THE GREAT SALISH HEIST – Film Review

This weekend The Great Salish Heist the first Indigenous heist movie afters its debut at the VIFF Centre.

Co-written and directed by Darrell Dennis, the film shot over 15 days on Vancouver Island. The film follows Steve Joe, a traditional archaeologist for the Moquahat people who believes the bad luck in his community is a result of the displacement of sacred artifacts. He and a rag-tag group of rebels from the Rez hatch a plan to break into a museum and reclaim their stolen artifacts.

Cast

Darrell Dennis, Graham Greene, Andrea Menard, Taylor Kinequon, Ashley Callingbull and Leslie D. Bland star. The Great Salish Heist is directed by Darrell Dennis and is an Orca Cove release.

The first ever Indigenous heist movie is indeed a unique draw, it made me wonder what other first genre films have been out recently. Was Blood Quantum the first ever Indigenous zombie film? Answers in the comments please. Anyway a unique hook generates initial interest, did the film keep it?

Thoughts

There is a lot going on here, repatriation of artifacts, the exploitation of Indigenous culture, Russian gangsters and a redemption story. It is just a bit too much and leaves things a little messy. I feel like taking out one element would give the viewer more time to connect.

The characters are a highlight, definitely a little silly but the film is pretty upfront with its comedic tone. I think Stephanie was pretty fun, and I’d definitely like to see Taylor Kinequon in more things going forward.

The film marks Dennis’ feature directorial debut, overall I think he does a pretty good job and I am eager to see what future projects he might work on.

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

One of the most interesting things about this project is that it is based on the experiences of co-writer Harold Joe, an Indigenous archaeologist turned actor. He spoke with the Vancouver Sun about the experiences that inspired the story we see. If you can it is worth your time to click over and have a read it is a fascinating story.

The Great Salish Heist is a fun adventure with a new perspective. Probably on the edge of family friendly let’s call it PG 13 but absolutely a nice weekend or evening watch. The film is out on theatrical release starting today.