Adventures in the Land of Asha

In this adventure film for the young and the young-at-heart set in the northern wilds of 1940s Québec, a settler boy and an Indigenous girl venture into the forest to find his missing dog and to potentially discover a cure for his rare disease. Winner of Best Film at the 2023 Montréal International Children’s Film Festival.When young Jules’ family relocates to his uncle’s remote town, Jules is quickly isolated because of his skin condition. While venturing into the surrounding woods, he meets a new friend in a young Indigenous girl, Asha. Together they embark on a friendship exploring the land, witnessing the rapid deforestation happening because of Jules’ uncle’s settlement. As the two get into good trouble, Jules finds a welcoming community among the local Indigenous people. With the charm of a young adult novel and rendered with opulent period detail, ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF ASHA is an historical family film that depicts an awakening to the perils of colonialism and invokes hope for a brighter future through the eyes of a child. —C.F.