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New movie from Peters First Nation filmmaker now available on iTunes

Called Rehab, movie focuses on a man dealing with the recent passing of his father
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A movie made by Peters First Nation member and filmmaker Andrew Genaille is currently available to view — and it was filmed entirely on the iPhone 12.

Movie buffs grab your popcorn and get ready! A movie made by Peters First Nation member and filmmaker Andrew Genaille is currently available to view — and it was filmed entirely on the iPhone 12.

Shot in Mission, Genaille’s second feature length movie, Rehab, was filmed in 19 days with three iPhone 12s. Genaille, who wrote, directed, and produced this film, says shooting on the iPhone saved the crew a lot of time. It also provided much needed versatility at all stages of filming and production.

“Yeah, no, I love shooting on iPhones and mobile phones,” says Genaille. “It was funny because, when we put the proposal together, I had a page and a half on why I wanted to shoot on the [iPhone 11]. And, as we were waiting for funding, the iPhone 12 came out. I picked one of those up and I did some test shots. My Director of Photography did some testing on it, and we were able to send in the test footage and they got all excited for it.”

Starring Tahmoh Penikett, Eric Jonson, and Jennifer Podemski, Rehab centres on a man — dealing with the recent loss of his father, who forces a famous actor to live in the woods until he becomes sober. Penikett plays Jacob, a First Nations man whose daughter is obsessed with Brad, a famous actor struggling with his separation from his wife. Brad is played by Johnson.

“It’s the story of a guy who is dealing with death all the way around him,” says Genaille. “When I wrote this script, it was maybe two months after my dad passed away. And this was maybe 11 years after my grandfather passed away. So, I was able to experience my dad going through his grieving process. And then, you know, I went through mine and I was able to compare it.”

Genaille says his love for movies started at an early age, when his family was still living on military bases, and stayed with him throughout his life. Born in Saskatchewan, Genaille moved to Hope as a teenager and attended the Hope Secondary School. He is an alumni of the Victoria Motion Picture school and Capilano College (now Capilano University) which he attended for their film program. Aside from Rehab, Genaille also wrote and directed the feature film White Indians Walking and wrote the screenplay for Two Indians Talking.

He has written, directed, and produced for numerous television series, short videos, and short animated films.

His next feature length movie, which he plans to film on the iPhone 14, will be shot in Chilliwack. This time, blending “dramedy” with Sci-Fi, the story will focus on an Indigenous community moving back home after a UFO has taken residence above their reserve.

“I like to take situations that are usually dramatic, and dark, and make them into comedies,” says Genaille. “They’re easy to digest. It’s also easier to get through drama with laughing rather than crying. You can have that whole emotional trip with, basically, dark comedy dramas — with dramedies.”

Those interested can watch Rehab on iTunes, Xbox, Youtube, and Googleplay.

READ MORE: Independent film ‘Krypto’ bringing movie monster to Hope


@KemoneMoodley
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Kemone Moodley

About the Author: Kemone Moodley

I began working with the Hope Standard on August 2022.
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