Soul Survivor (film)

Soul Survivor
Soul Survivor
	VHS cover
Directed by	Stephen Williams
Screenplay by	Stephen Williams
Produced by	Paul Brown
Starring	George Harris; Peter Williams; Clark Johnson;
Cinematography	David Franco
Edited by	Jeff Warren
Music by	John McCarthy
Production; company
Distributed by	Xenon Entertainment (Canada); (International);
Release dates	January 4, 1995 (Sundance Film Festival); September 12, 1995 (Worldwide);
Running time	89 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	English

Soul Survivor is a 1995 Canadian drama film directed by Stephen Williams, who also wrote the screenplay. Produced by Paul Brown, the film stars George Harris, Peter Williams, and Clark Johnson and is set in Toronto's African-Caribbean sector.^[1]

Plot[]

Tyrone Taylor (Peter Williams) is a Jamaican-Canadian immigrant, living in Toronto and working as a hairdresser at a local salon. He doesn't enjoy working at the salon and is looking for ways to easy money, in order to quit his job. He starts collecting debts for Winston Price (George Harris), a local gangster and owner of a nearby nightclub. Though Tyrone's new job under Price is violent and illegal, he tries to rationalize it by talking himself into the belief that he will soon have enough money to quit and go into a cleaner business. His jobs become more and more violent and one day he is forced to collect money from his cousin Reuben (David Smith), who will not pay back. Tyrone takes his side and guarantees his ability to pay to Price. Tyrone's girlfriend Annie (Judith Scott) and his family, who soon find out about Tyrone's new employment, try talking him out the job, warning him of all the dangers that come with it. Tyrone however, continues, believing he is too careful to get caught.

Cast[]

Peter Williams as Tyrone Taylor
George Harris as Winston Price
Clark Johnson as Busha
David Smith as Reuben
Judith Scott as Annie
Arden Bess as Papa
Leonie Forbes as G'ma T
Denise Jones as Cherry

Production[]

Director Stephen Williams explained the journey of Tyrone was loosely based on his personal experiences when first moving to Toronto from Jamaica.

Stephen Williams also commented on working with his brother Peter (Tyrone Taylor) and what it was like, shooting an emotional scene: "It was really hard, it was really painful to watch. [...] I would have felt that for any actor, but more so because he's my brother. I felt badly that I put him through that, but the scene required that kind of emotional response and we had to do it. That took me by surprise. We shot a love scene, for instance, and it didn't feel any different than shooting a love scene with any actor, but for some reason this one here of him crying was painful to witness."

The film was partly funded by the Ontario Film Development Corporation and Telefilm Canada.^[2]

Release[]

The film first premiered on January 4, 1995 at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, though it did not compete.^[3] In May 1995, the film was shown during the International Critics' Week at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, where it was hailed (along with Rude) as ushering in a new Black Canadian film aesthetic.^[4] It was then released worldwide on September 25, 1995, with a domestic Canadian distribution through Xenon Entertainment and an international distribution through . On September 23, 1997, the film was released on VHS and in June 2003 on DVD.

Reception[]

Leonard Klady of Variety magazine writes: "While a seemingly familiar tale of urban, ethnic plight, Soul Survivor gets added mileage from its unique setting in the Afro-Caribbean sector of Toronto. A relatively straightforward drama, film's interwoven tales are elevated by assured direction and performances that convey authenticity. A decidedly upscale effort, it should travel well on the arthouse circuit domestically and in foreign climes."^[3]

Accolades[]

Year	Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Results
1996	Genie Awards	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Peter Williams	Nominated
1996	Genie Awards	Best Original Screenplay	Stephen Williams	Nominated

References[]

^ "Soul Survivor - Cast, Crew, Director, and Awards". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2015. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
^ Baldassarre, Angela (2003). Reel Canadians: Interviews from the Canadian Film World (1 ed.). Guernica. pp. 153–156. ISBN 978-1550711653. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Klady, Leonard (February 13, 1995). "Review: 'Soul Survivor'". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
^ Rinaldo Walcott (19 December 2017). "Soul Survivor and the Dream of "the Black '90s"". The Review. Retrieved 9 March 2018.

External links[]

Soul Survivor at IMDb

[1] "Soul Survivor - Cast, Crew, Director, and Awards". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2015. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.

[2] Baldassarre, Angela (2003). Reel Canadians: Interviews from the Canadian Film World (1 ed.). Guernica. pp. 153–156. ISBN 978-1550711653. Retrieved November 23, 2015.

[var-3] Klady, Leonard (February 13, 1995). "Review: 'Soul Survivor'". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2015.

[4] Rinaldo Walcott (19 December 2017). "Soul Survivor and the Dream of "the Black '90s"". The Review. Retrieved 9 March 2018.

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