This year’s SIFF coverage concludes with films about reconnection to land and culture, whether actualized or yearned for, and coming-of-age, all while set in this beautiful, wonderful state of Washington.
“West Shore”
“Those canoes are meant to bring our people together.”
Directed by Jordan Riber and Jon Carroll, “West Shore” is an 18-minute Children of the Setting Sun-produced documentary that follows the West Shore Canoe Family as they made their way from Lummi Nation in Whatcom County to Alki Beach for the 2023 Paddle to Muckleshoot.
Different tribes throughout Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California have been paddling traditional canoes through ancestral waters to gather and reunite since the first Paddle to Seattle Canoe journey in 1989.
The documentary follows the West Shore canoe as it made its way down the Puget Sound, stopping at different tribal shores along the way for food, dance, music and connection as a way to bring back what was taken from Natives, as highlighted by a narrative voice: “Boarding Schools took our language, our songs, our identities.”
The visuals are impressive, with aerial perspectives as well as canoe angles as the West Shore family traveled to Muckleshoot land, stopping at Swinomish, Tulalip and Suquamish before landing at Alki Beach, all the while asking for permission to land. What once began with a little over a dozen canoes has now grown to over 100 today, with one person in the doc saying, “when that canoe hits the water, that’s when the healing begins.”
Educational and heartwarming, “West Shore” makes for a must-see piece of living Pacific Northwest history.
“Evergreens”
A coming-of-age story with a snapshot romance, this film was a delight to behold. From the gorgeous Washington landscapes as two strangers drive from Spokane to Leavenworth to Seattle to Olympic National Park, to richly grown-in characters that Eve (Darby Lee-Stack) and James (Edouard Philiponat) meet through throughout their journey, the film took a simple premise and drove away with it in a vintage Toyota SUV.
Eve, short for Evergreen, is a 20-year-old taking a gap year to help with her mom’s illness, but she is bored out of her mind as all of her friends have left her behind in Spokane for the summer. James is a free-spirited 22-year-old hipster-type, who forgoes a cellphone, can barely drive a stick shift, and has been making a cross-country trip to Seattle.
The two hit it off after chatting for hours, and Eve makes the crazy decision to join James on his trip. While her parents aren’t happy that their daughter is running off with a young stranger, they cannot stop her, and they insist on her answering their calls. Usually a four-hour drive across I-90, Eve and James’ trip takes a couple of days as they travel off the beaten path and experience some shenanigans and, perhaps, love.
The directorial debut of Spokane-based Jared Bailey, the film describes its Pacific Northwest environment as “the ideal place to inspire heart-fluttering new love and self-discovery,” and I must agree. A careful mossback attention to the details of this diverse ecosystem of a state reveals a deep love for what Washington has to behold.
With some well-written dialogue and excellent characterization by the talented cast, “Evergreens” is lovely entry into the Washington film canon.
“Dear Aloha”
This short film by Cris Romento follows two Native Hawaiians who have found new lives in the Pacific Northwest as the insanely high cost of living in Hawaii has pushed many into becoming unhoused or forced to move to other states, despite being Indigenous to the land.
Set in southwestern Washington (mainly Vancouver), Romento, with the help of impressive camera work and heart-tugging music, interviews her own father, Eric, as he keeps their culture alive while being displaced to a rainy, cloudy environment. Through song, dance, food and making ti-leaf lei, Eric does all he can to stay connected to home despite a deep feeling of loss.
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“Evergreens.” Photo courtesy of SIFF
“Dear Aloha.” Photo courtesy of SIFF
