Gail Maurice is a one-woman force in her latest film, Blood Lines. She wrote, directed, and produced the movie. And on top of all of that, found time to be of one of the film’s co-stars. She truly does it all.
Which is understandable, when you learn that this film is an extremely personal text for Maurice. During a Q&A after one of the film’s world premiere screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, Maurice described just how much of her is in this film.
The additional context makes an already remarkable film resonate that much more. Blood Lines is a deeply emotional story about identity, family, and community. Maurice puts to screen a story unlike any I’ve seen before.
While the movie doesn’t do much in the way of reshaping or rethinking the form or function of the medium, it is an extremely outstanding example of using the medium to highlight stories that otherwise go untold. Before stepping into my screening of Blood Lines, I had never seen a story about queer indigenous Canadians. And I was fully blown away by how quickly I was able to identify with the characters and the story.
Much of which is due to Maurice’s skill as a screenwriter. The film’s protagonist, Beatrice (Dana Solomon) is a bit of an avatar for Maurice herself – a young writer in search of a captivating newspaper story to sink her teeth into and flex her literary muscles. And that’s when Chani (Derica LaFrance) enters the picture.
Chani quickly becomes the subject of Beatrice’s journalistic and romantic focus. Solomon and LaFrance share great chemistry on screen, grounding the films emotional core. Much, if not all, of the dramatic progression centers around the two of them.
As their romantic exploits play out, there are parallel stories unfolding regarding the two young women and their arcs of understanding parental love. One is pushing parental love away, while the other is actively seeking it out.
Chani, who was given up for adoption by her birth parents, is returning to town in hopes of reconnecting with them. Beatrice, on the other hand, is taken aback when her neglectful mother returns to town and reignites some deeply seeded pain.
There are twists and turns along the way, but don’t make the mistake of viewing Blood Lines as just another melodrama. There are moments of pure joy and great humor – mostly provided by the ever-lovely “Granny Gang”. To inject some great vibes into the film, Maurice deploys a group of four older Métis women (including her mother) as both comedic relief and sources of great wisdom.
One of the most charming elements of Blood Lines is how much the maternal love and strength of this indigenous Métis population is on display. On top of being female led in the direction, production, and starring roles of the movie, the film is almost entirely void of male figures. However, it never feels like a forced point of contention or distinction to be made. The film just inherently exists that way.
Blood Lines was probably the most pleasantly surprised I was from a screening at The Toronto International Film Festival. A reminder of what a delightful treat cinema can offer. I hope wider audiences get to experience that treat sometime soon. We can all use something worthy of celebrating.
