Highly acclaimed feature film SEAGRASS will be available to North American audiences on VOD beginning April 2, 2024, following its theatrical releases in both Canada and the U.S. this past February. The film is a unique and intimate portrait of a family in turmoil.
Judith (Ally Maki, SHORTCOMINGS), a Japanese Canadian woman, and her husband Steve (Luke Roberts, THE TOURIST) are attempting to mend the fractures in their marriage spurred by the recent death of Judith’s mother by attending a self-development retreat. When they meet another interracial couple, whose marriage seems to be picture perfect, it becomes apparent the cracks are deeper than expected. Meanwhile, 11-year-old daughter Stephanie (Nyha Huang Breitkreuz) makes friends with an unruly group of girls, while her six-year-old sister Emmy (Remy Marthaller) becomes enthralled by a story that a nearby cave can allow communication with the other side.
SEAGRASS is Vancouver director’s Meredith Hama-Brown’s feature debut. It premiered to a sold-out crowd as a part of TIFF’s 2023 Discovery program, won the International Film Critics Awards FIPRESCI Prize at TIFF, and was selected for Canada’s TIFF Top Ten showcase screening. Just before the world premiere of SEAGRASS, it was announced that Hama-Brown has been signed by Gersh and is currently in the early stages of writing a second feature film.
SEAGRASS tackles tough questions of race, intergenerational trauma, motherhood, grief, and family. Set on a remote island in the mid 1990’s, filming for SEAGRASS primarily took place on Gabriola Island. The intimate family drama is set against a gorgeous scenery of cliff faces, rugged mountains, blue waters with relentless waves, and rich vegetation, a perfect avenue for cinematographer Norm Li (THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN) to bring a sense of urgency to the retreat.
The trailer for SEAGRASS is available on YouTube. Canadian and U.S. audiences can watch the film on VOD from April 2, 2024.
