Sat, July 1 / 7 pm
Sun, July 2 / 3 pm
Wed, July 5 / 7 pm
Directed by Daniel Janke
2016, Canada, 73 min
To celebrate Canada Day we present a remarkable creative remix of the 1923 silent movie The Grub Stake by screen icon Nell Shipman. The Canadian-born actress, writer, producer and animal trainer, was best known for her portrayals of strong, adventurous women, and many of her productions were filmed in Canada. Grub Stake is the story of a young woman who travels north to the Klondike to seek her fortune only to be deceived and manipulated by a world of men. When she discovers that she has been brought to Dawson City to be sold into prostitution by the man who has promised to marry her, she escapes into the bush with a team of sled dogs, her ailing father, and a half-wit prospector. There she will lead a fight against her deceitful suitor. Grub Stake Remix is a mix of performance documentary and narrative fiction, the actors and musicians perform live, accompanying the original silent film in a redux with the on-screen characters who speak and think in Shakespearean English and French. Grubstake Remix remains true to the original story, and respectful of Shipman’s work. For Shakespeare buffs it is a testament to the Bard’s enduring relevance. For silent film fans it gives new life to a gem of the silent screen.
