As Meredith Hama-Brown害羞草研究所檚 debut feature film 害羞草研究所淪eagrass害羞草研究所� made waves during its festival run last fall, the Vancouver writer-director says she heard from many Japanese Canadians who thanked her for exploring a side of their experience rarely depicted on screen.

Ally Maki stars as Judith, a Japanese Canadian woman grieving the recent loss of her mother and struggling with her cultural identity as she brings her family to a couples害羞草研究所� therapy retreat on a British Columbia island. The film tackles mixed-race relationship conflicts, intergenerational trauma, casual racism and young sibling dynamics.

害羞草研究所淭here are a lot of details in the film that I害羞草研究所檝e seen in my own family and that other people have told me that they害羞草研究所檝e also experienced, particularly how Judith has lost touch with a lot of her own personal history and her family history,害羞草研究所� Hama-Brown, whose mother is Japanese Canadian, says on a video call from Vancouver.

Like Judith, Hama-Brown says there are gaps in what she knows about the experiences of her grandparents, who were among more than 22,000 Japanese Canadians forced into internment camps by the federal government during the Second World War.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 something that害羞草研究所檚 very common for Japanese Canadians and Americans, because my grandparents害羞草研究所� generation really didn害羞草研究所檛 want to talk about what happened. I think it was such a traumatic experience and they just wanted to move past it.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪eagrass,害羞草研究所� which hits theatres across North America on Friday, is a tense and tangled family drama charting the ups and downs of an interracial marriage on the verge of collapse.

Set in the 1990s, the film sees Judith害羞草研究所檚 marriage to her white Canadian husband Steve, played by Luke Roberts, fall apart as they struggle to connect at group therapy sessions for couples, while their children explore the island害羞草研究所檚 verdant landscape. Along the way, they become frenemies with a seemingly more functional couple, played by Chris Pang and Sarah Gadon.

Earlier this month, 害羞草研究所淪eagrass害羞草研究所� was named best B.C. film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, where Hama-Brown also won the best director prize. Last year, it made Toronto International Film Festival害羞草研究所檚 Canada害羞草研究所檚 Top Ten list and took home the International Film Critics Prize at the fest.

Hama-Brown, who grew up in the 害羞草研究所�90s, mines some of her own experiences in the film, similar to the way her award-winning short 害羞草研究所淏roken Bunny害羞草研究所� dealt with themes of shattered childhood innocence. But she stresses that the plot is very much fictional.

害羞草研究所淢y family never went to this retreat altogether, and although my parents are divorced, I never saw them argue. They had a polar opposite divorce. My dad is the polar opposite of Steve.害羞草研究所�

Steve comes off as culturally insensitive and poorly equipped to deal with Judith害羞草研究所檚 intergenerational trauma. At one point, he makes a racist joke about Pang害羞草研究所檚 character, a Chinese Australian.

Hama-Brown says such microaggressions were a product of the era 害羞草研究所淪eagrass害羞草研究所� takes place in.

害羞草研究所淚n the 害羞草研究所�90s, no one really knew how to say, 害羞草研究所楾hat害羞草研究所檚 racist or that doesn害羞草研究所檛 feel right.害羞草研究所� Or when people tried, it would be disregarded as a joke. It害羞草研究所檚 been really good exploring that type of racism in a film, because I think it can be extremely insidious and it害羞草研究所檚 something that is still so prevalent.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪eagrass害羞草研究所� is also a coming-of-age story as the couple害羞草研究所檚 children Stephanie and Emmy, played by Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Nyha Huang Breitkreuz and Victoria害羞草研究所檚 Remy Marthaller, experience the fallout of their family crumbling.

Hama-Brown says the team found the pair of young actors through a 害羞草研究所渧ery laborious casting process害羞草研究所� in which they 害羞草研究所渨rote to every single kids害羞草研究所� acting school in Canada.害羞草研究所� Breitkreuz害羞草研究所檚 audition tape came in a week and a half before they started shooting. The film marks both actors害羞草研究所� first major roles in a movie.

害羞草研究所淭hank goodness everything came together because it害羞草研究所檚 very challenging casting kids and finding people who can carry these really challenging roles. They have mature themes, but there害羞草研究所檚 also a ton of dialogue.害羞草研究所�

Just as challenging to scout out were the film害羞草研究所檚 locations. Finding a retreat for a month during the summer of 2022 was nearly impossible as they were all booked up, but Hama-Brown and cinematographer Norm Li discovered one on Gabriola Island called The Haven. Group therapy sessions are actually held there in real life, although Hama-Brown jokes 害羞草研究所渢hey害羞草研究所檙e probably much better than the ones portrayed in the film.害羞草研究所�

When Emmy is shown an oceanside cave that other children tell her is haunted, she becomes obsessed with it, convinced the ghost of her recently deceased grandmother is living there.

Hama-Brown says the cave, located at Tofino害羞草研究所檚 Rosie Bay, was not only hard to find but 害羞草研究所渆xceptionally difficult害羞草研究所� to film in.

害羞草研究所淲hen the tide comes in, you will get trapped, so we only had three hours to work in the cave when we were there. Plus, we had a whole bunch of kids who we were bringing there and some gear that we had to walk in. It was something I was just terrified about doing until we got to it.害羞草研究所�

In the end, the scenes were well worth it. Hama-Brown says the tidal, seaweed-draped setting was integral to the film.

害羞草研究所淭he sense of place meant a lot to me. It害羞草研究所檚 the fact that the family is going to this remote island. I wanted to have the sense of being away and surrounded by water and almost trapped. I wanted there to be this sense of isolation.害羞草研究所�

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