Canada, USA
2023 116 mins
OV English
Sonny (Ryan Ward, SON OF THE SUNSHINE) and his daughter Hildie (Nyah Perkin) share a strong bond. The duo is struggling — Sonny lives with Tourette Syndrome, which makes keeping a job and a permanent home nearly impossible and makes it hard for Hildie, who grows up isolated with few friends. Jumping from one motel to the next, Sonny runs from his family, who think Hildie needs stability. There’s also the matter of a very powerful secret Sonny harbours, and he keeps his distance from strangers. When they are unexpectedly joined by Glover (Lennox Leacock), Hildie’s smitten classmate, they form a patchwork family and cautiously join some travelling outcasts who make the best of wherever they lay their hat. As bonds grow, Sonny and Hildie relax around their new friends, but the group has a darker purpose for them both, threatening their very existence
The World Premiere of DAUGHTER OF THE SUN isn’t the first visit to Sonny and Hildie’s world; rather, it’s the midpoint and continuation of director and actor Ryan Ward’s Canadian Screen Award-nominated first feature film, SON OF THE SUNSHINE, where we get a glimpse of Sonny’s former life and his secret. Based on aspects of Ward’s childhood, this deeply personal, ’70s-inspired coming-of-age fantasy finds its heart in Manitoba, with moving performances by Ward, Perkin, Leacock, and Courtney Sawyer as the mysterious Samara. Ward, who is no stranger to the supernatural world, playing Ash in over 800 performances of EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL, incorporates magical realism, family dysfunction, actors with disabilities, a traveller/nomadic lifestyle and a theme of hope battling despair. With cosmic overtones, stunning cinematography by Craig Range and Mandeep Sodhi, and an ethereal score by David Bertok, you’ll experience the humanity of living on the fringe and the beauty of a father’s love for his daughter. – Carolyn Mauricette