SEAGRASS

Canada2023115 minEnglish Directed By Women, Family, First Feature

Judith, a Japanese Canadian woman, and her reluctant white husband attend a week-long couple’s retreat on a coastal British Columbia island, their two daughters in tow. With Judith grieving the recent loss of her mother, and her connection to her Japanese Canadian identity, the couple’s disconnect grows as she finds herself infatuated with another, seemingly perfect, interracial couple at the retreat. The parents’ rift impresses upon their daughters, as Emmy, the fearful younger sister, becomes increasingly anxious, while the eldest, Stephanie, cautiously navigates the preteen social dynamics of day camp.

Set in the mid-90s and shot on 35 mm film, Meredith Hama-Brown’s tense, layered family drama is a nuanced look into the legacy of Japanese Canadian internment and how trauma weaves through generations in silences, detachment, and ambiguity. Standout performances by Shortcomings’ Ally Maki (Judith) and Nyha Breitkreuz (Stephanie) anchor the film as it explores womanhood, sisterhood, grief, and racial identity in this remarkable debut feature.

– Vidhya Elango