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Who Has Seen the Wind (1977 film)

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Who Has Seen the Wind
Directed byAllan Winton King
Written byPatricia Watson
Based onWho Has Seen the Wind
by W. O. Mitchell
Produced byPierre Lamy
Allan Winton King
StarringCharmion King
David Gardner
Brian Painchaud
Douglas Junor
Patricia Hamilton
Gordon Pinsent
Helen Shaver
Thomas Hauff
José Ferrer
CinematographyRichard Leiterman
Edited byArla Saare
Music byEldon Rathburn
Production
companies
Allan King Associates
Souris River Films
Distributed byAstral Films (Canada)
Janus Films (U.S.)
Release date
  • October 20, 1977 (1977-10-20)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,120,000
Box office$1.2 million (Canada)[1]

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]

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

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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

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W. O. Mitchell was paid $11,000 (equivalent to $51,432 in 2023) 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 $5,657,621 in 2023) and $300,000 (equivalent to $1,515,434 in 2023) of the film's budget came from the Saskatchewan government.[6][7]

Release

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b "Canada-Only B.O. Figures". Variety. November 21, 1979. p. 24.
  2. ^ "Who Has Seen the Wind". cfe.tiff.net. Canadian Film Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Allan King, 79: Pioneer filmmaker directed Warrendale". Toronto Star, June 16, 2009.
  4. ^ Morris, Peter (1984). The Film Companion. Toronto: Irwin Publishing. pp. 133–134. ISBN 0-7725-1505-0.
  5. ^ Clandfield, David (1987). Canadian Film. Toronto: Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 0-19-540581-1.
  6. ^ Melnyk 2004, p. 120.
  7. ^ a b Turner 1987, p. 232.

Works cited

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