The Lesser Blessed is a Canadian drama film, released in 2012."The Lesser Blessed tells universal story of alienation". CBC News, October 22, 2012. The film was written and directed by Anita Doron and is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Van Camp, the film stars Joel Evans as Larry Sole, a young Tłı̨chǫ teenager living in the Northwest Territories.Bruce DeMara, "Coming of age in a pitiless place". Toronto Star, May 31, 2013. The film's cast also includes Chloe Rose, Kiowa Gordon, Benjamin Bratt, Dylan Cook and Tamara Podemski. Despite being set in the Northwest Territories, the film was shot in Sudbury, Ontario.
The film premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in 2012 to critical acclaim. Doron garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards."'Rebelle' and 'Flashpoint' lead nominees for Canadian Screen Awards". CTV News, January 15, 2012. The film later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012."The Lesser Blessed - Contemporary World Cinema". Toronto International Film Festival, February 6, 2013.
Plot
The film follows a shy teenager living in a remote community in the Northwest Territories of Canada, while dealing with life as a high school student. The film explores several teen-focused issues, such as alienation and the search for one's own identity, but in this case from the perspective of a Dogrib Indian who struggles between his Native ancestry and finding his place in to the modern world.Cupryn, Isabel. "Interview: Director Anita Doron talks 'The Lesser Blessed" . Criticize This!, May 27, 2013.
Cast Benjamin Bratt as Jed Joel Evans as Larry Sole Kiowa Gordon as Johnny Beck Chloe Rose as Juliet Hope Adam Butcher as Darcy McManus Krista Bridges as Auntie Tamara Podemski as Verna Sole Spencer Van Wyck as Kevin Garner Dylan Cook as Mustache Sammy Jacob Neayem as Clarence Jerome
Release In February 2013, Monterey Media brought the United States distribution rights from Entertainment One. The film was released in Toronto on May 31, 2013, and in Montréal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Ottawa the week after. The film was released in the United States on home entertainment (DVD and Video on Demand) on June 25, 2013.
Accolades Doron garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards. Kiowa Gordon won best supporting actor at American Indian Film Festival for his role in the film.
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