Squamish Legends to be broadcast on CTV this fall

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Annie Frazier Henry has been conjuring up another special cinematic feat of magic while working with some new Aboriginal talent in the re-working of an ageless Squamish legend.

The award winning filmmaker, best known for her 1998 documentary, Singing Our Stories, recently finished shooting a half hour drama that will air on CTV this fall. Legends translates a timeless, rite-of-passage, Squamish Nation story about the origins of Vancouver's Siwash Rock into a gritty, urban coming-of-age story featuring a cast and crew of emerging Native talent.

"We auditioned 150 kids from all of the reserves in the area. Most of these kids had never done anything in front of the camera before, but they were great," said Frazier Henry, who produced, directed and wrote the script.

Several members of the production team were involved in the project under the auspices of the National Film Board's Aboriginal training program.

Previews of the rough cut demonstrate veteran actor, Dakota House's, (North of 60) formidable talents.

"He really kept the young talent pumped," she said. "We rehearsed a lot, but I think a lot of these kids have lived these parts. They were drawing on their real life experiences."

The story centres on a young Native couple struggling to prepare for unexpected parenthood. House plays Andrew, the young father-to-be, who's trying to support his teen bride by working at a carwash. Faced by overwhelming challenges, including the ridicule of his friends, Andrew turns to his traditional roots in trying to prepare for his new role as a father. He performs a shokwem - a Coast Salish water purification ritual - and during the anxious pre-birth hours he confronts the ethereal spirits of Elders while swimming to Siwash Rock.

While Frazier Henry is hopeful broadcasters will want to use Legends as a pilot for a short series employing multi-tribal myths, she said the most rewarding part about creating the show, which may also screen as a short in the Vancouver Film Festival, was the opportunity for inter-generational work on the set.

Legends is narrated in part in the Squamish language by 90-year-old Chief Simon Baker. Frazier Henry praised Baker's performance.

"It was an honor and a tribute to his everlasting strength and wisdom. Being able to work with so many young people and so many Native people - the cast and crew - was great. Now some of them are working together on other projects and it was a great opportunity to facilitate that initial meeting. This was a cross-generational experience that spanned 100 years."

The Vancouver shoot wrapped during the first week of May and is currently being edited for release in September. One of the scenes required a lot of technical special effects on and under the water in recreating a vision sequence. Tom "Sparky" Archer (Highlander) was behind the special effects.

"He was really into this. This [The Siwash Rock vision sequence] is a different use for special effects. You're not blowing anybody up and no one dies in the story. It was an awesome all-night shoot with a full moon and the right tides. It was very spiritual."

She added she's hoping to open the story with the song 'Temptation' performed by Canada's rap sensation the RASKALZ.

"They're trying to reach out to Native youth and this would be a welcome venue for them."

Frazier Henry, of Blackfoot and Sioux descent, and a founder of the Native Cultural and Theatre Arts society, lives on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. Currently, she's working on a comedic feature film script, and she may direct an hour-long PBS drama entitled Grace. The story takes place in an orphanage during the 1950s. She's also co-producing a documentary on adoption that will be done in the Sto:lo language.

Frazier Henry's not fazed by the challenges of balancing the diverse hats of producer, director and writer.

"It's a survival skill. If you want to work in Canada, it's often a necessity. Hopefully the producer, the writer and the director get alon."

Legends is produced by Full Regalia and Omni Film Productions in co-production with the National Film Board.