Portraits From a Fire

Possessing more determination than discernible talent, teenage Tyler (William Magnus Lulua) routinely premieres his lo-fi DIY films on his reservation for a smattering of viewers who struggle to stay awake. Undaunted, he retains his belief that he and his films are bound for bigger things. At the very least, they can be a bigger draw than bingo. Just as his new friend Aaron (Asivak Koostachin) practically manifests from the ether to provide him with some welcome encouragement, a DV tape resurfaces that casts new light on his family’s history and may just provide answers to questions that he’s long harboured.

Returning to the Tl’etinqox Reserve in BC where he grew up, director Trevor Mack delivers an accomplished, open-hearted first feature both made about and in collaboration with his community. With an endearing ensemble of memorable characters and a mix of English and Tsilhqot’in dialogue, Portraits From a Fire blends humour, heartbreak and ultimately, healing, in a coming-of-age film about eccentric misfit Tyler, his community, and healing the rifts within his family. This film introduces students to contemporary Indigenous storytelling and filmmaking, and shows how the work of even amateur teen filmmakers like Tyler can lead to a powerful reckoning between the past and the future, life and death, and father, mother, and son.

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