Shirley Cheechoo Movies
Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro returns to the phantasmagorical cinema that defined such early fare as Cronos and The Devil's Backbone with this haunting fantasy-drama set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and detailing the strange journeys of an imaginative young girl who may be the mythical princess of an underground kingdom. Her mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), recently remarried to sadistic army captain Vidal (Sergi López) and soon to bear the cruel military man's child, shy young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is forced to entertain herself as her recently-formed family settles into their new home nestled deep in the Spanish countryside. As Ofelia's bed-ridden mother lies immobilized in anticipation of her forthcoming child and her high-ranking stepfather remains determined to fulfill the orders of General Francisco Franco to crush a nearby guerilla uprising, the young girl soon ventures into an elaborate stone labyrinth presided over by the mythical faun Pan (Doug Jones). Convinced by Pan that she is the lost princess of legend and that in order to return to her underground home she must complete a trio of life-threatening tasks, Ofelia sets out to reclaim her kingdom and return to her grieving father as Vidal's housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú) and doctor (Alex Angulo) plot secretly on the surface to keep the revolution alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ariadna Gil, Ivana Baquero, (more)
- 2005
A man struggles to reconnect with his family and community as he deals with the scars of war in this independent drama from writer and director Shirley Cheechoo. Johnny Tootall (Adam Beach) is a Native North American from Vancouver who joined the military when he found himself unable to handle his responsibilities at home. Johnny ended up serving as a soldier in Bosnia, and the war and devastation he witnessed has had a lasting impact on him; he's especially haunted by the death of a young boy he killed in battle. When his hitch is over, Johnny comes home and has to face the loose ends he left behind -- his girlfriend, Serena (Alex Rice), the members of his tribe, and especially his brother, RT (Nathaniel Arcand). RT is a scruffy political activist who long found himself at odds with Johnny, and the returning soldier discovers RT is in the midst of a campaign to save the sacred land of their people. RT wants Johnny to help him in this fight to save their culture, but as Johnny struggles to sort out his demons, he wonders how much he can really do for others. Johnny Tootall was named Best Feature Film at the 2006 Native American Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Beach, Alex Rice, (more)
Ray (Tim Vahle) has just returned from college to run a Native-American ski lodge. A laid-back place where employees' children play in the lobby and the handyman has a habit of macking on guests, the lodge isn't exactly four-star travel guide material. So when Ray learns that a travel guide representative is coming to make an inspection, he makes an executive decision to make the lodge a professional place of business. In addition to keeping his father, who happens to be the hotel's former manager, out of his way, he also has to contend with his somewhat eccentric staff, which includes an emotional vegetarian chef (Graham Greene) who takes a certain pleasure in informing his diners of the names he has given the animals they're eating. Despite Ray's exhaustive preparations, something, of course, goes wrong: something that, in this case, turns out to be a case of mistaken identity: when Tina, a comely Mohawk woman, shows up at the lodge, Ray assumes her to be the representative, and sets about giving her the royal treatment while the actual representative (M. Emmet Walsh) is ignored and must contend with a hefty dose of hotel mismanagement. Christmas in the Clouds was an audience favorite at the 2002 Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Vahle, MariAna Tosca, (more)
- 2000
Native American filmmaker Shirley Cheechoo makes her directorial debut with this tale of an unfortunate woman in a remote Canadian reservation. In a single day, Ella Lee (Renae Morriseau) gets raped by her thuggish ex-boss, accidentally kills her abusive pit bull of a husband, and gets brutally interrogated and sexually molested by an evil cop. Though Ella Lee's attorney sister offers to defend her, real justice occurs with the help of a vengeful shape-shifting bugbear. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renae Morriseau, Sheila Tousey, (more)
- 2000
Jorge Manzano directs this Canadian-produced indie flick about Native American lesbians behind bars. While finishing off her last few months of the stint in maximum-security, Johnnie (Gail Maurice) falls passionately in love with the fiery Lana (Columpa C. Bobb). Meanwhile, Johnnie's kid brother wrecks havoc on the mean streets of Toronto. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley Cheechoo
