Los Angeles, CA – December 11, 2018 – ‘KAYAK TO KLEMTU’ – Now streaming on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Qqazj4.
Directed by Zoe Hopkins (Mohawk Midnight Runners) and written alongside Michael Sparaga (Servitude), KAYAK TO KLEMTU is a family adventure centered on environmentalism, grief and the importance of ancestry. Universally engaging and embedded with powerful ecological and familial bonding messages, KAYAK TO KLEMTU explores the Indigenous language, culture, lands and people, uncovering and connecting with a past history they never knew.
“The characters grapple with intensely relevant issues such as the threats faced by First Nations and the struggle for people to find their identity amongst the rapidly changing cultural signposts of modern living, but ultimately they are grounded in the universal aspects of the human experience: Bravery, loss, family, forgiveness. I feel movies like this, with a strong sense of purpose, are the best ones to tell to cut through the unpredictable and tumultuous waters of today’s cluttered market,” stated Producer, Daniel Bekerman (The Witch) to Playback.
Traveling down the choppy waters of the Inside Passage, along the shores of the beautiful Great Bear Rainforest, KAYAK TO KLEMTU follows 14-year-old Ella (Ta’Kaiya Blaney), who takes it upon herself to fulfill her Uncle David’s (Evan Adam) dying wish – to testify against a proposed pipeline that would bring oil tankers through the beloved homeland waters. Ella’s youthful determination has her prepared for challenges – the water, wildlife and weather – but not for her dysfunctional family who tag along for the ride. Accompanying her on the 500 KM trip from Tla’Amin to the remote island of Klemtu, BC, is her irritable Uncle Don (Lorne Cardinal), her recently widowed Aunt Cory (Sonja Bennett) and her Uncle’s stepson, Alex (Jared Ager-Foster). As all four of them kayak to Klemtu, the family must deal with their grief while navigating the tricky waters, to race against the clock to make the community gathering on time for Ella to give the speech of her life and to protect their homeland waterways.
B.C.-born Heiltsuk/ Mohawk filmmaker, Hopkins, brings authentic representation of Indigenous culture to the big screen. With stunning shots along the northern British Columbia coastline, KAYAK TO KLEMTU is a love letter to our history’s lands – a place for each of us to call home and to protect. “Representation matters. We have beautiful stories, beautiful ways of telling stories, and the big screen is a place for dreams to be told, for magic to happen, and for stories to come to life. We have stories that go back to our first memories as people in North America. We have long memories, and those memories have been passed down. What better way to honor those stories than to tell them in the newest ways? These stories resonate way beyond our own people,” said Hopkins to RDV Canada.
Photo: Director Zoe Hopkins.
As a is a universal love letter about protecting the Indigenous community, culture and lands, KAYAK TO KLEMTU is a family adventure that tugs on the heartstrings, sending messages of hope and healing. Providing powerful insight, KAYAK TO KLEMTU highlights the importance of preserving ancestral lands for future generations, and that protecting our world should be a priority for everyone.
“KAYAK TO KLEMTU puts the spotlight on an important issue that could have disastrous effects on our waterways and coastlines. Just after the film wrapped there was a spill near Bella Bella that saw a tugboat hauling an American fuel barge go down spilling 100,000 liters of diesel into the main food gathering source for the area shutting down the clam fishery as it leaked oil for 32 days. This labeled minor incident not requiring an environmental impact survey will affect the fishing in the area for at least 10 years,” wrote Flick Hunter.
KAYAK TO KLEMTU highlights the significance of the continuation for similar stories – to bring to the silver screen the stories of the Native community – as an insightful and personal dive into their hopes, struggles and stories unheard to the common ear. Striving for such discussions and storytelling to stay alive, KAYAK TO KLEMTU touches on the beautiful waterways of our globe, drawing attention to tragic ecological issues.
“Our culture and lives are diverse. There are thousands of Indigenous stories to tell. Yet few of these stories have reached the big screen. This is an important time to tell diverse stories, and Indigenous stories because society is impacted by feature film being historically homogenous,” continued Hopkins to RDV Canada.
TriCoast Entertainment has exclusively released Hopkins’ KAYAK TO KLEMTU onto US digital streaming platforms including: Amazon, iTunes, Hoopla, DirecTV, Dish and FlixFling with additional platforms to come. For press inquiries and exclusive interviews with Zoe Hopkins, please contact jenna@tricoast.com.
Executively produced by Alex Ordanis and Christopher Yurkovich of Stellar Citizens, KAYAK TO KLEMTU features Evan Adams (Lost in the Barrens, Smoke Signals), Jared Ager Foster (Horns, The X-Files, Proof), Sonja Bennett (The Fog, Fido), Lorne Cardinal (Corner Gas, Insomnia, Fargo) and Ta’Kaiya Blaney (Savage).
Watch the KAYAK TO KLEMTU trailer here: https://vimeo.com/265839810.
KAYAK TO KLEMTU (2017, 90 min.) Directed by Zoe Hopkins. Written and directed by: Zoe Hopkins, Michael Sparaga. Produced by: Daniel Bekerman, Sheryl Kotzer. Edited by: Simone Smith. Cinematographer: Vince Arvidson. Original Music: Oleksa Lozowchuk. Original Music: Valentin Simonelli. Canada, English. Scythia Films, TriCoast Entertainment.
Produced by: Scythia Films: Daniel Bekerman and Sheryl Kotzer.
MPAA rating: PG
About TriCoast Entertainment:
TriCoast Entertainment is a premium Domestic Distributor, representing the best of US and international films: in theaters, on VOD, on DVD and TV. Sister company to TriCoast Worldwide and TriCoast Studios, the company is located at the TriCoast Studio facility in Culver City, Los Angeles.
Founded by: Strathford Hamilton and Marcy Levitas Hamilton.
Media Contact
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