Hello Destroyer is a 2016 Canadian drama film written and directed by Kevan Funk.[2] It had its world premiere in the Discovery section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]

Hello Destroyer
Film poster
Directed byKevan Funk
Written byKevan Funk
Produced by
  • Daniel Domachowski
  • Haydn Wazelle[1]
StarringJared Abrahamson
CinematographyBenjamin Loeb
Edited byAjla Odobašić
Music byEdo Van Breemen
Production
companies
  • Tabula Dada
  • Type One
Distributed byTabula Dada
Release date
  • 10 September 2016 (2016-09-10) (TIFF)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The film stars Jared Abrahamson as an enforcer on a hockey team who faces difficult consequences when a hit on an opposing player during a game turns more violent than intended.[4] It was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture.

Cast

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Production

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The film was an expansion of his 2013 short film Destroyer.[5]

According to Funk, his intention was to make a film that explored institutional and systemic violence rather than a sports film per se;[6] he chose a hockey-related setting as it represented an "aggressively Canadian" cultural institution which has a complex relationship with violence and toxic masculinity, and has stated that if he were making the same film in the United States he would likely have chosen a military setting.[6]

The film was shot primarily in Prince George, British Columbia, including at the CN Centre.[7]

Reception

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On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 11 reviews.[8] Vice Sports describes the film as "about how violence is cultivated, showcased and then punished within a set of institutions that require its presence to be profitable",[4] and Alex Rose of the magazine Cult MTL called the film "as Canadian as a Weakerthans song and as depressing as that second Leonard Cohen record."[9]

On 7 December 2016, the film was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top 10 list.[10]

Accolades

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The film received four Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, including Best Motion Picture and Best Actor (Abrahamson).[11]

Awards Date of ceremony Category Recipients and nominees Result Ref(s)
Canadian Screen Awards 12 March 2017 Best Motion Picture Daniel Domachowski, Haydn Wazelle Nominated [12]
Best Director Kevan Funk Nominated
Best Actor Jared Abrahamson Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Kevan Funk Nominated
Leo Awards 2017 Best Motion Picture Haydn Wazelle, Daniel Domachowski Won [13]
Best Direction in a Motion Picture Kevan Funk Won
Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture Won
Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture Benjamin Loeb Won
Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture Kurt Max Runte Nominated
Joe Buffalo Nominated
Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture Jared Abrahamson Won
Vancouver Film Critics Circle 16 December 2016 Best Canadian Film Kevan Funk Won [14]
Best British Columbia Film Won
Best Canadian Director Won
Best Actor in a Canadian Film Jared Abrahamson Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film Kurt Max Runte Won
Vancouver International Film Festival 2016 BC Emerging Filmmaker Award Kevan Funk Won [15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hello Destroyer [programme note]". Vancouver International Film Festival. 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Hello Destroyer (Kevan Funk, Canada) — Discovery". Cinema Scope. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  3. ^ "POLITICS AND BOLD STORYTELLING HEADLINE CANADIAN LINEUP AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL" (PDF) (Press release). Toronto International Film Festival. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b "VICE Sports Q&A: We Talked to the Director of 'Hello Destroyer'—a Film That Critiques Canada's National Pastime". Vice Sports. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  5. ^ Rob Alexander, "Funk brothers share Calgary limelight". Rocky Mountain Outlook, September 26, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Hello Destroyer director Kevan Funk wanted to make 'aggressively' Canadian film". Toronto Star. 10 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Hello Destroyer producer grateful to city for help with film". Prince George Citizen. 24 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Hello Destroyer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Hot new films from day four of TIFF". Cult MTL, 12 September 2016.
  10. ^ "'Telling stories that show Canadians who we are:' TIFF unveils top 10 Canadian films of 2016". CBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience up for Canadian Screen Awards". CBC News. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  12. ^ Furdyk, Brent (17 January 2017). "2017 Canadian Screen Awards nominees revealed". Global News. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Leo Awards, 2017 Winners by Name". www.leoawards.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Hello Destroyer Named Best Canadian Film by VFCC". Vancouver Film Critics Circle. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  15. ^ Smith, Charlie (11 October 2016). "VIFF honours B.C. filmmakers Ann Marie Fleming, Kevan Funk, Julia Hutchings, Jessica Parsons, and Jennifer Chiu". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
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