Who Has Seen the Wind (1977 film)

Who Has Seen the Wind is a 1977 Canadian drama film directed by Allan King and written by Patricia Watson. The film is an adaptation of W. O. Mitchell's influential novel Who Has Seen the Wind. It was the first narrative feature film ever directed by King, who was previously known primarily as a documentary filmmaker.[2]

Who Has Seen the Wind
Directed byAllan Winton King
Produced byPierre Lamy
Allan Winton King
Written byPatricia Watson
Based onWho Has Seen the Wind
by W. O. Mitchell
StarringBrian Painchaud
Douglas Junor
Patricia Hamilton
Gordon Pinsent
Helen Shaver
José Ferrer
Music byEldon Rathburn
CinematographyRichard Leiterman
Edited byArla Saare
Distributed byAstral Films (Canada); Janus Films (U.S.)
Release date
October 20, 1977 (Arcola, Saskatchewan)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.2 million (Canada)[1]

The film stars Brian Painchaud as Brian O'Connall, with a supporting cast including Douglas Junor, Patricia Hamilton, Gordon Pinsent, Helen Shaver, Chapelle Jaffe, Charmion King, Leslie Carlson, Hugh Webster and José Ferrer.

Although Painchaud received positive critical attention for his performance, it was the only film he ever made before his death in 1986.

Synopsis

The story revolves around Brian (Brian Painchaud), a young boy who lives a magical life on the Canadian prairies catching prairie dogs and playing with friends. The magic ends when his father (Gordon Pinsent) falls ill, and he witnesses the harsh realities of adult life. This coming-of-age story provides a poignant look at life on the prairies during the Great Depression.[3][4]

Reception

The film was awarded the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Golden Reel Award in 1978 as the top-grossing Canadian film of the previous year,[2] with a gross of $1.2 million.[1] It was nominated for a Gold Hugo (Best Feature) at the 1978 Chicago International Film Festival.

References
  1. "Canada-Only B.O. Figures". Variety. November 21, 1979. p. 24.
  2. "Allan King, 79: Pioneer filmmaker directed Warrendale". Toronto Star, June 16, 2009.
  3. Morris, Peter (1984). The Film Companion. Toronto: Irwin Publishing. pp. 133–134. ISBN 0 7725 1505 0.
  4. Clandfield, David (1987). Canadian Film. Toronto: Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 0 19 540581 1.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.