Life goes on and nothing much happens in snowy Woodland Cree, where the Fox family lives as part of the wintry community. Things change, however, when 75-year-old Martin suddenly decides to travel to Nashville in search of evidence that Hank Williams, his longtime hero, has really died.

With the help of his younger brother, Fox family patriarch Adelard, Martin sets out on his journey, accompanied by his teenage nephew. While the family tries to understand his decision, news of the trip gathers human-interest in the press. Amid the newfound excitement, young Sarah Fox struggles to come to terms with her place in town and with her own heredity.

Aaron James Sorensen?s Hank Williams First Nation is a charming, big-hearted slice-of-life, brimming with affection for its place and people. With quirkiness and emotional nuances reminiscent of The Straight Story, it deals with family, tradition and values, and what one generation can learn from another. Shot on the Woodland Cree First Nation in the Peace River Country of Northern Alberta, the film is quite unlike anything captured before on film.

Fernando F. Croce

Screening with:
Milo 55160; dir. David Ostry; 20min/35mm/Canada ? Heaven?s loneliest bureaucrat embarks on a purgatorial odyssey for a missing boy in the afterlife.

EMERGING MAVERICKS / NEW VISIONS