Billy Merasty Movies
- 2007
Filmmakers Paul Unwin and Lisa Meeches team to direct this upbeat biopic of Manitoba politician Elijah Harper, who became the voice of the Canadian people for his bold stance against the Meech Lake Accord and then "Progressive" conservative government back in 1990. A soft-spoken statesman and one of the first aboriginal politicians to emerge in Canadian government, Northern Manitoba native Harper endured constant racism and criticism as he stood strong against the proposal that would have persuaded Quebec to endorse the Canada Act. Billy Merasty stars in a film also featuring Maury Chaykin, Gary Farmer, and Lorne Cardinal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Merasty, Glen Gould, (more)
- 1994
Two different narratives, separated by 37 years, interconnect in this feature debut from acclaimed Canadian theater director Robert Lepage. In 1952, Alfred Hitchcock (here played by Ron Burrage) is in Quebec, filming I Confess. While the great director's presence adds a bit of Hollywood excitement to the usually sleepy city, Rachel (Suzanne Clement), a 16-year-old girl who works at a church being used for filming, is in turmoil. She's become pregnant and has nowhere to turn, so she speaks of her dilemma to the priest in the confessional, secure that it will remain confidential. In 1989, Pierre (Lothaire Bluteau) has returned to Quebec after three years in China to attend the funeral of his father. He encounters his adopted brother Marc (Patrick Goyette), and together they begin searching for answers to their difficult questions about their true heritage. Kristin Scott Thomas appears in a supporting role as Hitchcock's assistant. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lothaire Bluteau, Patrick Goyette, (more)
- 1989
Based on a true story, in 1971 a 17-year-old Canadian Indian, Donald Marshall, was imprisoned. He remained in prison for eleven years for a murder he did not commit. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Merasty, Thomas Peacocke, (more)
- 1989
The ads for Red Earth, White Earth ballyhooed the soap-opera aspects of the made-for-TV film, particularly the fact that the young protagonist's (Tim Daly) best friend was shacking up with the boy's mother. Played down in the ads was the central crisis of the film: A battle between a white farm family and the Native Americans who have recently acquired the political pull to claim the family's land. The farmers are flummoxed not only by the ethnic issue but also by their long-standing personal and financial woes. Given the high-charged political atmosphere of Red Earth, White Earth, it's ironic that its originally scheduled 1988 telecast was moved to early 1989--bumped off the air by one of the Bush-Dukakis debates. The film was based on a novel by Will Weaver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
