by Alex Billington
February 12, 2024
Source: YouTube
"Listen to me… ghosts don't exist, okay?" Game Theory Films has revealed an official trailer for an unique indie drama titled Seagrass, from filmmaker Meredith Hama-Brown making her feature directorial debut. This Canadian production originally premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year, and will open in both Canadian and US art house cinemas later this month. The film was the TIFF FIPRESCI prize winner, and a TIFF Top Ten pick. Set a decade or so in the past, Seagrass follows a Japanese-Canadian woman grappling with the death of her mother as she brings her family to a retreat. When her relationship with her husband begins to affect the children's emotional security, the family is forever changed. The film stars Ally Maki as Judith, Luke Roberts, Chris Pang, Sarah Gadon, Nyha Huang Breitkreuz, and Remy Marthaller. This film has some really strong, grainy cinematography in it - with some shots better than others. Art film fans should keep an eye out for this at their local cinema - looks like a very moody, evocative slice of cinema.
Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Meredith Hama-Brown's Seagrass, direct from YouTube:
Original intro from TIFF: "Tells the story of a family on the verge of coming closer together — or drifting further apart… Judith (Ally Maki) is Japanese Canadian; her husband Steve (Luke Roberts) is white. They're having some problems communicating with each other, so they've found a family retreat on the Pacific coast where kids can hang out while their parents confront one another in group-therapy sessions. But the time together exposes new fractures in the family’s internal dynamic: 11-year-old Stephanie (Nyha Breitkreuz) starts acting out, while six-year-old Emmy (Remy Marthaller) insists that she can feel Judith's recently departed mother watching over them all. Whether or not Emmy is right, something is certainly hanging over this family — a cloud of tension and dissatisfaction between Judith and Steve that neither can fully articulate, but both recognize. The more time Judith spends around another couple, Carol (Sarah Gadon) and Pat (Chris Pang), the more she worries that saving her marriage might not be the best move."
Seagrass is written and directed by the Japanese-Canadian actress / filmmaker Meredith Hama-Brown, making her feature directorial debut after many other short films previously. Produced by Sara Blake and Tyler Hagan. This initially premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival as a Canadian premiere last year; it also played at the Cinéfest Sudbury Film Festival. Game Theory Films will debut Hama-Brown's Seagrass in select Canadian + US theaters starting February 23rd, 2024 coming soon. Who's interested in watching?