Bay (2024)

Bay
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	--
Screenplay by	--
Produced by	--
Starring	Anana Canuel Alex Marceau Lily Brosseau
Cinematography	--
Edited by	--
Music by	--
Release dates	27 January 2024 (2024-01-27)
Running time	151 minutes
Country	Zamastan
Budget	13.4 million
Box office	343.1 million

Bay is a 2024 Zamastanian drama film directed by --. Based on the 1996 book Rorqual Bay, the film stars Anana Canuel as Natanekea Suletu, a sixteen-year-old Catica girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe. Her grandfather believes that this is a role reserved for males only.

Plot

The film's plot follows the story of Natane. The village leader should be the first-born son, a direct patrilineal descendant of Natanekea, the Bay Rider, he who rode on top of a whale (Tohora) from Yi'ana. Natane is originally born a twin, but her twin brother and her mother died during childbirth. Natane is female and so technically cannot inherit the leadership. While her grandfather, Tse, later forms an affectionate bond with his granddaughter, carrying her to school every day on his bicycle, he also condemns her and blames her for conflicts within the tribe.

After the death of his wife and despite overwhelming pressure from Tse, Natane's father refuses to assume traditional leadership or finish the canoe that he had started building for the baby son; instead, he moves to Elbresia to pursue a career as an artist. At one point, Natane decides to live with her father because her grandfather says he doesn't want her. However, as they are driving away, she finds that she cannot bear to leave the sea as the whale seems to be calling her back. Natane tells her father to return her home.

Tse leads a cultural school for the village's first-born boys, hoping to find a new leader. He teaches the boys to use a kitya (fighting stick), which is traditionally reserved for males. Natane is interested in the lessons, but is discouraged and scolded by Tse for doing so. Natane feels that she can become the leader (although no woman has ever done so) and is determined to succeed. Her grandmother, Elu, tells Natane that her second son, Natane's uncle, had won a kitya tournament in his youth while he was still slim and so Natane secretly learns from him. She also secretly follows Tse's lessons. One of the students, Atepa, is also sympathetic towards her.

Tse is enraged when he finds out, particularly when she wins a kitya fight against Atepa. Tse is devastated when none of the boys succeeds at the traditional task of recovering the rei puta (whale tooth) that he threw into the ocean, the mission that would prove one of them worthy of becoming leader. With the loss of the rei puta, Tse in despair calls out the ancient ones, the whales. In an attempt to help, Natane also calls out to them and they hear her call.

One day Natane, her uncle, her uncle's girlfriend Sitala, and others take the boat to where Tse flung the rei puta into the sea. Natane confidently declares she'll find it and dives into the water. She finds the rei puta, which means that she is the rightful leader. Elu does not think Tse is ready to accept this and does not tell him. Natane, in an attempt to bridge the rift that has formed, invites Tse to be her guest of honor at a concert of Catica chants that her school is putting on. Unknown to all, she had won an interschool speech contest with a touching dedication to Tse and the traditions of the village. However, Tse was late, and as he was walking to the school, he notices that numerous southern right whales are beached near Natane's home.

The entire village attempts to coax and drag them back into the water, but all efforts prove unsuccessful, and even a tractor does not help. Tse sees that as a sign of his failure and despairs further. He admonishes Natane against touching the largest whale because she has "done enough" damage with her presumption.

When Tse walks away, Natane climbs onto the back of the largest whale (traditionally said to belong to the legendary Natanekea) on the beach and coaxes it to re-enter the ocean. The whale leads the entire pod back into the sea; Natane submerges completely underwater before being thrown off the whale's back. Fearing Natane is lost, Elu reveals to Tse that his granddaughter found the rei puta, and Tse realises the error of his ways. When Natane is found and brought to the hospital, Tse declares her the leader and asks for her forgiveness.

The film ends with Natane's father, grandparents, and uncle coming together to celebrate her status as the new leader, as the finished canoe is hauled into the sea for its maiden voyage. In voiceover, Natane declares, "My name is Natanekea Suletu, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Bay Rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our people will keep going forward, all together, with all of our strength."

Cast

• Anana Canuel as Natane
• Alex Marceau as Tse
• Lily Brosseau as Elu
• Cassien Kirouac as Nahiossi
• Keven Marcotte as Uncle Chatan
• Oceanne Boisvert as Atepa
• Adele Moore as Sitala
• Tom Deneault as Woni

Production

The film had budget of ℤ9,235,000. The film was shot in and around Nanaimo, Zian. Producer -- said "This novel was set in Nanaimo and it would almost have been heresy to shoot anywhere else. There are very physical things that are described in the book – the sweep of the bay, the island that looks like a whale, the meeting houses, the number of houses that are present and of course, the people whose legend we were telling. ... If we'd gone somewhere else and tried to manufacture the surroundings and the ambience, then I think it would have been noticeable in the picture." The whale beaching was depicted using full-scale models created by Tofino-based Tallhammer Visual Effects. The 60 ft (18 m)-long canoe seen at the end of the film was made in two-halves in Tofino before being transported to Nanaimo. The canoe was given to the local Catica community after filming concluded.