A Japanese-Canadian woman’s relationship with her family is forever changed while at an island self-development retreat in Seagrass. Judith (Ally Maki) travels with her husband Steve (Luke Roberts) and children Stephanie (Nyha Huang Breitkreuz) and Emmy (Remy Marthaller) to a self-development retreat on a remote island in the Pacific. While attending group therapy sessions on the island, Judith and Steve meet fellow couple Carol (Sarah Gadon) and Pat (Chris Pang), who seem to be much more stable in their relationship. This only compounds Judith’s insecurities about the future of her family.
Seagrass Synopsis
Seagrass is the feature film debut from writer and director Meredith Hama-Brown. The film is a family drama taking place self-development retreat on a remote island. While Judith and Steve deal with issues surrounding their marriage, their 11-year-old child Stephanie begins acting out, while 8-year-old Emmy believes a local ghost story about a cave on the island and feels that her recently deceased grandmother is watching over the family.
My Thoughts on Seagrass
Seagrass is an ok drama that at its core is about the fractured relationship between an interracial couple. The recent loss of Judith’s mother plays a part in her conflict with Steve. It also adds a vague ghost story element to the story, as Meredith Hama-Brown shoots some scenes to make it appear like the ghost of Judith’s mother is watching over the family, which plays a part in the sequence the film concludes.
Trailer for Seagrass – TIFF 2023
