Haida Gwaii Film is set for the big screen
Local filmmaker Patrick Shannon is gearing up for the release of his new film Red Girl, shot entirely on Haida Gwaii. Patrick has taken a brief hiatus from filmmaking, but was still able to do some film work through his business. “It wasn’t until the past few months that I’ve decided to make a return to filmmaking with my latest short film Red Girl,” Shannon says.

Red Girl is a supernatural horror film that follows the story of Jess, a 29 year old Haida woman who returns to her village after 15 years. Along her journey, Jess struggles with her identity as a young indigenous woman, and is forced by these struggles through the powers of supernatural beings. “The idea came out of the desire to have more conversations about our identity as young indigenous people,” says Shannon. “The story and emotions that Jess experiences are the same that many young indigenous people experience, especially those removed from the culture for a long period and the guilt and lack of identity that often results.”

One of the major takeaways of making a film on Haida Gwaii for Shannon comes from his cast and crew. “We have so much untapped talent on Haida Gwaii,” he says “I am very excited to work with friends and other young up-and-comers who are taking every opportunity to follow their passions in filmmaking.” Shannon’s crew was largely composed of youth film enthusiasts that he has been working with for a few years now.

The film is set to be completed by the end of March, with a release date to hopefully come shortly after that. “I’m really excited about two things in particular,” says Shannon. “For the themes of the film to spark dialogue regarding indigenous identity and what does it truly mean to be a part of a community like ours, and to showcase the talent and hard work of the amazing local actors and crew who helped bring this story to life.”

Behind the scenes photos are courtesy of Red Girl and were taken by Cora Camire. Check out some of Patrick Shannon’s previous work at innonative.ca