Seeds – TIFF 2024
Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring
September 5 to September 15, 2024
Content Advisory: Animal cruelty or animal death, Excessive or gratuitous violence
FILM FESTIVAL
Canada's Top Ten 2024
TIFF
TIFF Canada's Top Ten
TIFF24
PROGRAMME
Discovery
A Mohawk social media influencer has to prevent her family’s supply of seeds from being stolen from an evil conglomerate in Seeds. Ziggy (Kaniehtiio Horn) is a budding influencer sharing social media videos of native legends and ghost stories. Just after signing a promotional deal with the seed company Nature’s Oath, she is asked by her cousin (Dallas Goldtooth) to return to the reservation and do some housesitting while her aunt’s on vacation. Ziggy is also warned that Nature’s Oath is the enemy, as they plan to use their GMO seeds to replace naturally occurring ones. The evils of Nature’s Oath become apparent when a representative for the company (Patrick Garrow) breaks into Ziggy’s aunt’s house looking to steal her prized stash of rare corn, beans, and squash seeds.
Seeds Synopsis
Seeds is a thriller written, directed by, and starring Kaniehtiio Horn (Alice, Darling, Possessor). Horn stars as Ziggy, a bike courier who is developing as a social media influencer. Ziggy receives much of the content for her social media posts from a true-crime television series hosted by Graham Greene, who sometimes appears in her dreams to give important advice. Ziggy realizes she made a huge mistake signing a promotional deal with the Nature’s Oath Seed Company, as they were just using her to steal her Aunt’s supply of rare seeds. Ziggy must dig deep into her Mohawk ancestry to protect her family’s legacy.
My Thoughts on Seeds
With her debut feature Seeds, Kaniehtiio Horn establishes herself as an heir apparent to the late Mi’kmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Blood Quantum), in how she combines genre film tropes with themes about protecting the traditions of the First Nations. While the film does include a scene that would likely traumatize cat lovers, the film does build up a satisfyingly bloody climax. This includes a very graphic moment referencing “Uncle G’s” 1991 cult classic Clearcut.
