Portable Film Festival

Film Details

Director: Andrew McLeod Duration: 00:12:00 Year: 2007 Created at: Canada Website: http://www.kodiakthemovie.com/ Festival Year: 2008

Synopsis

Lucky Ducette, a young Vancouver man, must find the resolve to play the biggest ball-hockey game of his life on the day after his long time girlfriend has left him. He struggles to overcome his sorrow by escaping into extravagant fantasies, only to realize that it is the simple love of his childhood pastime that can truly bring him peace. An exploration of Canadian Culture, Kodiak is a story of passion, love, and understanding set against the backdrop of urban Vancouver. The field of dreams of Canadian ball-hockey.

Hockey is merged into the daily life of 'Kodiak' as it is seen to be played on wet residential rooftops, bleak basement car parks and warm suburban streets. As Lucky wakes, his stick, 'Kodiak', is adorned on his bedroom wall and when he plays and is offered a superior hockey weapon, he sticks with his stick.

'Kodiak' is also visually innovative as it cuts and chops scenes up to the most creative extent. For example when Lucky gives his friend a lecture on the importance of the upcoming big game in a diner, the shot location changes in and out of Lucky giving his friend the same speech passionately in a suit at a press conference as his friend takes the role of a journalist. This insight into Lucky's hockey conviction is exemplified by the technically sublime transition of one dialogue between two separate scenes. This is also later demonstrated to full effect as Lucky speaks with his mother on the phone, only for her to suddenly appear and disappear and appear again at his kitchen table warmly with a cup of tea. 'Kodiak' achieves this multidimensional use of concurrent scenes exceptionally.

Shot on 35mm Kodiak has a slick look to it. As lucky battles competitors on a makeshift hockey field, every interception and collision of other players is captured in full intensity. These shots also help to demonstrate time changes in the story. As Lucky reaches a game end climax the picture is one of grit, yet this is then juxtaposed with the image of young Lucky playing street ball in a warm imagine, that seems to bring out the best of every ray of light.

Everything about 'Kodiak' is not only well conceived but also beautifully executed. It has just recently been awarded the Portable Choice Award and it is with great pleasure that we bring it back as part of our Canada Showcase.

It premiered at the Vancouver Internationally Film Festival 2007, where director Andrew Mcleod was nominated for Best Emerging Director.

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