Peter Stebbings’ Empire of Dirt is something special. It’s the rare example of a Canadian film that’s able to balance universally relatable human problems while maintaining a cultural identity that makes it patently unique.
We talk to actress and producer Jennifer Podemski and actress Cara Gee about their work on the First Nations family drama Empire of Dirt, applying the film's themes more broadly to a picture of small town living, the film’s sometimes subtle humour, why Peter Stebbings was chosen for such a project despite being a white male, and how the film fits into a current renaissance for First Nations cinema in Canada.
The indigenous and aboriginal devoted film festival imagineNATIVE kicks off its 14th year in Toronto this coming Wednesday (October 16th through the 20th), and we take a look at several of the high profile features playing in what's shaping up to be a banner year for the festival.
Empire of Dirt Contemporary World Cinema Director: Peter Stebbings Set in motion when First Nations Mother, Lena (Cara Gee), learns her thirteen year old daughter (Shay Eyre) has overdosed, this very Canadian indie film unfolds to reveal an authentic, albeit typical, drama. Fleeing the prying eyes of social services, Lena returns to her estranged mother’s home in rural Ontario. For added discomfort, the reformed addict Lena is faced with addressing her past and facing the mother […]