In the Canadian indie film Fortescue, on the quiet shore of a lake in cottage country, a performance collective celebrates the acclaim their fearless writer/director has received for her contemporary revision of Rapunzel.
The production is a vulnerable effort from its playwright, Lea (Kelsey Falconer), that incorporates themes of loneliness and mental health that mirror her own experience. She’s proud of herself and her cast (Chelsea Preston, Tyson Coady) and anticipates performing an excerpt for locals including a vacationing representative from Stratford (Jacqueline Greer Graham).
Having toured with Fortescue last year and continuing with screenings at schools and rep theatres, Toronto-based filmmaker Rebeccah Love’s next stop for her debut feature-length film is Kinmount’s Highlands Cinema, a cherished “DIY multiplex” that is now world-renowned thanks to Matt Finlin’s hit documentary The Movie Man about owner Keith Stata, where the film is screening over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Love shot the film at her family cottage on Fortescue Lake, just east of Kinmount in the Haliburton Highlands.
This proposes an interesting, and possibly deliberate, self-referential angle for Fortescue: a film about independent artists putting on a performance in the woods for the community is being screened, courtesy of its independent artists, at a movie theatre that’s, essentially, in the woods.
This is, however, myself putting too much thought into the origin of the film. The choice of venue boils down to Love’s personal admiration for Kinmount’s hidden gem.
“The Highlands Cinemas carries a very special place in my heart,” says Love. “I grew up coming to this movie theatre as a kid. This is where I learned about cinema. There is something very special and magical about going into the middle of the woods to either make or consume art.”
VIDEO: “Fortescue” trailer
That creative parallel is evident in Fortescue, as the film’s cottage serves as a creative hub, allowing Lea and actors Gabby and Kevin to re-centre themselves. Tensions arise, at first, when the friendly dynamic between Lea and Gabby is altered by Kevin’s arrival. The trailer suggests a story about a potential love triangle, but it’s quickly established how Kevin’s sanctimonious comments can rattle Gabby’s nerves.
Fortescue is a drama that relies heavily on character work and, thankfully, the cast are up to the challenge.
“A lot of the dynamics at play in this story are not really based on any real-life relationships, but are loosely inspired by my experience as a millennial woman living with chronic illness,” explains Love, who lives with three chronic health conditions including bipolar I disorder.
“My cast was made up of some pretty extraordinary actors who carried within them a wealth of experience both on the stage and on camera,” Love says. “I like to give actors a ton of freedom to make their own choices. Many of the creative decisions that made Fortescue so special came directly from the actors and their unique visions of the characters they portray. I felt very fortunate to be able to collaborate with them and learn from them.”
Does a process this intimate invite elements of improvisation?
“All of our actors engaged with some level of improvisation to bring their characters to life,” Love says. “The montage scenes are built entirely off of improvisations, but there were many other moments where our actors made specific choices about their character. These choices led to a specific kind of magic that I had not anticipated.”
Because of the cast’s confidence and Love’s trustworthy direction, Fortescue sticks its landing as a genuinely mature drama.
The stakes are raised when Lea’s medication runs sparse and the visionary gradually loses her grip, prompting those around her to act on their instincts regarding how to treat and support someone going through a personal mental health crisis.
The movie is immaculately measured as Lea’s condition worsens and the atmosphere grows more shallow in the cottage. The rising action almost resembles that of a bottled thriller or an “elevated horror,” except Love isn’t trying to disguise issues or feelings with allegories or metaphors. Instead, the filmmaker would rather look at Lea’s situation head-on.
“It is very challenging to discuss mental health in any medium without turning to harmful archetypes or sappy storylines,” Love explains. “We were seeking to portray a believable if slightly stylized depiction of psychosis, in hopes of reminding our audiences that every day, people across the country struggle with emotional dysregulation, delusions, mania, psychosis, suicidal depression, (and) paranoias.”
“Those who are struggling in their illnesses are still lovable, but also those who partake in caregiving never have the truth of their reality depicted on screen. It is challenging to strike a perfect balance in a dramatic narrative, where you are touching your audience but not in any kind of public service announcement tone.”
“With each passing day we are getting closer to normalizing these conversations,” she adds. “Narrative features have an important role to play in shifting public conversations around the great traumas of being alive.”
Fortescue is an excellent achievement as an independent film choosing to climb mountains. Love’s presentation of what happens to Lea as she descends into psychosis is effective and truly pulls at our heartstrings, and the audience is still able to relate to the worried attitudes of Lea’s support circle. As attempts are made to earn a connection to their desperate friend, they start to feel a different type of helplessness that will weigh on their will.
Finding compassion at camp, Fortescue is an essential work about what it means to be human.
The film screens at Highlands Cinemas at County Road 121 in Kinmount at 7:15 p.m. from Friday, May 16 to Monday, May 19, with writer/director Rebeccah Love in attendance for all four screenings.
Cash-only admission is $13 for adults and $11 for seniors and children, with a $9 admission price on Monday nights.
