Wildhood

Wildhood, dir. Bretten Hannam, 2021, Canada, 99m., in English and Mi’kmaw, mostly without English subtitles or closed captions 👍

Saturday, June 18, 2022, 4:00pm Roxie

+Streaming

I am in general favorably predisposed to films in which a major character is named Linc (The Delta, Encino Man, The Mod Squad), even if he spells it Link. In Wildhood, Link is a Mi’kmaw teenager with bleached blond hair, on the run from his abusive father, searching for a mother he thought was long dead. His half-brother Travis is reluctantly along for the ride, having nowhere else to go but back to the abusive father. Along the way, they meet Pasmay, a drifter who is also Mi’kmaw, making his way from pow wow to pow wow as a ceremonial dancer. As the trio travel across Nova Scotia, Link and Pasmay begin to bond over Mi’kmaw language and culture, and over being two-spirits.

Wildhood is a glimpse into the life of a First Nations teenager in rural Atlantic Canada, struggling to come to terms with his heritage and his identity. Well done, highly recommended.

• IMDb page • Official website (links to watch on demand) • Trailer •