Edge of the Knife (2018)

Interesting facts

• Filmed in: Yan 7
• Awards: 5 · Nominations: 0. Including: Canada's Top Ten; Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Canadian Film; Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best British Columbia Film; Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director of a Canadian Film

Edge of the Knife is a 2018 Canadian drama film co-directed by Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown. It is the first feature film spoken only in the Haida language. Set in 19th-century Haida Gwaii, it tells the classic Haida story of a traumatized and stranded man transformed into Gaagiixiid, the wildman.

Production

The idea to make Edge of the Knife came from University of British Columbia professor Leonie Sandercock and Haida Gwaii community organizers who wanted to encourage learning Haida, classified as an endangered language with fewer than 20 speakers at the time of the movie's production. After an idea submission contest, Haida brothers Gwaai and Jaalen Edenshaw, as well as Graham Richard, joined Sandercock in 2014 to begin work on the script.

The writers decided to develop the dramatic story of the Haida wildman (called Gaagiixiid or Gaagiid). This is a traditional Haida narrative that follows someone who survives an accident at sea and whose humanity declines as they struggle to survive. The Gaagiixiid story also works as an allegory for any struggle, mental or physical.

Jonathan Frantz, of Kingulliit Productions, produced the film through the nascent Niijang Xyaalas Productions and was director of photography. Zacharias Kunuk was the film's executive producer. Edge of the Knife was co-directed by Gwaai Edenshaw (in his directing debut), who is Haida; and Helen Haig-Brown, who is Tsilhqot'in. With Edge of the Knife, filmmakers intended to preserve Haida language and culture for future generations.

The production for Edge of the Knife was done with CA$1,800,000 in funding, including support from Telefilm Canada, the Council of the Haida Nation, the Canada Media Fund, and British Columbia and federal tax credits. The Gwaii Trust put CA$100,000 toward the film. "The film reflects a resurgence of indigenous art and culture taking place across Canada," Catherine Porter wrote for The New York Times in 2017.

Casting took place in June 2016. One actor, Brandon Kallio, was a commercial fisherman whose only Haida was picked up from his children's homework. He recalled seeing a call for auditions on Facebook, and brought his wife, Adeana Young, and their four children to his audition; they all received roles in the movie.

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