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The Far Shore
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Wikipedia article
'The Far Shore' is a Canadian drama film, directed by Joyce Wieland and released in 1976."Far Shore beautiful but flat". 'The Globe and Mail', September 25, 1976. Wieland's first commercial narrative feature film after years of making experimental short films,"Joyce Wieland finds room to bloom". 'The Globe and Mail', March 2, 1981. the film is a romantic drama which borrows elements from the life and death of painter Tom Thomson."Passionate painter and film-maker directs a classical romance". 'Toronto Star', September 18, 1976.
The film stars Celine Lomez as Eulalie, a Qubcois woman in a loveless marriage to wealthy industrialist Ross Turner (Lawrence Benedict), who begins an affair with painter Tom McLeod (Frank Moore). It premiered at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival, before having its Canadian premiere at the Canadian Film Institute's Ottawa 76 festival in August.
Production
Wieland wrote the initial outline of the film in 1969, after viewing a retrospective show of Thomson and the Group of Seven.Doug Fetherling, "Joyce Wieland in Movieland: What was a fine artist doing in a world of hype and hustle?" 'Toronto Star', January 24, 1976. After failing to receive a grant from the Canadian Film Development Corporation, she shelved the project for a time, although some of the drawings that she made to accompany the script outline were included in her gallery shows. She began writing the screenplay in earnest in 1972, hiring television writer Bryan Barney to assist. During this time, she also drew a large number of storyboards to illustrate her vision for the film.
Judy Steed came on as producer in 1973, with Wieland and Steed incorporating their own production company, The Far Shore Inc., in 1974. Over the next couple of years, they were able to secure partial funding from CFDC, Famous Players, Baton Broadcasting and the 'Toronto Star', but were not able to complete the film until influential Quebec film producer Pierre Lamy signed on as the film's executive producer in 1975, securing the remaining funding needed. Famous Players' financial commitment was initially made conditional on the film hiring a big-name star to play Tom McLeod, suggesting Rip Torn, Stacy Keach and Donald Sutherland, but they eventually withdrew the demand and allowed the film to proceed with Moore in the role. Filming was completed in 1975, with post-production completed in early 1976.
Critical response
Gary Michael Dault of the 'Toronto Star' called the film gorgeous, praising the cinematography of Richard Leiterman and the production design of Anne Pritchard, but said it was ruined by the acting."Movie looks gorgeous but acting ruins it". 'Toronto Star', September 24, 1976. The reviewer for 'The Globe and Mail' offered a similar assessment, calling the film beautiful but flat and stating that Moore gave the film's only strong acting performance.
The film is one of several from the era which have since been analyzed as an allegory for Canadian nationalism.Johanne Sloan, 'Joyce Wieland's The Far Shore'. University of Toronto Press, 2010. .
Awards
The film won three Canadian Film Awards in 1976: Best Supporting Actor (Moore), Best Cinematography (Leiterman) and Best Art Direction (Pritchard).Wyndham Wise, 'Take One's Essential Guide to Canadian Film'. University of Toronto Press, 2015. . p. 263.
References
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