Summary
Hello Destroyer is a 2016 Canadian drama film written and directed by Kevan Funk.[2] It had its world premiere in the Discovery section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]
| Hello Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Kevan Funk |
| Written by | Kevan Funk |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Jared Abrahamson |
| Cinematography | Benjamin Loeb |
| Edited by | Ajla Odobašić |
| Music by | Edo Van Breemen |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Tabula Dada |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The film stars Jared Abrahamson as an enforcer on a hockey team who faces difficult consequences when a hit on an opposing player during a game turns more violent than intended.[4] It was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture.
Cast edit
- Jared Abrahamson as Tyson Burr
- Kurt Max Runte as Coach Dale Milbury
- Joe Buffalo as Eric
- Paul McGillion as Ron Burr
- Sara Canning as Wendy Davis
Production edit
The film was an expansion of his 2013 short film Destroyer.[5]
According to Funk, his intention was to make a film that explored institutional and systemic violence rather than a sports film per se;[6] he chose a hockey-related setting as it represented an "aggressively Canadian" cultural institution which has a complex relationship with violence and toxic masculinity, and has stated that if he were making the same film in the United States he would likely have chosen a military setting.[6]
The film was shot primarily in Prince George, British Columbia, including at the CN Centre.[7]
Reception edit
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 11 reviews.[8] Vice Sports describes the film as "about how violence is cultivated, showcased and then punished within a set of institutions that require its presence to be profitable",[4] and Alex Rose of the magazine Cult MTL called the film "as Canadian as a Weakerthans song and as depressing as that second Leonard Cohen record."[9]
On 7 December 2016, the film was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top 10 list.[10]
Accolades edit
The film received four Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, including Best Motion Picture and Best Actor (Abrahamson).[11]
| Awards | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | 12 March 2017 | Best Motion Picture | Daniel Domachowski, Haydn Wazelle | Nominated | [12] |
| Best Director | Kevan Funk | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Jared Abrahamson | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Kevan Funk | Nominated | |||
| Leo Awards | 2017 | Best Motion Picture | Haydn Wazelle, Daniel Domachowski | Won | [13] |
| Best Direction in a Motion Picture | Kevan Funk | Won | |||
| Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture | Won | ||||
| Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture | Benjamin Loeb | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture | Kurt Max Runte | Nominated | |||
| Joe Buffalo | Nominated | ||||
| Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture | Jared Abrahamson | Won | |||
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | 16 December 2016 | Best Canadian Film | Kevan Funk | Won | [14] |
| Best British Columbia Film | Won | ||||
| Best Canadian Director | Won | ||||
| Best Actor in a Canadian Film | Jared Abrahamson | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film | Kurt Max Runte | Won | |||
| Vancouver International Film Festival | 2016 | BC Emerging Filmmaker Award | Kevan Funk | Won | [15] |
References edit
- ^ "Hello Destroyer [programme note]". Vancouver International Film Festival. 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ "Hello Destroyer (Kevan Funk, Canada) — Discovery". Cinema Scope. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "POLITICS AND BOLD STORYTELLING HEADLINE CANADIAN LINEUP AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL" (PDF) (Press release). Toronto International Film Festival. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ a b "VICE Sports Q&A: We Talked to the Director of 'Hello Destroyer'—a Film That Critiques Canada's National Pastime". Vice Sports. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- ^ Rob Alexander, "Funk brothers share Calgary limelight". Rocky Mountain Outlook, September 26, 2013.
- ^ a b "Hello Destroyer director Kevan Funk wanted to make 'aggressively' Canadian film". Toronto Star. 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Hello Destroyer producer grateful to city for help with film". Prince George Citizen. 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Hello Destroyer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Hot new films from day four of TIFF". Cult MTL, 12 September 2016.
- ^ "'Telling stories that show Canadians who we are:' TIFF unveils top 10 Canadian films of 2016". CBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience up for Canadian Screen Awards". CBC News. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Furdyk, Brent (17 January 2017). "2017 Canadian Screen Awards nominees revealed". Global News. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ "Leo Awards, 2017 Winners by Name". www.leoawards.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "Hello Destroyer Named Best Canadian Film by VFCC". Vancouver Film Critics Circle. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Smith, Charlie (11 October 2016). "VIFF honours B.C. filmmakers Ann Marie Fleming, Kevan Funk, Julia Hutchings, Jessica Parsons, and Jennifer Chiu". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
External links edit
- Official website (archive)
- Hello Destroyer at IMDb
