom
operator
Synopsis
Tkaronto
is a reflective and provoking exploration of two
Aboriginal 30-somethings, Ray and Jolene, who make
an unexpected connection at the pinnacle of a
common struggle: to stake claim to their urban
aboriginal identity.
Ray Morin, A Métis writer,
is in Tkaronto (the original Mohawk word for
“Toronto”) to pitch his TV series, Indian Jones.
This looks to be his big break. The only problem is
Ray’s growing disdain for TV execs who are more
motivated by ticking off the Aboriginal box and
tapping into “hot” Aboriginal funding than they are
genuinely interested in the project itself. Ray
feels caught between a rock and a hard place as his
non-aboriginal wife puts the pressure on for him to
take the job.
Jolene Peltier, an Anishnabe
painter, is in Tkaronto conducting interviews for a
series of portraits on prominent Aboriginal people.
When Elder Max Cardinal gives her an eagle feather
and sweetgrass, it confirms her deep-seated feeling
that she should walk a spiritual path. But can
walking this path mean the end of her relationship
with her husband who seems utterly disinterested in
Jolene’s newfound spiritual calling?
For Ray and
Jolene, home feels very far away. And having this
chance meeting with each other only raises a
difficult question: would their questions of
identity be answered if they were together?
Tkaronto is the debut feature film from Métis
writer-director Shane Belcourt.
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