Exclusive: Cameras have begun filming in Newfoundland, Canada, on the indie thriller Hangashur From director Justin Aoki.
The film stars James Freshville (Lords of the Air, Peaky Blinders, The Royal Hotel), Hera Hilmar (My mom drives, look, deadly engines), and Stephen Oates (Small fortune, fire in the cold season, borders). Producers pictured are Oakey of Black River Pictures, Tania Sarra of Sauce Studios, and Patrick Condon.
Written, directed and produced by Aoki, the story follows an artist haunted by visions, who abandons her life in Iceland to chase the ghost of her disappeared father to a remote Newfoundland island. After settling in a small fishing village, a strange relationship develops with Jack, a local facing the pressures of his first season at the helm of his father’s legacy – and a crew eager to get out onto the ice floes in search of seals. When Vera sneaks aboard Jack’s boat, mysterious weather forces the small crew to survive.
“The story for Hangashur “We came together over many years traveling to Iceland and Finland and completing other projects,” Aoki said. “It feels like a completely organic progression in my career as a filmmaker, where I was trying to tell stories that were heavy and full of a lot of cultural references, with some of the suspense of the genre. In that regard, I removed all that naturalism and delved more into the genre aspect of the film.” I try to build an ominous, almost frenetic atmosphere – without losing the specificities of this place that I want to highlight.
Sarah added:Hangashur “It has everything audiences are looking for now – an original concept rooted in a familiar genre, a brilliant director, and our talented cast,” commented producer Tanya Sara. “Justin is one of the most exciting Canadian directors working today. His vision paired with Hera, James and Steve are a dream team that I couldn’t be more excited about. The way their chemistry came together is something you can only hope for. I know it’s Combine that with Justin’s script that has the entire market buzzing Hangashur “He will deliver.”
The film was produced with support from Telefilm Canada and PictureNL.