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CTV News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Incredibly ambitious and probably really stupid': R.T. Thorne's sci-fi debut '40 Acres'
Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey Freeman in "40 Acres" is seen in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Rafy, courtesy of Mongrel Media (Mandatory Credit) TORONTO — R.T. Thorne says he could have played it safe with his debut feature. Instead, he swung for the fences, writing an epic sci-fi thriller about generational trauma, cannibalism and humanity's connection with land — all set in what he calls 'a post-apocalyptic world where the stakes are at the absolute highest.' 'For my first film, it was incredibly ambitious and probably really stupid to write something like that,' the Calgary-born writer-director laughs in a recent video call from Toronto. '40 Acres,' out Friday, centres on a Black-Indigenous family in a famine-stricken future where a fungal pandemic has wiped out all animal life on the planet. When a marauding group of cannibals closes in on their farm, ex-military matriarch Hailey Freeman, played by Danielle Deadwyler, clashes with her son Manny, played by Toronto's Kataem O'Connor, over the best way to survive a world in ruins. Deadwyler says she was drawn to the film's historical context — the Freemans are the last descendants of a Black family of farmers who settled in Canada after the U.S. Civil War. 'The connection between the American and Canadian history of folks getting to this northern liberated land, it was very much on my mind,' the Atlanta native says in a recent video call Los Angeles. 'You can talk about the Underground Railroad for sure — there were people escaping who got (to Canada) and established themselves. When we think about Hailey, she is coming from a place where she understands the century-plus-long history of her family on the land that they are fighting for.' Michael Greyeyes, who plays Hailey's partner Galen, considers '40 Acres' an 'Indigenous rights film' because it centres on people fighting to stay on their land. 'If you look at the world in general, colonialism, empire and taking land away from Indigenous populations is an ongoing threat,' says the actor from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, reached by Zoom in Winnipeg. 'Our film actually states that the land belongs to the caretakers and that we resist empire and we resist encroachment.' Thorne says the earliest seeds of the film were planted in something more intimate: a desire to channel his relationship with his mother. 'She ran a strict household. I grew up with somebody who was so concerned and so vital in teaching me how to move in the world and what she felt was important in the world,' he recalls. Thorne got his start directing music videos for artists including Sean Paul and Keshia Chanté before creating the 2020 sci-fi series 'Utopia Falls' and helming the 2022 period drama 'The Porter,' both of which aired on CBC. With '40 Acres,' he set out to explore 'the universal generational conflict that happens in every family: the parents think they know what it is and as the young people grow up, they want freedom.' But as a self-described 'dreamer,' his ambitions quickly grew, envisioning a do-or-die sci-fi future where that family tension could play out on a much larger canvas. Originally conceived seven years ago as a microbudget project through Telefilm's Talent to Watch program, the Sudbury, Ont.-shot film expanded in scale and scope to match Thorne's creative vision. There were some growing pains. Just after the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, the union representing crew members on the shoot issued a statement saying they were 'profoundly disappointed' that some crew and vendors had yet to be fully paid for their work on the production. IATSE — which represents behind-the-scenes workers across film, TV and theatre — says all outstanding payments have since been made. At a public event in Toronto last week, '40 Acres' producer Jennifer Holness addressed the situation by saying that just before filming began in fall 2023, a U.S. distributor that promised a minimum guarantee asked for script changes that would have 'damaged the film and our vision.' Holness said the team chose to walk away, leaving the production '$2 million in the hole.' With an initial $8 million budget — including $3.2 million in public funding from Telefilm — Holness said the production became a week-to-week financial struggle. 'Every single week after the third week of production, we were in a situation of, 'How do we get to the end of the week and pay everyone?'' she said. 'We did 12 weeks up there, and we paid our crew every single week on time. We, the producers, had to come together and invest in the film ourselves. It was a journey. It was an incredibly stressful journey.' The film was picked up by U.S. distributor Magnolia earlier this year and heads to screens across North America this week. Thorne says all payment issues have been resolved and commends Holness for 'steadying the ship.' He adds there are many issues that occur during productions that people don't know about. 'You're always almost falling over to get it to the screen. The thing that I will say is that you come together as a community and you try to fix the mistakes and issues that you have and you make sure that people feel taken care of,' he says. 'And then you come out successful at the end when you do it. And the films that don't, you don't hear about them.' Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
Mail & Guardian
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mail & Guardian
The ‘weight of heavy logs': Masculinity and memory in Matabeleland
