N.W.T. director hopes to chill Iqaluit audiences with new thriller

An N.W.T.-based thriller that follows a woman and her dog along a frozen highway when they are suddenly hunted by a stranger in a semi-truck is set to premiere later this month in Iqaluit.

Cold Road stars Roseanne Supernault, a Cree and Métis actress who starred in the Indigenous-led sitcom, Acting Good.

A behind-the-scenes shot of director Kelvin Redvers and crew shows them filming in the Northwest Territories. (Photo courtesy of Kelvin Redvers)

Director Kelvin Redvers, a member of Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, said he integrated his experiences of travelling on isolated northern highways with the emotions that came from moving away from his home community into the film.

Beneath the thrills, Cold Road is an emotional story of an Indigenous woman recognizing the strength of where she comes from as she travels to reach her home community before her mom passes.

“On these roads, on these long journeys by yourself, it kind of forces you to reckon with yourself. And there’s a value to going through who you are and what your goals are and what’s in the future,” said Redvers.

“I think there’s a powerful story underneath, of this Indigenous woman who’s coming to terms with her guilt of leaving home and being away for so long but recognizing where she is from is one of her strengths.”

The film was shot in South Slave region of the Northwest Territories. Redvers pointed to the determination of the cast and crew, who toughed out cold -25 C conditions for hours while filming, sometimes at night.

“Audiences can tell when things are real, you can see the lead character at night with her breath coming out of her mouth,” he said. “That’s not CGI, we filmed this outside at night in the winter.”

The shoot involved shutting down a Northwest Territories highway and crashing a semi-truck and car into each other.

“We did genuine action sequences, and seeing it in theatres is gripping,” said Redvers.

“All the audiences we’ve shown it to say they felt tense and nervous and I think a lot of people like that from the movies.”

Redvers said the film is “truly a northern-produced movie.”

“Indigenous folks, we don’t get to see ourselves on screen very often, but this is one of those opportunities for both Indigenous folks and northerners,” he said.

Cold Road premieres Jan. 26 at Astro Theatre in Iqaluit.