Who Has Seen the Wind is a 1977 Canadian drama film directed by Allan King and written by Patricia Watson.[2] 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.[3]
| Who Has Seen the Wind | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Allan Winton King |
| Written by | Patricia Watson |
| Based on | Who Has Seen the Wind by W. O. Mitchell |
| Produced by | Pierre Lamy Allan Winton King |
| Starring | Charmion King David Gardner Brian Painchaud Douglas Junor Patricia Hamilton Gordon Pinsent Helen Shaver Thomas Hauff José Ferrer |
| Cinematography | Richard Leiterman |
| Edited by | Arla Saare |
| Music by | Eldon Rathburn |
Production companies | Allan King Associates Souris River Films |
| Distributed by | Astral Films (Canada) Janus Films (U.S.) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,120,000 |
| 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 edit
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.[4][5]
Production edit
W. O. Mitchell was paid $11,000 (equivalent to $46,357 in 2021) for the film rights to Who Has Seen the Wind. The film was shot from 30 August to 15 October 1976, on a budget of $1,120,000 (equivalent to $5,099,421 in 2021) and $300,000 (equivalent to $1,365,916 in 2021) of the film's budget came from the Saskatchewan government.[6][7]
Release edit
The film was released in Arcola, Saskatchewan, on 20 October 1977, and was distributed by Astral Films in Canada and Janus Films in the United States.[7]
Reception edit
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,[3] 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 edit
- ^ a b "Canada-Only B.O. Figures". Variety. November 21, 1979. p. 24.
- ^ "Who Has Seen the Wind". cfe.tiff.net. Canadian Film Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Allan King, 79: Pioneer filmmaker directed Warrendale". Toronto Star, June 16, 2009.
- ^ Morris, Peter (1984). The Film Companion. Toronto: Irwin Publishing. pp. 133–134. ISBN 0-7725-1505-0.
- ^ Clandfield, David (1987). Canadian Film. Toronto: Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 0-19-540581-1.
- ^ Melnyk 2004, p. 120.
- ^ a b Turner 1987, p. 232.
Works cited edit
- Melnyk, George (2004). One Hundred Years of Canadian Cinema. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 080203568X.
- Turner, D. John, ed. (1987). Canadian Feature Film Index: 1913-1985. Canadian Film Institute. ISBN 0660533642.
External links edit
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