Set against the backdrop of the 1983 Gukurahundi massacres — in which the Zimbabwean army brutally targeted civilians in Matabeleland, killing thousands — the film follows protagonist Chris Nyathi. (Photo supplied) Directed by the talented Nyasha Kadandara, Matabeleland is set to captivate audiences with its African premiere at the prestigious Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, which runs until the 29 June in Johannesburg and Cape Town. This feature-length debut provides a deeply personal lens into a chapter of Zimbabwe's history that continues to ripple through generations. Set against the backdrop of the 1983 Gukurahundi massacres — in which the Zimbabwean army brutally targeted civilians in Matabeleland, killing thousands — the film follows protagonist Chris Nyathi. Nyathi is a 60-year-old Zimbabwean immigrant in Botswana who embarks on a poignant journey to secure his father's burial and confront the shadows of his family's legacy. Rooted in resilience and reconciliation, Matabeleland explores themes of love, masculinity and identity and offers an intimate reflection on generational trauma, healing and the enduring bonds of family. The evocative soundtrack by composers Eduardo Aram and Gabriel Milliet underscores the film's powerful narrative, while Kadandara's collaboration with producer Sam Soko of LBx Africa and co-producer Bob Moore of EyeSteelFilms results in a cinematic gem. In-between screenings of the film at the festival, I caught up with the Zimbabwean-born filmmaker Kadandara to find out more on the process of making this emotionally engaging documentary. Motaung: Congratulations on this great project. Tell us, when did your love for filmmaking and storytelling start? Kadandara: Thank you! If you asked my mother, she would tell you I was always trying to get her attention with stories about my imaginary friends or something else. I can talk a lot! But, more formally, I would say I found out that perhaps I had something to say, and people might want to hear it, when I was in the student newspaper at UCT. And then, during my first video course while doing my master's, I knew that I had found my medium: film. I feel really safe and at home with a camera in my hand and I love working with images and sound to create something that can transcend words. Motaung: What inspired the documentary Matabeleland and how long did it take to put it together? Kadandara: Following a change in power in Zimbabwe between late 2017 and 2018 I, along with many Zimbabweans, saw new opportunities in the country. In general, it was an inspiring time and many of us were hopeful. As a filmmaker, up until that point, I had not made any films in my own country, but had directed films in the US, India, Kenya and Chad. So, this felt like the right time to turn the lens on the place I call home. In particular, this story was very personal, having been born and raised in the region of Matabeleland. Initially, it was meant to be a short film — less than 10 minutes long — but after meeting my producer, Sam Soko, he saw a feature documentary in the little footage I had and then we continued to film the subject, Chris Nyathi, and the people in his life until 2024. In total, we spent seven years on the project, which included one year in the edit room. Motaung: Budget is normally a pain point for most filmmakers. What challenges did you have to overcome with this project? Kadandara: In general, I won't sugarcoat things. It's really hard to get funding for a film like Matabeleland because it doesn't fit into the typical boxes. Our characters are complex and challenge traditional notions held by, particularly, non-African audiences. Some funders wanted more victimhood or more politics in the film but we wanted to stay true to the portrait of African manhood. Now that the film is complete, and people are starting to view Matabeleland , it's evident — and by design — that this documentary resonates with African audiences and we are very happy about this. Matabeleland could not have been brought to life without the invaluable support of organisations such as Sundance, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, IDFA and Heinrich Böll Stiftung. Their contributions ensured this important story reached audiences who need to engage with its message. Motaung: With 17 children to support, and a girlfriend hinting about marriage, Chris Nyathi is under pressure. The doccie is essentially an ode to male blue-collar workers trying to support their families. What are your views on such hard-working men in our society? Kadandara: As African societies, there are a lot of expectations on men, and there's a lot of pressure to provide or perform. Being an African woman comes with its perils, but I believe I have more outlets to unburden myself, and we tend to share our struggles more in community. The same cannot be said for men; we don't allow our men to be vulnerable, blue-collar or not. And as a result, the people around them — their siblings, romantic partners and children — will often bear the brunt. In a recent community screening, male members of the audience talked about how all the pressure, with no release, can lead to suicide or substance abuse. But a film like Matabeleland can be a gateway for people, and specifically men, to open up, share about their experiences, and lighten the load of 'heavy logs' as Chris describes in the documentary. Motaung: Matabeleland is currently being showcased at this year's Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. How important is this for you as a filmmaker to participate in festivals? Kadandara: It's an amazing opportunity to showcase at any festival, and as a team, we've been really lucky to have had such great receptions from CPH: DOX in Denmark and now Encounters in South Africa. Showing our film at Encounters has been really special as we get to show Matabeleland on African soil to the very audiences this film is about and for. Even though we've just started showing the film on the continent, we've had such a great reception. People have come up to me and said they want to host impact screenings in their community that will be followed by conversations centred around healing, masculinity and intergenerational trauma. And, for me, that's how festivals can be a great launch pad for meaningful change beyond watching the film in a cinema. Matabeleland is screening at The Zone @ Rosebank, Johannesburg, this Saturday 28 June at 5.30pm.
