Sault film has deeply personal roots

Fall is a story of a boy, a letter, a breach of trust, and forgiveness.

But mostly, it's about Father Sam Ryan.

And for Canadian filmmaker Terrance Odette, it has deeply personal roots.

Written and directed by Odette, Fall follows Father Ryan as he struggles to come to terms with a possible sexual transgression that occurred 40 years prior.

Although the incident in question draws from Odette's own personal experience, he told SooToday the film is most definitely a work of fiction.

"I took that incident from when I was 14 and wrote from that out to create this character of the priest. It's less about the boy and more about the priest," he said. "I stood back and asked 'How did you live your life?' The guy we ended up creating between myself and Michael Murphy (the actor) is not at all the guy from my life. I wasn't interested in creating a profile. I was interested in depicting somebody who had screwed up and him discovering how it had effected that boy."

Filmed and set in Sault Ste. Marie, Odette was drawn to the location for the available resources and cultural diversity.

"I decided when we got here that I didn't want to misrepresent the place," he told us. "As it turns out, it is a great location for the story because of the fascinating mix of Aboriginal, Italian and French. Those are three cultures that have a strong Catholic connection, so it made sense to be here."

He also enjoyed his time here outside the movie set, raving to us about the coffee from Dish Espresso Bar, culinary offerings from Paesano Foods and Antico Ristorante, and vintage wine section at our LCBO.

The Shadows of the Mind Film festival will screen Fall on Sunday, March 1 at Galaxy Cinemas in the Station Mall at 9:30 a.m.

The festival wraps Sunday with four additional films at the Grand Theatre, including The Case Against 8, Living is Easy With Eyes Closed, The Overnighters, and Human Capital.

For further details and ticket information, please click here.

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