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Night Raiders (2021 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Night Raiders' is a 2021 Canadian-New Zealand science fiction dystopian film written and directed by Danis Goulet. The film stars Elle-Mij Tailfeathers, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, Alex Tarrant, Amanda Plummer and Violet Nelson.

The film had its worldwide premiere at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in March 2021.

Synopsis



Set in a dystopian version of North America in the year 2044, the film centres on Niska (Elle-Mij Tailfeathers), a Cree woman who joins a resistance movement to the military government in order to save her daughter.Kelly Townsend, [https://playbackonline.ca/2019/10/22/goulets-night-raiders-brings-its-dystopian-world-to-toronto/ "Goulets Night Raiders brings its dystopian world to Toronto"]. 'Playback', October 22, 2019.

Cast



* Elle-Mij Tailfeathers as Niska

* Brooklyn Letexier-Hart as Waseese

* Alex Tarrant as Leo

* Amanda Plummer as Roberta

* Violet Nelson as Somonis

* Gail Maurice as Ida

Production



The film, a coproduction of companies from Canada and New Zealand, is executive produced by Taika Waititi.Chris Knight, [https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/movies/danis-goulets-film-a-first-for-new-zealand-canada-indigenous-co-operation "Danis Goulet's film a first for New Zealand-Canada Indigenous co-operation"]. 'National Post', June 26, 2020. Goulet has described the film as inspired in part by Alfonso Cuarn's 2006 film 'Children of Men', as well as by the military response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in 2016; in addition, the film functions in part as an allegory for the Indian residential school system.Jackson Weaver, [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/night-raiders-science-fiction-1.6206090 "How Night Raiders uses science fiction to examine the past"]. CBC News, October 10, 2021.

The film was shot in the Toronto area in 2019. It was originally slated for commercial release in 2020, but was postponed to 2021 following production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Release



On February 10, 2021, Berlinale announced that the film would have its worldwide premiere at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival in the 'Panorama' section, in March 2021. It had its Canadian premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, and is scheduled to screen as the opening film of the 2021 ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival.[https://www.toronto.com/whatson-story/10477124-imaginenative-film-media-arts-festival-returns-to-toronto-with-in-person-virtual-events/ "imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival returns to Toronto with in-person, virtual events"]. 'Toronto.com', September 16, 2021.

It premiered commercially in October 2021, with the widest opening of any film by an indigenous director in Canadian film history.Val Maloney, [https://playbackonline.ca/2021/10/08/danis-goulets-night-raiders-breaks-record-for-opening-weekend/ "Danis Goulets Night Raiders breaks record for opening weekend"]. 'Playback', October 8, 2021. It was later released on TVOD platform in 2022.

Reception



The film was mostly well-received by critics, who praised its cast and storytelling. However, the film was also criticized for its reliance on tropes of YA fiction. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 83% approval rating, based on 48 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's consensus reads, "'Night Raiders' strikes grim parallels between its dystopian setting and the present, offering a disturbing reminder that the horrors of the past are often very much still with us."

The film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2021.Norman Wilner, [https://nowtoronto.com/movies/news-and-features/tiff-announces-canadas-top-ten-for-2021 "TIFF announces Canadas Top Ten films of 2021"]. 'Now', December 6, 2021.

Awards



References




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