Deadman

200928 min 2 secFilm: Documentary

PG

Direction: Chelsea McMullan

Production: Geoff McLean (Vision Entertainment)Lea Marin (National Film Board of Canada)Silva Basmajian

Script: Chelsea McMullan

Produced by Vision Entertainment in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada and in association with TVO, an initiative of the NFB-TVO Calling Card Program with the participation of Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC).

Go west, young man, to Deadman Creek, and the quixotic world of Matt Sandvoss, a Wild West-obsessed visionary who straddles the line between big dreamer and boy at heart. Despite great personal heartache, Matt doggedly pursues his plan to construct a replica of an Old-West town in a remote part of British Columbia, complete with a saloon and a gaggle of villainous gunfighters, cheerfully led by his dad, Monte.

Matt’s mission raises questions for Gerald Carter, a Cree resident of Deadman Creek – about the age-old stereotypes of cowboys and Indians, the easy “commodification” of sacred land, and the troubling disparity between fantasy and history.

Deadman’s tranquil pacing and glorious vistas gently build to a climactic, clever and moving showdown between two opposing camps, between an ancient, peaceful way of life and the seductive yet violent mythology of the Wild West.
 

Subject categories


  • Indigenous Peoples in Canada (First Nations and Métis) > British ColumbiaCultural ConflictLifestyles

Credits


writer
Chelsea McMullan
director
Chelsea McMullan
producer
Geoff McLean
Lea Marin
executive producer
Silva Basmajian
commissioning editor
Jane Jankovic
participation
Matt Sandvoss
Gerald Carter
Darlene Sandvoss
Norma Peters
Heather Sandvoss
Melissa Sandvoss
Kyle "Onions" Carter
Jay "Bones" Carter
Noreen "Snorty" Carter
creative consultant
Raha Shirazi
editor
Avrïl Jacobson
director of photography
Maya Bankovic
co-director of photography
Alejandro Coronado
original score composer
Rae Spoon
additional photography
Matthew J. Lloyd
Derek Howard
Kathleen Hepburn
independent production officer
Linda Fong
production designer
Leanne Mackay
unit production manager
Jordan Masciangelo
production coordinator
Sarah Arruda
visual consultant
Matthew J. Lloyd
story consultant
Marlene Rodgers
Franco Pante
sound editor
Grant Edmonds
sound mix
Grant Edmonds
location sound
Kylie McMullan
Leanne Mackay
colorist
Walt Biljan
online editor
Kevin Kim
post facility
Fini Films
marketing manager
Kelley Alexander
marketing assistant
Donna Cowan