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Portraits From A Fire

Play trailer Poster for Portraits From A Fire 2020 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 5 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Portraits from a Fire is a coming-of-age film that follows Tyler, an eccentric and lonely teenager who spends his days filmmaking, vlogging his Indigenous community, and hanging out with his grandparents. His father, Gord, is physically present but remains emotionally absent from Tyler's life for reasons Tyler cannot understand. That is until he meets Aaron, a mysterious, charismatic, and influential figure who encourages Tyler to showcase his most personal film about his mother's disappearance to the community, leading to a reckoning between past and future, life and death, and father and son. The film follows Tyler's journey to heal the wounds of the past by opening them once again. And by finding the courage to face the fear of the unknown, he weaves together the strong sacred bonds of family through both living and ancestral realms.
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Portraits From A Fire

Critics Reviews

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Marsha Lederman Globe and Mail Oct 29, 2021
From its opening credits - blissful home movies over Wolf Parade's urgent, driving guitar - Portraits from a Fire bursts with joy and energy. Go to Full Review Alisha Mughal Exclaim! Aug 15, 2023
8/10
Portraits from a Fire is a film that delivers not only a moving story but also a visual feast, bringing the act of remembering, and all the pain it unearths, to life in a way that few filmmakers have done. Go to Full Review Chris Knight National Post Nov 11, 2021
3.5/5
Portraits from a Fire boasts some superb production values in the larger film, but wrapped around a simple, heartfelt tale that is clearly close to the heart of its 29-year-old director. Go to Full Review Jim Slotek Original Cin Nov 8, 2021
B-plus
A sweet movie, with flashes of digital artiness, some dark moments and nicely drawn characters with a shared wry sense of humour. Go to Full Review Anne Brodie What She Said Oct 29, 2021
An extraordinary work, both by Mack and actor William Lulua who carries the film on his young shoulders. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
Portraits From A Fire

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Cast & Crew

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Trevor Mack

Director

Nathaniel Arcand

Gord

Pauline Bob-King

Trish

Melanie Bobby

Etsu

Isaiah Fogarty

Henry

Dakota Hance

Firefighter #3

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Portraits From A Fire

Portraits From A Fire (2020) Portraits From A Fire (2020) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Portraits from a Fire is a coming-of-age film that follows Tyler, an eccentric and lonely teenager who spends his days filmmaking, vlogging his Indigenous community, and hanging out with his grandparents. His father, Gord, is physically present but remains emotionally absent from Tyler's life for reasons Tyler cannot understand. That is until he meets Aaron, a mysterious, charismatic, and influential figure who encourages Tyler to showcase his most personal film about his mother's disappearance to the community, leading to a reckoning between past and future, life and death, and father and son. The film follows Tyler's journey to heal the wounds of the past by opening them once again. And by finding the courage to face the fear of the unknown, he weaves together the strong sacred bonds of family through both living and ancestral realms.
Director
Trevor Mack
Producer
Rylan Friday, Kate Kroll, Trevor Mack
Screenwriter
Manny Mahal, Derek Vermillion
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 32m
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