Review: ‘Wildhood’ is a quest to find one’s true self

Wildhood tells the story of a young man isolated from his Indigenous heritage, who sets out on a quest to reconnect with his family, his roots and himself.

While many have the benefit of learning about their heritage from their relatives, others are left without these oral traditions. This can lead to a hole in their understanding of themselves as they can never be certain of how much they’ve inherited from these unidentified ancestors. Consequently, the opportunity to fill the gap with knowledge and/or a personal connection can be incredibly attractive — so much so, one may be willing to take significant risks because the potential gains outweigh them. In Wildhood, a young man embarks on a journey to find his mother and subsequently rediscovers his Indigenous roots along the way.

Link (Phillip Lewitski) is in a constant state of avoidance, whether it’s his abusive father, the police or his Mi’kmaw heritage, which is physically manifested in his bleach-blonde hair. When he learns his White father has been hiding the fact that his Mi’kmaw mother is still alive, he runs away with his half-brother, Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony), to find her. Travelling through Nova Scotia in an attempt to track down her whereabouts, they meet Pasmay (Joshua Odjick), a teen drifter and traditional Mi’kmaw dancer, who offers to help. Pasmay’s addition to their fellowship pushes Link to rediscover his Indigenous roots, as well as explore his sexual identity.

This coming-of-age story is also a play on the road trip movie as they meet a number of interesting characters who help them on their quest — though their most memorable leg in a vehicle involves being picked up by a passing van driven by veteran Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes. His character’s contributions to helping Link find his mother are considerable, even if the means of getting the information is a mix of funny and inappropriate. On the other hand, travelling primarily by foot gives audiences a stunning view of some of Eastern Canada’s great vistas, allowing the boys to connect with nature as well as each other.

Unlike other comparable films, the characters in this picture are not restrained by small town limitations or their age; instead, they are on a road full of possibilities, including heartbreak and disappointment. The key to audiences engaging with this touching drama is the moving performances by Lewitski and Odjick, who bring authenticity to their roles and genuinely portray these young men, the former on a passage of self-discovery and the latter sharing his conception of self-acceptance.

Writer/director Bretten Hannam’s feature debut is a thoughtful and sincere film that embraces the intimacy of their adventure, demonstrates the healing abilities of community and captures their journey without frills, but not skill.

Director: Bretten Hannam
Starring: Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony