The premiere of Indian Horse - a film adaptation of the novel by late Anishinaabe author Richard Wagamese - has yet to hit theatres nationally, but a group of people had the opportunity to attend a private screening of the film Saturday morning at Galaxy Cinemas.
The screening, hosted by the Anishinaabe People’s Council of Algoma University, was followed by a panel discussion about the film.
Among the people on the panel was Batchewana First Nation band member Thomas Dylan-Cook, who plays the Stu Little Chief in the movie.
“I’m born and raised here in Sault Ste. Marie so I thought, ‘well why not, right?’” said actor Thomas-Dylan Cook. “It was nice to be able to share that with my community.”
According to an Algoma University press release, Indian Horse tells the story of Saul Indian Horse, who is taken from his home at a young age and placed in a residential school. The lead character then uses the game of hockey to get away from the school and launch a professional hockey career.
Saul Indian Horse can’t forget his past at the residential school, which threatens his future. He then looks to the spirit of his ancestors in order to begin the process of healing.
Cook hopes that when Indian Horse premieres in theatres across Canada April 13, the public will walk away from watching the movie with a “better understanding of Indigenous people and the trials and tribulations that they’ve endured, just to be here now.”
Following the screening and panel discussion, Cook was surrounded by friends, family members and well-wishers outside of Galaxy Cinemas. His mother, Renee Smith, was among those in the crowd.
Smith says that’s she been looking forward to this moment for awhile now, and that her work schedule didn’t allow her to watch Indian Horse when it played at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Wow, I’ve been waiting for this moment,” said Smith. “I was so excited to be able to share this with my son here, with family here in Sault Ste. Marie, with all our family and friends.”
“I’ve had so many people facetiming me, facebooking me, all so excited about our hometown boy.”
Smith beams with pride now when talking her son’s accomplishments, but when Cook first told her that he was dropping out of college in order to pursue an acting career, she was hesitant.
“I think I did a good job to encourage him to, you know, go for his dream, but at the same time I said, ‘you know, I just don’t want to see you wake up when you’re thirty-some years old and you don’t have anything,’” she said. “He proved me wrong, you know? He went through all the auditions and kept striving.”
“I’m a pretty proud mom.”
Cook, who also plays the role of Slash in the Crave TV series Letterkenny, says that although he’s been splitting his time between here and Toronto since 2012, he’ll always be connected to Batchewana First Nation and Sault Ste. Marie.
“Home is where the heart is, and it’s tough to leave home sometimes,” said Cook.
“It seems like every time I leave, I come back. I love home and it’ll always be home, no matter where I go.”