recent releases and hidden gems to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day • Journal • A Magazine • , Life in canada

Fire Song (2015)

Directed by Adam Garnet Jones

Queer cinema has come a long way for Indigenous people in Canada. From Adam Garnet Jones’ groundbreaking Fire Song to Gail Maurice’s Blood Lines, there has been a clear shift away from queer dysfunction towards broader themes of family and community.

Andrew Martin plays Shane in Fire Song, in a strong portrayal of hope against hopelessness. It’s now over a decade since the film’s premiere in 2015, when it brought the term “2 Spirit” into prominence—its darker edges were overcome by strong, supportive community screenings across Canada.

Fast forward to today, and in Blood Lines coexists a joyful love story between two young women and a tale of matriarchal reconciliation, with lead character Beatrice (Dana Solomon) holding the story together. Veteran actress Gail Maurice (Métis) directs another wonderful story, following her first first feature, the light-hearted Rosie.

Relationship complications within the queer couple come not from homophobia but from other factors. Maurice casts herself as Beatrice’s estranged mother, a pivotal role as the story opens up and reveals itself (with some very complicated twists).

Let’s leave the last word to Mannu: “It isn’t afraid to be funny, and this lightness is essential, because it keeps the film from sinking into the trauma porn that often plagues stories about addiction and abandonment. Instead, for most of the time it just feels like a slice of life and the community seems vibrant and comforting.”